Hello, sorry to butt in, but this chapter has a bit more sexual content and since it has been warned before I probably won't be posting warnings in individual chapters unless I'm concerned about triggers. Again, this book is intended for mature readers, yep? K, thanks, happy read ;)
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The door pressed against my back reverberated again with the insistent knock, and the stewardess asked us to get out in an increasingly irritated English. We smiled with our lips pressed against each other, and a faucet tucked uncomfortably into my waist.
"You know we have to leave eventually, right?" I asked when my mouth pulled away from his, which trailed down my neck, then my breasts, making me shiver.
"What's she going to do, kick us off the plane?" He asked, with an I-know-it-all smirk that made every muscle in my abdomen twitch and my hips move without my command, or permission, over the growing bulk in his jeans.
I heard a small metallic noise and suddenly the support on my back disappeared. I felt that twist in my stomach of when we dream we're falling into nothingness, the difference is that I was actually falling. The pain and the thumping noise my head made hitting the ground distracted me from the fact that I was probably baring my breasts for half the plane. My-god-I-didn't-know-his-name-yet recovered from the scare much faster than me and in what didn't seem like two seconds, he was helping me to a sitting position, sliding his sweatshirt over my exposed body. I straightened my skirt and stood up with his help, under the annoyed gazes of the stewards. Our eyes met and I did the last thing Gabriella Campos would ever do in a situation like that: I laughed - and he followed suit. The disapproving looks had no effect on us. Who knew having nothing to lose could feel so liberating?
"Well, you're even wearing my clothes, I think I've earned the right to a name." He commented as we were escorted back to our seats. Not looking the least bit shy about strutting through a plane in just pants, sneakers, and a cap. And he sure had no reason to, he looked even hotter in the Magic Mike look.
"Seems fair." I shrugged, continuing to walk. "Melina." I said as I reached the row of my seat, turning around and reaching out to shake his hand. He grabbed it and pulled me to him, running his fingers through my hair and gluing our lips together, earning ourselves a lot of giggles and whistles from the people around. When he released me I had a light head and a goofy smile plastered with super glue on my face.
"Magic. Magic Luke." He replied, right up to the twirl, making me laugh. So he did watched it. "We'll talk later?" He asked, winking at me and walking away before I had a chance to answer.
The seatbelt alert lit up, and I hurried back to my seat, sinking into the chair enveloped in the delicious smell of clean laundry and -I finally knew the name- Luke. It kept me company through the turbulence and the rest of the way to Boston, my last but one stop.
To my utter disappointment, I didn't see him for the rest of the flight and the entire process of getting hit by a horde of people trying to get off the plane. I even considered meeting him at customs, but I had no way to be sure he was going to go through it. Besides we had just hooked up and I didn't want to seem clingy, I had no idea what to expect from someone I had casually been with. So I focused on the process of not missing any of the information that the immigration officer asked me, like my name.
By some miracle, I didn't miss any of the answers, managing to get out from under the gaze of the cops and go hunting for the place that sold tickets to my new town. The airport lounge was full, as you'd expect in a college town at the start of a new semester, and my unusual look, with pink hair, flowing skirt and what looked like some school team's sweatshirt, didn't seem to call the slightest attention. I had to ask security for information, but luckily, I made it in time to buy tickets for the next bus to Conwick even though it was scheduled to leave in just two minutes. I remembered Agent Gardner asking me to buy a cell phone as soon as I landed in the US, but that would have to wait. The bus was still boarding when I arrived, joining the line of passengers fitting their luggage on the mass puzzle it was creating. I followed them, settling into my seat, feeling the bus begin to move, missing my old cell phone, with the million songs I used to listen to all the time. But I think the lack of sound suited my new life better. Why have music if I couldn't dance anymore? Yes yes, dramatic, I know. Don't roll your eyes at me!
I felt the bus driver suddenly slam the breaks and felt my body continue, being held by the seat belt. The driver screamed at someone asking if they were crazy. The sound of the door opening made me lift myself up in my seat to be gifted by the sight of Luke coming towards me, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment that he had a flannel shirt covering his gorgeous body. He got in and our eyes met as he climbed the first step. He stared at me for a second, eyebrow raised as if I was the most interesting mystery on the face of the earth, and then started walking again when the driver complained that he didn't have all day. He walked right up to me, still looking suspicious, his duffel bag slung over one shoulder.
