Changing Tides 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 36

"No."

Jordan frowns and tilts her head to the side. "Is Sir Jack Ass going to be there?"

I snort at her question. Even though Jordan still hasn't been brought up to speed on my sexuality, she knows that something happened between Bennett and me. Granted, she has no idea what it is and probably thinks it's just a bad 'bro fight.' Regardless, she's the ever-loyal friend and has since referred to him as Sir Jack Ass.

"Bingo," I mutter and gulp down a few sips of beer.

Jordan scoffs and takes another huge bite of her pear. "Just ignore him. Does Roland know he'll be back on Monday?"

I shrug. "Doesn't matter."

"Well, I'll tell him anyway. At least that way he can prepare himself for being a human buffer between the two of you."

Jordan states it as a matter-of-fact. I've gone almost four weeks without needing a 'human buffer' between Bennett and me. Then again, a human buffer isn't exactly needed when the two of us have had zero contact.

My roommate takes a final bite of pear and tosses it into the trash. I frown as she starts walking out of the kitchen, noticing that her morning basketball shorts and t-shirt have been replaced with a flowing skirt and matching top.

"Hey," I shout after her and follow her into the living room. "You look semi-fashionable. Is Hell freezing over?"

Jordan flips me off and picks up her phone at the end of the table. "One of my friends is hosting a Hawaiian themed party at her place tonight. It's right next to the lake, so it's supposed to be huge."

"You have other friends?" I clutch at my heart and stagger back.

My sarcastic comment earns me nothing more than a droll stare. "Well she's invited me to parties before. I just haven't gone."

"And who is this 'she'?"

Jordan glances at her phone, but not before I notice the hint of a blush rising to her cheeks. "Her name is Lana. She's been in a few of my classes this summer."

Interesting. I smirk and cross my arms over my chest. "So what makes this party so special?"

"Nothing," she answers defensively.

She purses her lips and then tosses her phone on the couch, throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"I don't know, ok? I just keep turning her down every time she asks to hang out or to meet her at a party. And if I keep saying no, she'll eventually stop asking. And I..."

Her voice trails off. The confidence that Roland and I have tried so hard to instill in her the past month starts cracking under the pressure of being in a social situation. Or perhaps it's cracking under the pressure of being around this 'Lana' who – from the sounds of it – has caught my roommate's attention.

"I get it," I say after a beat of silence. I take a seat next to her on the couch and slide my arm around her shoulders. "And when exactly was I going to get an invite to this party?"

"Right before you made that snide comment about my fashion sense."

I choke down a laugh and her glare intensifies. The living room light hits her face at an angle that I realize she's wearing makeup too. Her eyes are painted to match her dress, and her lashes are dark and long. Instead of teasing her a second time, I roll my eyes and place a sloppy kiss on her forehead. She cringes and scoffs under her breath before wiping it off with the back of her hand.

"Oh c'mon," I mutter. "You know you want me there."

"Only because I don't want Roland to be bored. Well, that and I need a ride."

Roland already knows about this party?

The patio door to our apartment slides open, and our conversation is interrupted as Roland's tall frame moves into the living room with an armful of groceries. Speak of the devil. When he gets into the kitchen and sets the bags on the counter, the loud thunk catches me by surprise.

"What the hell did you buy?"

Jordan pops up from the couch and sashays her way into the kitchen. It's not a particularly graceful sight, but the flowy skirt helps her case.

"Oh! Thank you, thank you!" she hums to Roland.

He smiles down at her and moves aside to let her pull the mysterious purchases from the bag. I see the sleek top of a wine bottle before he blocks my view again.

"What'd you get her?" I ask, nodding towards the kitchen.

Roland plops down beside me. He takes off his sunglasses and folds his hands behind his head. His white shirt tightens around his torso. The movement shows off the solid five pounds of muscle he's managed to gain back over the month. A faint tan stretches across his temple, no doubt thanks to his goggles from so many outdoor practices the past two weeks.

"Drinks for tonight. She wanted a few glasses of wine before we went over there."

I thrum my fingers against my knee. "And why again was I left out of the loop on all this?"

Roland laughs. "Trey, she's nervous. And you're not exactly the easiest guy to talk to – especially when it comes to romance or the emotional department."

I can't argue there. I was dumped by the first woman I ever loved, realized I was into dudes, and then was rejected by the first man I've ever had feelings for all in the span of a few months. That doesn't exactly equate to romantic stability.

I grunt in agreement and Roland glances over his shoulder before leaning into me and lowering his voice.

"She told me about the party yesterday. It's going to be quite the summer bash."

I quirk my brow at the nervousness in his voice. The three of us have gone to a party or two the past few weeks. One of them was definitely considered a 'summer bash.' Why is he bringing this up to me now? Roland sighs and his shoulders sag.

"Bennett's going to be there."

I don't know what I was expecting to feel hearing his name again. After all the improvement I've been making, a part of me actually believed I'd feel nothing. But instead hearing his name has the opposite effect. Half a dozen emotions flood my nervous system, and with them, a familiar sensation of warmth spreads throughout my body. My cheeks burn. My stomach burns. My fingertips burn.

"How do you know?" I ask after a beat of silence.

"I texted a few guys from the team," Roland answers. "Jordan said there'd be a DJ there, so I sent out a few texts to find out. Erik was the one to finally confirm it."

Anger wins out over the others, and my heated gaze flickers up to my best friend. "I see."

Roland grimaces. "Trey – listen, we don't have to go. Jordan will understand. We can tell her – "

"No." I cut him off mid-sentence. "We're going."