Evangeline
"You never did tell me what you're reading" Tristans voice made me snap my head up, ripping me for the pages as he played with the pen in his hand. He smiled, glancing at the laptop in his lap and setting his pen down on a different spiraled notebook labeled: Anthropology.
"Oh..." was all I managed, feeling a little embarrassed that I was sat across from him with my nose buried in a romance novel while he continued to review notes regardless if he finished midterms.
"I'm tired of school related work, save. Me." he playfully begged, shutting his laptop and setting that aside as well. We'd been sitting here for about an hour, enjoying the company of one another as we silently had our heads in different things.
"I'm...uh" the blush was inevitable as I tried to explain.
"I'm not sure you'll like it" I cleared my throat, fiddling with the corners of the pages.
Tristan stared at me for a moment before moving from his seat across from me to the open space right beside me, his tall frame looking over my shoulder at the pages with a smile.
"Try me" he said, his voice low and raspier than usual, making me swallow and tilt my head down to hide the heat in my face.
His leg brushed against mine as the right side of his body hovered behind the left side of mine. He wasn't fully touching me but the warmth radiated from his body as well as his scent.
A scent I thought'd I'd completely forgotten up until now, it being one of the most familiar things I've smelled in such a long time.
"It's a romance...the main character being the most fearsome woman one could ever come across, there wasn't a person who didn't cower under her stare" I started, trying to hide the envy I had for the character. Not that I want to be feared, but to have her strength and confidence, those two alone give a person a power within themselves.
"Then she meets a man...who's the total opposite, very sunshiny, if you will" I smiled, using the same word that came to mind when meeting Nate earlier.
"Doesn't even flinch at the sight of her and it's just...she does everything in her power to protect him, save him even. Regardless of the consequences she might face or how far she really goes he just...loves her" I finished, gulping as I did, realizing Tristan hasn't interrupted me once.
I turned my head to look up at him, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down as his eyes stared into my soul.
"Sounds like a very promising read" he mumbled, still with that low voice causing my breath to hitch in my throat as it felt like he'd leaned closer.
Did he?
"V!" A familiar voice from across the way yelled, making me pull away in the swiftest moment. I looked down in my lap, hoping to cool the heat in my face as quickly as possible.
I could've sworn a sigh of frustration escaped Tristan from beside me but I was so caught in steadying my own breathing to really nitpick the sound.
When I felt alright to look up, I could see Thomas and Maya jogging over to the two of us.
Thomas looked confused and concerned at Tristans presence while Maya looked almost content. Not proud or happy about it, but accepting of the moment.
"Hey" I beamed, hoping I didn't look too flushed.
"Hey T" Maya waved while Thomas gave him an awkward nod.
"Hey...Maya, Tommy" Tristan smiled, a tight lip smile, but nevertheless.
"Luke is taking Hayden to your grandmas for the night because she was more than willing and we're all getting drinks in celebration of midterms being over!" Maya beamed excitedly.
"Over?" I questioned, sure that they'd just started.
"Okay, celebrating that we started midterms and it's almost over!" She clarified, a little less excited making me quirk an eyebrow.
"Lucas doesn't even go here, what the hell is he celebrating?" I asked, running a hand through my hair, leaning back a bit, my entire body stiffening when I did.
The warmth of Tristans body against mine reminded me that he was there, here. He was sat so that his thigh brushed against mine while the upper half of his body was practically half way behind me and I'd just leaned into him like an oblivious moron. Unsure of what to do, I just...stayed there.
Thomas and Maya must have not noticed or cared enough to say anything because the both of them were rolling their eyes as they often do when the group presents me their plans for a night out.
"We Vangie, we are celebrating!" Thomas clarified and I tilted my head.
"Your day is completely free and it's the one day the three of us finished a midterm at the same time until our week goes back to being hectic" Maya further explained.
"You guys know I don't really care to dr-"
"Vangie, Vange, my person, my twin of another twin...come on, it's not a party, just drinks amongst your closest friends on a normal night out" Maya cut me off and I let out a breath, trying to hide the annoyance in my face.
It was then that the warmth on my back increased as Tristan placed his palm on my lower back. It was like he was trying to comfort me and whole heartedly, it worked. Noticing how tense I was, he gave me a slight rub and I relaxed immediately.
I looked up at my friends again and felt a pang of guilt in my chest.
I do miss them and I know they always mean well, which makes my heart crumble when I show the slightest bit of resistance.
"We're going to Sals" Thomas cooed making me crack the smallest smile.
"Only because I miss Sal, not for you idiots" I agreed earning a cheer from the two of them.
I looked down in my lap, feeling Tristan rub my back in the most endearing way. It was as if he could see in my mind and knew the right amount of comfort and distraction to provide.
"T...would you like to...join us?" Mayas voice took the both of us by surprise as I snapped my head back up to look at her.
"I'm sorry?" Tristan asked, as if he misunderstood the question and I was right there with him.
"Yeah man, you should join us...I heard you finished all of your midterms so you have all the more reason to celebrate!" Thomas chimed in, also throwing me for a loop.
What the fuck?
"I think it's time the tension eased up a bit anyway" Thomas added, a tight smile on his face and a reassuring look in his eyes as he watched me for my reaction.
Tristan straightened his posture so that he was now right beside me. The heat of his body disappeared almost instantly and I resisted the urge to shiver.
"I..." he looked down at me with questioning eyes and all I could do was shrug. He couldn't possibly want to come right? Any idiot could see from a mile away how my friends felt about him and the tension was thick enough to drown in just that one time at Liv's. He wouldn't r-
"I can never turn down a good time now, can I?" He cut my thoughts off, answering the pair with that smile of his.
"Cool! We'll meet for drinks at Sals around 9?" Maya smiled and I just swallowed, glancing between the three of them, still taken back.
"Sounds good" Tristan nodded.
"V, could you-"
"Yeah, yeah, the three of you meet me back here in 30" I rolled my eyes, already knowing they wanted to ride back into town with me.
"I could kiss you, truly" Maya sighed, leaning down to make a kissy face but I shoved her face away making Thomas shake his head and laugh.
"Okay, okay, see you in 30!" My friends beamed before scurrying off, waving one last goodbye to Tristan and I.
"I can drive myself" Tristan said making me look up at him again.
Damn him and his tallness.
"You said three, but I can drive myself, maybe even take them off your hands and drive them too if you wanted to head back earl-"
"I meant Cooper" I interrupted, feeling bad as soon as I did.
"Oh..." was all he said and my eyes went wide with embarrassment.
"I mean, I should've offered, that was really rude that I didn't after- I can take you as well, we can all...carpool together..." I rambled, clearing my throat and watching the gleam in his eye sparkle.
"It's fine, it was rude of me to assume, still, my offer stands to be their ride if you want to head back on your own" he assured me, the kindest look in his eyes.
"No, I couldn't ask you to do that. You don't even have to come tonight, I know how pressuring they can be and if you feel like they made you say yes, then you-"
"Do you want me to go?" He cut me off making me shut my mouth and swallow.
"If you want me to go Evangeline, I will. If you want to back off and keep my distance from your friends...then I'll do that as well" he elaborated, his eyed glued to mine as if he were searching for some kind of answer.
I think I got him stumped this time based on the pure curiosity in his eyes.
"Well...you are my bestest friend in the whole world" I finally said and watched his face split with a grin, his dimple the deepest I've ever seen it making my heart feel like it could practically leap out of my chest.
"You're right, it's pretty much rule number two" he smirked and the two of us started packing up our things, unable to hide the smiles on our dumb faces.