"Okay, I'm really starting to believe you're following me." He said, laughing and tossing his bag into the compartment above our heads.
"Said the person who came in later." I pointed out.
"Hey, I've had this ticket for two weeks. How long have you had yours?" He disputed, again raising his eyebrow, now in a smug way as if he knew for a fact I had just bought mine. I was going to staple that eyebrow in place if it moved again.
Wait.
"You saw me buying my ticket." I accused.
"Guilty." He admitted lifting his arms in surrender, taking the seat beside me, with a smirk that made my heart skip a beat.
And at that moment, I wanted to rip the piece of blood-pumping muscle out of my chest, put it in a jelly jar and scream at it until it came to its senses. It was because of it that we were going to who-knows-where, to study god-knows-what.
"I'm sure the monologue in your head is pretty interesting, but how about using words?" He teased, bringing me back and making me wonder if he could read my thoughts. I know, ridiculous, but I had the right to be paranoid.
"All right, how about telling me what you were doing in Brazil?" I quizzed.
"Drug trafficking. A guy's gotta eat, right?" I choked. "Heeey, relax. I'm kidding, I don't have a drop of Bad Boy in my blood. In fact, I am a real prince charming since I was there visiting my grandma."
"Okay, now you're just messing with me." He burst out laughing and I didn't understand a thing, but I ended doing the same. He had one of those kinds of laughs.
"When I say I'm dealing, you believe right away, but when I say I was visiting my grandmother, you don't even consider it to be true. I didn't know I gave such a bad impression." He complained, pulling the brim of his cap down, hiding his eyes pretending to go to sleep.
"Sorry. Mobster's ex-girlfriend, here." I casually confessed, leaning my head almost into his lap so I could see his eyes and the smile he was trying to contain, he stuck his tongue out at me, and I rolled my eyes. Very mature. It made me smile tough.
"Ha ha, that's cute." He mocked, completely unaware it was one hundred percent true.
"We try." I shrugged.
"Next time say your ex is simply a drug dealer, it's easier for people to buy."
"Noted." I smiled, for more reasons than he thought. "So what brings you to my little piece of nowhere called Conwick?" I thought for a second. I had an answer pre-made for that question, but somehow I couldn't bring myself to tell it.
"I do not know." I admitted, having no idea where I was going with that. "A fresh start?"
"Are you asking or stating?"
"I have no idea." We talked a whilemore, but the jet lag finally caught up to me and I felt myself drift offrocked by the bus's movement.
I opened my eyes, having the cold floor plastered to my face, feeling paralyzed. I couldn't look up to confirm it, but shiny shoes walked slowly towards me, accompanied by what could only be an Italian suit. He had found me.
That was not possible.
No.
It was a nightmare, it could only be. But then how could the concrete under my cheek feel so real?
I didn't remember how it had happened, but the growing fear that froze my stomach was proof enough that it was the truth.
"Mia fragolina, ti sei svegliata." I heard his silky voice say, but his tone was the complete opposite of his sweet words. He stopped when the front of his shoe could almost touch my face, and he reached down just enough to grip a portion of my hair between his fingers and lift my face to face him. "Did you really think I wouldn't find you? Ti troverò sempre, amore mio." Was the last I heard before his fist met my face.
"Hey Hey, calm down." I heard, sucking air in like I was underwater. Not seeing shit around me. I blinked a few times, trying to adjust to the darkness of the bus and finding Luke staring back at me, not some Italian who wants my head. "What bank did you rob to be so jumpy?" he teased, and I forced myself to laugh, even though my brain was still on high alert with what had apparently been just a nightmare. A very realistic one.
The bus stopped and I looked out the window, futilely trying to find something familiar. At least there was a convenience store. When I looked back inside the bus, Luke was already up and retrieving his bag from the compartment above our heads. He smiled when he saw me looking at him.
