Having my first time play out that way wasn’t the worst thing in the world. It taught me to separate sex from emotion, and that’s a highly useful skill.
Now Rob and I are just friends, and I don’t see him as anything more.
“Don’t you have a girlfriend?” I ask, confused. “Abby told me about her. Isabel?”
He shakes his head. “We’re not committed. Plus, it’s different with you.”
An uneasy feeling forms in my gut. This sounds like Male BS 101. Does Isabel know they’re not committed? And “different” with me how, exactly?
Before I can ask what he means by that, Abby butts in between us and sets a fresh drink in front of me that I didn’t ask for. She’s got Lana and Destiny in tow, two of her sorority friends from Kappa. Both are fine in that they’ve been perfectly nice to me, but I can’t escape the feeling there’s some thinly veiled resentment going on.
Destiny flashes me a fake smile from across the table. “Hey Serena!”
See what I mean? I’ve met her at least ten times.
Abby drains the last of her rum and Diet Coke and gestures to us with her empty glass. “Why are we wasting our time down here when we have VIP access? Let’s go upstairs.”
Somehow, that sounds even worse than staying on the main level. “I think I might go, Abbs.”
“What? No!” She points to the highball glass. “I just got you a refill. C’mon, Sera. Stay for one more drink. Please?”
“Hang on.” Glancing down, I check a text that just came through.
Chase: Party wound down, FYI. Try to keep it quiet if you come back tonight.
Seems he’s still a little miffed about earlier this week. Abby broke a glass in our kitchen after we got home at two in the morning and it woke him up. It was an accident, but I understand his irritation.
I lock my phone, then look back up at the table where everyone is staring at me expectantly. If I leave, I’ll be alone. That includes being alone with my thoughts—and they’re entirely too loud lately, especially at night.
CHAPTER 8
TAXI LIGHT
SERAPHINA
Maybe Chase is right; maybe Abby is a bad influence.
Then again, it’s not like she forced me to drink last night. I’m paying for it today, though. My head is throbbing, my mouth is desert dry, and I’m freaking exhausted.
Given my sad state of affairs, my appointment with my academic advisor to finalize course selections this morning is more than a little painful. What possessed me to schedule that the day after Chase’s birthday?
I hit Starbucks to reward myself for surviving and come straight home for an emergency hangover bath. Perching on the edge of the tub, I adjust the temperature on the faucet as the water runs. While I should finish unpacking, storage space has been an issue and it looks like a clothing store exploded all over my bedroom. I’d rather not deal with that today. Or ever. Maybe if I ignore the mess long enough, everything will magically organize itself.
At least no one is home to judge me for being a sloth in the middle of the day. The unforeseen upside to having three varsity athlete roommates is that so far, they’re hardly around. Tyler’s even less present than Chase and Dallas because he works with some private goalie coach in addition to everything else. I also overheard him saying something about having a nutritionist and a meal plan. I don’t know how they juggle everything. It seems exhausting.
My phone chimes on the counter next to me with a text from Abby. We go back and forth for a few minutes until my battery dies abruptly, cutting us short. I forgot to charge it—again.
With the tub half full, I toss in a handful of Epsom salts, a few drops of eucalyptus oil, and some fancy detoxifying peppermint bubble bath, watching the iridescent bubbles multiply on the surface of the water.
Satisfied, I light a few pillar candles on the counter and drop my white terrycloth robe before climbing into the tub. I’d normally listen to a book but I’m too lazy to grab my charger from upstairs. I close my eyes, basking in the warmth of the water instead. All of my worries slowly melt away. Maybe I’m getting better at compartmentalizing, or maybe I’m just too tired to care.
Once the water has cooled from nearly scalding to lukewarm, I lather up my leg and reach for my razor. The blade is midway up my calf when the bathroom door swings open. To my horror, Tyler is standing in the doorway.
He’s fully clothed… and I’m fully naked.
Our eyes lock and I yelp as the razor slips from my hand, disappearing into the sea of foam. A lightning-quick scan of the room reveals that my towel is on the counter, my robe is on the floor, and both are firmly out of reach. My only option is to huddle awkwardly behind the edge of the tub.
“What are you doing?” I demand, gripping the cold porcelain ledge.
Tyler freezes on the threshold and removes an earbud from one ear, his jaw practically unhinged. “I—what are you doing?” He gives his head a shake and averts his gaze, turning so his back is facing me.
“What does it look like? Taking a bath.” At least the massive mountain of bubbles affords me some degree of privacy. They’re nearly up to my neck, and I’m not sure he could even see anything from where he’s standing. Although I can’t say for certain that he didn’t, either.
“In the middle of the day?”
“Is that a crime? Didn’t you hear me?”
“Hear what?” He throws his arms in the air. “You weren’t making any noise.”
“I’m sorry, next time I’ll narrate my entire shaving process from start to finish.”
Tyler chokes on a laugh. “Why didn’t you lock the door?”
“Obviously, I thought I did!” I’m half-laughing too, partly from nerves and partly at the situation itself. Forgetting to lock the door is perfectly on brand for me.
Bracing one hand on the door frame, he hangs his head. A low curse leaves his lips as he scrubs his jaw with his palm, looking down at the floor. “Sorry, Tink. My goalie coach called in sick today, and I came home early to pack before we leave. I’m not used to having anyone in my space, and I wasn’t paying attention. Let’s implement a knocking rule, okay?”
“Deal.”
He shuts the door behind him as he leaves, and once he’s gone, I slip out of the tub to lock it for certain this time. Not because I think he’ll come back, but for my own peace of mind.
Heaving a sigh, I sink back into the room temperature water and grab my razor again. My heart is still skittering, body buzzing. I try to console myself with the fact that he’s already seen my boobs, but when you factor in my bare, sweaty face and messy, off-center bun, it’s not a flattering scenario. Him seeing me naked on my own terms is an entirely different story.
I guess it could’ve been worse. If it had been a few minutes later, Tyler would have walked in on me awkwardly contorted while shaving my bikini line. It would be impossible to come back from him seeing that.
Maybe I should switch to waxing.
“Dallas just texted and said, ‘Remember to use your profile so it doesn’t fuck up my Netflix recommendations.’” Siobhan glances down at her screen, letting out a tiny snort.
“I’m guessing this is a pattern?” I tear open a packet of sweet-and-sour sauce and drizzle it over my second egg roll of the evening. Bless whoever invented stretchy pants, ‘cause I’m about to get my money’s worth out of this elastic waistband.