"So the reason I almost gave you a heart attack..." My face must have looked as confused as I felt because he added "that I woke you up."
"Ah, it's all right. You didn't wake me." It was him. I added only in my head, feeling it send a chill down my spine.
"Well, this is where you stop chasing me," He teased, slinging his bag over one shoulder smirking. I returned his smile, standing up and stretching - in a way I hoped was sexy and not exhausted like I felt. It must have been working, because he took off his cap, running a hand through his hair, tossing it all back and smiling as the tip of his tongue ran through his lips, putting the cap back on. So-damn-hot.
"Are we at Conwick yet?"
"Yep, we've been for at least six stops."
"Looks like this isn't where I'm going to stop chasing you." I stated, turning away from him and reaching for my bag, letting my body touch his just enough to make him breathe deeper. I didn't know where I got all that courage from, but I hoped it could be Melina's without me having to admit that I was going mad or that I have some sort of double personality.
No, not double. There is me, and your lies. Just that. A voice answered from somewhere inside my head, making me freeze. OK, I was going to ignore that and go on with my life like a normal person. I doubt you can.
"All good?" Luke asked, from my back, taking the bag out of my hand and carrying it out when I nodded. I followed him off the bus, not quite sure where I was going since the only thing I'd managed to think about was ordering an Uber to the college dorm, before remembering that I hadn't bought a new cell phone yet.
"So, stalker, where do you intend to follow me to now?" He asked, stopping with the two bags slung over one shoulder, and what shoulders... Broad, strong, able to support my weight as if it were nothing.
"I would surely say it if my knowledge of the city wasn't limited to the 7eleven right behind you." He chuckled, looking at where I was pointing and waving at the cashier.
"How about we get something to eat? I'm starving."
"I'm always starving." I confessed.
"My kinda girl." He winked at me and headed into the store, so I followed. He greeted the cashier again, asking if he was ready 'for the season' making him excitedly comment that he had already bought tickets for the first game. He was a jock then, that explained the insane body and the team's hoodie. I left them to their excited conversation heading to the back of the store, stopping in front of the beverage refrigerator. Gabriella Campos didn't drink, not that she didn't like it. Bernardo thought it was a terrible habit, so she never even tried it - which, now that I thought about it, was ridiculous. Maybe Melina should give alcohol a try, and seriously stop referring to herself in the third person.
"Anytime now" Luke mocked from behind me making me jump "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." For someone that big he was eerily silent.
"I don't know the beer here." Liar. The voice in my thoughts accused me. It wasn't really a lie. I just hadn't said I didn't know any beer from anywhere. He seemed excited calling it a tasting, walking past me, opening the fridge, grabbing six bottles (each a different brand) and heading to the cashier, then coming back and grabbing six more. "Are you having a party?" I asked, he just shrugged me off and kept stocking for doomsday, so I went to find something to eat since he was clearly covering the drinks. I grabbed a packet of Doritos, some potato chips and some jelly-filled muffins that were definitely the opposite of the mini carrots Gabriella usually ate with... Damn me! This was becoming seriously concerning. I was thinking about him again. And referring to myself in the third person.
We arrived at the cashier, depositing everything on the counter and splitting the bill.
"Okay, where to now?" I asked as we walked out to the place's parking lot, carrying our bags and packages with what we'd bought, and he swung a key walking over to a Paleolithic ancestor of a Ford. The black paintwork looked new, but he had to place the two paper bags he was carrying on the floor to prise the door open.
"Do not even think about it." He stated, squinting at me, his eyebrows coming together in the middle of his forehead.
"Think about what?"
"Badmouthing Doris. I would be forced to leave you lost and on foot." I laughed, registering just the name.
"Doris?"
"The name came with the car, I didn't choose it." He blew me off, rolling his eyes but still holding the door open for me. I made a zipper sign over my mouth, placing the package I held and the two he'd left on the floor in the backseat before sitting down. He closed the door and walked around the car, tossing both of our travel bags along with the packages in the back, getting in, turning the key, and getting out much quicker than I thought Doris would be capable of.
"So, have you always lived here?" He nodded, mindlessly rolling his window down. I mimicked the movement, almost sticking my head out inhaling the wet earthy scent of the place. I could get used to that. "You're quiet, what's wrong?" I asked, feeling the change of mood and realizing I was alone in a stranger's car in a town where no one knew me. Wouldn't it be a kick in my ex's gut if I was randomly murdered in the middle of nowhere?
Sure, dear, such a victory for us, huh?
The voice taunted me unfortunately making perfect sense. I almost jumped out the window when he suddenly reached out and grabbed a pair of pompoms hanging in the rearview mirror, ripping them off and handing them to me.
"Can you put this in the glove compartment?"
"Sure." I agreed, recognizing the look on his face and feeling my entire body relax. He wasn't a serial killer. "Bad break?" He pressed his mouth into a thin line.
"I do not want to talk about it." I totally understood.
"All right." I agreed, pulling my hair into a messy bun on top of my head glad it was still long enough to tie itself without an elastic.
"All right?" He asked suspiciously, smiling when I nodded but still seeming to expect me to persist. He shouldn't hold his breath, if there was one thing I had no intention of talking about was ex's.
"Can we talk about the ridiculous number of bottles of beer we bought?" He chuckled, visibly relaxing and returning to his previous mood.
He drove for a short time, saying street names and telling funny stories of children lost on Halloweens and turkeys who they didn't have the heart to kill on Thanksgiving. The city looked calm, green, and much warmer than I'd thought the end of summer would be this far north. We came to a small parking lot, with some families returning to their cars and teenagers getting out of others, in groups, talking loudly. Luke parked beside one of the families as they left the place, greeting them excitedly, receiving several 'Welcome backs' and a bunch of 'I'm sorry about you and Jess.' who must have owned the mini-pompons in the car. I tried to open the door to get out, but it didn't budge one bit and when I turned to call him he was already rounding the car to open it for me.
"We're here!" He smiled, pushing his body against the door while squeezing the handle, it seemed to do the trick. "Doris encourages chivalry."
"I didn't take Doris for an old-fashioned" I teased, laughing and passing the bags from the back seat to him. "And where is here exactly?" I got out of the car taking one of the packages from him, as I looked around. It looked like a mini park, I think. Well, it had a lawn and trees, and a bike path with people cycling around. On the other side of the bike path you could see a river.
"This is one of the biggest sights here, the bike path."
"The bike path? Really?" He nodded, shrugging as he mouthed a 'small town' letting a smile spread across his face. He closed the car and we started walking towards the bike path, I followed him, having a distinct impression that I was being watched. I looked around, but no one seemed to pay particular attention to me. And I added 'paranoia' to the growing list of reasons why I thought I was going crazy, right below 'hearing voices' and 'talking to myself.' We only stopped when we were two steps from the shoreline.
He kicked off his work boots, sitting on the grass with the two packages full of bottles banging each other. I looked around once more, unable to ignore the feeling of being watched, and sat down beside him with the bag of all the junk food I had picked into the grass, feeling my hair spill out of its bun, pulling out my combat boots. He rummaged through the contents of my package.
"Did you get any real food?" I pulled the red hoodie up, trying to hind "Very mature of you." He fake-complained, laughing and grabbing the package of Doritos.
"Said the person who bought nothing but alcohol." I pointed, and he threw a biscuit in my direction, which he intended to hit me in the face, but I managed to catch it in my mouth, making him laugh even harder. He held the package out to me, grabbing two beers and opening them, handing me one. The sun was beginning to set over the river, and with each passing second, the sky changed, the colours forming beautiful shapes then erasing them. I took a sip of the liquid from the bottle in my hand, and he watched me, looking excited.
"So?" I couldn't help but grimace.
"It's disgusting." He nodded in agreement.
"You get used to it." He added, winking at me and taking a big swig of his own as if to prove his point. "It's always better not to take small sips." I squinted at him preparing for another go. I brought the bottle to my lips again, taking a bigger swig. It tasted the same, but at least it was still pretty cold, and I was beginning to sweat. He watched me expecting my ruling.
"At least is cold." He echoed the sentence, only a thousand times more excitedly as he clinked his bottle on mine. I sipped it watching the sun move, placed the bottle beside me, taking all of my hair, which was still past the middle of my back, even with the stupid self-inflicted cut, and bundling it back into a bun on top of my head, even though some waves refused, it was enough for me to at least stop melting. I closed my eyes for a few seconds, absorbing the feel of my new city.
"I like the smell here" I commented, drawing his attention to me, which before seemed lost in the horizon of dancing colours. He closed his eyes, lifting his head and inhaling slowly, almost a mirror of what I'd done. And I had to say I didn't believe I had met that guy by accident at an airport. He was hot enough to be in magazines, and nice enough to be in cheesy romance stories.
"It's good. Shame that in time you stop noticing. I remember liking it a lot when I first got here." he replied, opening his eyes and finishing the beer in his hand.
"Didn't you say you've always lived here?" I asked, doing my best to also finish off the remaining liquid in my bottle before it got warm.
"I've been here for about thirteen years. I must have been about nine or ten when we arrived, but I don't have many memories from before. I remember we moved around a lot, something to do with my dad's job. When he died my mom wanted to go somewhere we had never been before, she got a job at the hospital here and that's it, we moved."
"Is she a doctor?" He looked at me with a puzzled smile.
"No condolences?" I mumbled an apology but he just wave me off. "Don't worry, I barely remember the man. It's just... You have very odd reactions. It's never what I'm used to getting."
Weirdo. The voice in my head sneered.
"Hey, it's a good thing." He gave me his big warm smile and I doubted anyone could even remember their names after one of those, imagine what had phased them. He turned to grab another pair of beers, touching the cold bottle to my tight, making me jump and slap him. "For real, you're the best thing that happened to me all summer."
"Thanks. You are also the best thing that has happened to me in... months" I confessed, accepting the bottle he handed me and clicking it before taking a big swig. I checked the name of that one, cataloguing it. Better. "Anyway... your mom?"
"Nurse. Medicine is what she wants for me." He complained, tossing a biscuit up and catching it in his mouth.
"What about you? What do you want?"
"To waste money, apparently, by taking the subjects I want along with the subjects for Med School." He laughed humourlessly, chugging the rest of his beer. "Doesn't matter anyway. I begin Med School this fall."
"Ok, but which classes did you take because you wanted?" He squinted at me with a raised eyebrow, and a smirk. "What?"
"Is this an interrogation?" he asked, bringing his face closer to mine. "Do you have any hidden microphones? Are you passing on information to my mother?" he asked, pretending to search me and taking the opportunity to tickle me. I begged him to stop between giggles, hysterically shaking the bottle in my hand, trying to spill it in his face. "Hey, hey, watch out for the cap!" he complained, yanking it off with one hand and putting it on his back, out of range of my attacks. He kept attacking me and I was this close to peeing my pants, so I pressed our lips together to make him stop.
I don't know exactly at what point I began getting drunk. I would say shortly after the kiss because I didn't have any coherent memories after my third beer. Okay, that wasn't 100% true, because I remembered the two-story house with white wood cladding against the starry sky of the dark little town. I didn't recall getting there, but did remember passing through the living room full of suitcases evidencing the return of its absent residents.
"Your family?" I asked, sounding as drunk as the movies I watched. He chuckled.
"Sort of. Frat house."
"Are you part of a fraternity?" I said, unable to hide my disgust.
"It is usually how ones find themselves living in their houses." He mocked. "It's not like in the movies." I laughed nodding then pointed to the two-foot jar full of condoms topped up on the coffee table and he turned red and shrugged. "In my defence, all the guys on the team are invited and I don't have to pay rent."
"Relax, I'm drunk at a complete stranger's house, who am I to judge?" I laughed it off for way longer than necessary, and I could hear someone snort in the back of my mind. I kissed him to get rid of the bad feeling, and he wrapped his arms around my waist, dropping our bags along with the others in the hall. I slid my hands up his arms, feeling the powerful muscles carved by whatever sport he played. I noticed that despite the massive amount of luggage there was no one around as we kissed our way upstairs and down the hall, pushed open the door with his body dragging us inside, still glued together. His tongue played with mine, dancing, teasing. His soft lips made my whole body tingle, like when you're coming back from anaesthesia but in a good way, if that was possible. I shook the thought off as I didn't seem capable of making sense with his lips on mine, least of all when he unbuttoned his flannel shirt to reveal the same gorgeous abs that had mesmerized me at the airport. "Whatever you play, keep playing it." I complimented running my fingers down his chest.
"Coach will be glad to know his work is appreciated." He laughed and so did I. Drunk, utterly drunk. Well, there you go list of 'things to do before I die': Drunk sex. Checkity check.
"Your room?" He nodded, finishing taking off his shirt. I considered analysing the place, but all I saw was the little lock above the doorknob as I snapped it closed. He sat on the tip of his double bed, backing away slowly until his back touched the metal bed rail making me crawl over to him. I felt ridiculous, but luckily the alcohol was taking care of the cock blocker part of my brain. So, I continued until I was straddling him, removing his sweatshirt from me than standing up feeling him pull my skirt and panties down. He suddenly stopped, holding both his hands on my tights and shook his head slightly.
"I am very drunk."
"So am I. I guess... never been before."
"This is a bad time to get consent, isn't it?" He squinted as if it was painful to stare at my face with my fully naked body literally in his hands. He kept sneaking small looks, that made him bite his lip as he smiled.
"As good as any" I smiled "do I have your consent?" I asked and he barked a laugh.
"Fuck yes."
"Good." I don't remember ever feeling this in control. But there I was being the lead actress in that scene and he was going to let me shine. I slowly knelt over him, one leg on either side of his, guiding my lips to his abdomen kissing, nibbling and licking my way up that ripped body of his, lingering on his neck long enough to leave a mark. Gabriella had never left a hickey on anyone, one more thing to cross off the list. I smiled against his lips as I ran my fingers through his hair. He smiled back. "Feel free to stop me anytime" I repeated his sentence from the airport back to him as I slowly removed my bra. His eyes devoured me, and then his mouth. It descended slowly down my body, and every millimetre he advanced sent a shockwave all over. Until he got to where he showed me his mouth could do better than kissing. The electricity surged, making me gasp and then moan as his deft fingers joined the party. My god, I was going to pass out, or explode, or both, but I just screamed - screamed! - To my complete shame when I reached the climax. He didn't look the least bit bothered as he licked his fingers staring at me with his delicious smirk. I wanted to repay that, to make him scream, make him loose his mind. But when I pulled on his pants and underwear revealing how turned on he was I couldn't help but wonder. He noticed, reaching over to the nearest nightstand, coming back with a condom, and handing it over.
"Your choice" He winked at me with the dirtiest smile I had ever seen. I ripped open the wrapper trying to decide and positioned it, smiling and biting my lip, mesmerized. "Can't make up your mind?" I shook my head and he brought his lips to my ear as he sat up, his huge hands cupping my ass. "I'm dying to be inside of you" he whispered, causing shivers that made me think I would start convulsing. I waited, but to my surprise, there wasn't a single thought about my old life in my mind. When I sat on him and felt myself stretch as he filled me it was like Melina was truly born, everything felt finally real and he only felt better and better with every swing of my hips and every thrust.
Luke
"Where is my favourite fuckboy?" I groaned, being jerked out of my sleep by the body of an idiot falling on me.
"Fuck off, Liam! You're heavy!" I complained, trying to get away from my roommate, but he trapped me in a bear hug, ruffling my hair and talking about how proud of me he was. "Stop it, bro. What are you talking about?" I managed to hold him an arm's length away as he kissed the air. "You're so gay, man" I complained laughing as he winked at me. "Are you going to tell me what you're talking about at some point?"
"Not 'what' but 'who'? Or did you drink so much that you don't remember Pink Girl?" It took me a second to realize who he was talking about, but when it dawned on me I jumped out of bed, looking around for her. "She's gone."
"When?"
"About half an hour ago, I found her at the door on my way back from the gym. Hot, even more so than Jess." I rolled my eyes, sitting back down on the bed and rubbing my forehead trying to get rid of the raging headache that had begun with getting up so fast. Liam was already up and walking around our room, probably hunting where I'd hidden my perfume this time. Our suitcases rested next to the door, mine and his, he must have brought it in and she probably took hers.
"It's in the travel bag, Sherlock" I cued, hoping he would stop making so much damn noise, lying down and tucking my head under the pillow.
"Why do you hide it if you're going to tell me anyway?"
"Because I forget you're such a noisy annoying man-baby and won't stop looking until you find it." I heard the sound of the spray and of the door being opened. Thank god, it would be quiet now.
"You have to get up." He said, out of nowhere, making me take a hell of a leap because I thought he had already left. I took the pillow off my head and flung it in the direction of his voice, but he managed to hold it in the air. "Coach takes it out on everyone if you're late, Luke."
Practice. Crap. I'd forgotten it. I crawled out of bed, pausing only to look at my cell phone, battery dead. I plugged it in the charger, grabbed my towel and finished dragging myself down the path to the bathroom.
"Did she say anything?" I asked, taking off my boxers and stepping into the shower, letting the icy water wake me up. It would either be the water or somebody crushing me on the field, I had to dislocate a shoulder to learn to pick the shower every time.
"Anything like what?" Liam answered, walking into the bathroom carrying my Switch and sitting on the closed toilet, propping his feet against the wall.
"A phone, an address, whatever" I murmured, anticipating the laugh I heard next.
"She didn't even give you her number? I like her better by the second." I threatened to throw water on him, but he put my video game over his head.
"Dick head." I cursed, getting a finger in response.
"She didn't say anything, and I think she has your sunglasses. Not that it's going to be hard to find her around, last night I got about twenty DMs asking who the pink-haired girl with you at Andros was, that besides the random shitload of Stories of you and her together."
"Did you see us by the river?" He nodded, letting Link die for the thousandth time, getting annoyed and turning off the screen, fishing his cell phone off his pocket. I turned off the water, wrapping my towel around my waist, walking out, shaking my hair outside, making him curse me as the drops hit his screen. He held it up to me, with a print of a Stories with me and Melina kissing on sundown.
"They're saying Jess is mad furious." That made me laugh as I walked away, exiting the bathroom and heading straight for Liam's pile of clean clothes.
"Serves her right for breaking up with me for the thousandth time. I quit, man." I stated, turning to him and raising a hand that he ran to high five. Those were definitely news worth a high five.
"FUCKING FINALLY!" He cheered, trying to hug me and being held by the forehead as I laughed hard. I missed him, not that he would ever hear of it.
"You're delaying us, I don't want no bitching when Coach tells you to pay the minutes in push-ups." He stopped trying to grab me instantly, heading for the door grumbling and letting me get dressed in peace.
It was good to be home.
Melina
I can't believe that on my first day of college I woke up in a frat house. I cringed at the sound of the voice coming from my own head. It was already beginning to freak me out, as was the throbbing headache that seemed to try to make my head implode.
I still felt like I was being followed, but I didn't have the strength to keep looking around, so I just tried to walk a little faster. Crossing a good part of the campus, that's what I would have to do to get out of the area where the fraternity and sorority were and get to student housing. A security guard had explained it to me, his disapproving gaze sweeping me up and down.
Could I have avoided that? Probably.
Should I have asked Luke's handsome roommate? Definitely.
But my headache (and Gabriella's embarrassment - shocked to the core, seeing me use her little body in a way she would never approve) had kept me from uttering anything but a hasty 'good morning.'
I reached the door of the pale-yellow three-story building in what felt like an eternity, balancing my purse on the bannister and rummaging in it for my keys and the paper with the room number I was supposed to go to. A few people passed around flagrantly glaring at me, some leaving and others entering the building, in gym clothes and different shapes of the uniform I was wearing. Luke's hoodie. They must have mistaken me for someone, I was absolutely certain I had never seen any of those people. I felt someone nudge me in the back and when I turned to look, I just heard 'Stay away from my boyfriend you bitch!' before a clenched fist found my face.
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