“What?” I ask, somewhat surprised at this side of Dom but more irritated than anything else.
“I just came to make sure that you were okay, you looked a bit off when you came in. Maybe Caleb beat me to it, huh?” he responds with a rare tone of snark gracing his voice, before stomping to the fridge grabbing a coke and slamming the door shut.
“Wow, seriously Dom? You know what, I am pretty much done with tonight. I am so damn tired and stressed out, I don’t need your stupid shitty attitude for something that has nothing to do with you. I’ll see you guys at breakfast,” I storm past him before he even has a chance to reach the kitchen door and I keep walking until I am at the front door.
“See ya guys, I am off. I’ll meet you for coffee, like we said, Hartley. Later!” I yell over my shoulder as I leave. I move quickly and pull the door shut behind me. My feet took off at a quick pace, in my desire to put space between the weird shit that just played out between the three of us. The more I think of it though, the more it really pisses me off. I just want to forget about Hunter and now I am in a stupid argument with Dom, over nothing.
The corridors are quiet when I get back to my suite, it's not that far at all but in the time, my phone blows up with a series of texts. I mute it. I am not lying when I say I am done with this day. I just need rest and some time to think. The days are busy enough with the workload and grade expectation without throwing boy drama into the mix.
I take time to ensure that I lock the door behind me this time, and move quickly through my suite, flicking off the lights as I go to my room. I kick my shoes off, uncharacteristically leaving them where they fall and climb under my quilt not even bothering to change. In my frustration I turn to stare out my window, the stars a beautiful distraction. I practice the breathing exercises I learned from yoga and eventually, after a really long time, I drift off in a fitful sleep.
The sun is only just thinking about rising on the horizon, when a knock at my door along with a flurry of constant ringing of my doorbell wakes me from my light sleep. The knocking continues a bit softer this time.
I know who it will be before I get there. Even after muting my phone, he keeps texting me his apology.
I open the door, not even checking my hair or how I look. If Dom is wanting to be my friend like he keeps alluding to, I am sure he can take the good with the bad.
Dom is standing there in his PJ’s, sans his shirt, which is so damn wrong, with a strange pot plant in one hand and a cardboard tray of juices in his other.
“Please, let me in Gin,” he whispers demurely before sneaking in the door, not even waiting for my invitation, even presenting me with the strange flower pot thing as he walks through. Closer inspection it is a prop obviously, the plant is fake and pretty ugly, I am sure they are dotted through the downstairs cafe on the campus.
“Why are you whispering and sneaking in my suite Dom?” I ask, keen to draw out his apology. But Dom doesn’t seem to notice as he moves further away from the door, so that I can’t throw him out. He keeps moving, making a beeline to my bedroom. I follow at a slower pace, a little smile gracing my face. He is ballsy in his confidence, I’ll give him that. I can easily admit to myself that seeing him here at this early hour relieves a ball of anxiousness that had been festering overnight.
When I stand at my bedroom door, Dom is already snuggled in under my quilt, but is holding it up for me, looking at me, with his big steel grey eyes, resembling a big, sad and sorry pup.
“Come on, let me grovel and beg for a bit, promise I’ll be good. I was a complete asshole last night, like a mega hole. I’m so sorry, it was the movie, I swear I was possessed. And I know you need time Gin, but please let me be your friend again,” he smirks at me. “Quick, it's cold,” he flaps the quilt up at me and my eyes drop to him laying in my bed, bare-chested. Man, it is going to get very complicated very quickly.
“Friends,” I say to him, being stern, before taking a running leap into my bed, into his arms. As friends.
“Gin, I am honestly gutted about last night, I am really, really sorry. I was just being a dick. I had no right to speak like that to you or Caleb, but jealous guy, can’t stop being jealous guy. I think I have it under control, I locked that beast away. I have spent all night wondering if you would still talk to me. Thinking I nearly lost you as my friend is my motivation to be a really good Dom from now on. I promise I will be the best friend you have ever had,” he says earnestly, his voice still roughened from the early morning.
I take comfort in his words and him trying, being able to say sorry is a big thing in my world. I don’t respond, my actions louder, clearer than my muddled thoughts, but I scoot over closer to him and feel myself relax as he snuggles me close. Last night I shot a late-night text to Tomas, my PT, canceling this morning's session, I know I need a morning off, so guilt-free, we drift back to sleep. I am snuggled deep in the arms of a guy I have only just met, but damn he feels like just what I need at the moment.
“Hello?” Dom’s voice wakes me, it is cracked from him obviously being asleep as well and I move out of the cocoon to hear him, “Hello? Um, maybe try back, I think we have a bad connection, I can’t hear you at all. Hello?”
And without a doubt, my heart rate plummets along with my stomach. I know that it is Hunter checking up on me. He has no right to, despite kissing the living shit out of me yesterday. Despite our childish promises to each other years ago, he barely knows me, he didn’t want me. Regardless, I am awake more than I ever could be in just seconds. Dom is rolling back my way as he hangs up, his arm’s capture me as I am just starting to climb out of bed.
“Too early,” he mumbles.
“Let me up Dom, I still have an early class and I can’t miss it,” I say back, pulling his arm off of me.
“Is your phone broken? Like strange that there was no-one there. Alright, give me two minutes Gin before you run off okay, let me grab our juices, I need to talk to you,” he doesn’t even give me a chance to respond before he is jumping up and running into the kitchen to grab the drinks off the counter, where he dropped them earlier this morning.
He returns in moments, and in that time I have taken the opportunity to sit up with the pillows behind my back. I leave a space for him next to me but he surprises me when he grabs my robe, which looks stupid on him, and sits cross-legged in front of me instead after putting our juices on the bed side table.
“So, we need to talk. But before that I need you to listen,” he drops those big puppy dog eyes of his at me again and I smile, a laugh falling from his mouth. “I said I was sorry and I am. You know that I am interested in you and I know you need time. I am just making a couple of things clear and then I’ll let you get to class. Firstly, sorry for being dick supreme, it’s not me, and I fucked up. Now, I keep telling you I am interested but what I want is to get to know you, like the real Verginius. Lastly, did anyone ever tell you, you have terrible morning breath Ginny?” he says with a straight face, his eyes alight in his mirth.
“Fuck off Dom!” I say with a laugh. A sense of relief filling me. I really don’t want to lose Dom as a friend, I need one more than ever. I just hope he is okay with me keeping my secrets, cause there is no way I am telling anyone about Hunter.
“Deal?” he asks, his face still alight with good humour. He really does have a great smile.
“Deal, stinky breath and all,” I say back with my hand outstretched, so we can shake on it.
He goes to shake my hand and notices my pale scar that runs right over my palm, “Man, what happened here, that’s like gruesome Gin,” he makes a weird face, over the top, to take some of the sting of his words out.
“Childhood thing,” I say pulling my hand out of his, “don’t worry about it.”
“Ewwww!” he says before tackling me to the bed and tickling me like there is no tomorrow, for someone who is hideously ticklish, one finger can have me screaming for mercy, ten fingers and I can’t breathe through my laughter.
My doorbell sounding
silences us both and I push him off of me to jump up out of bed, opening the door expecting Hartley, I am surprised that the hallway is empty.
I close the door and start walking back to my room but Dom is coming out of my room, still wearing my bathrobe.
“Where is Hartley?” he asks, totally confused.
“Um, there wasn't anyone there. Maybe the wrong room?” I offer equally bemused.
“Either way Ginny, I am going to run. Thanks for letting me say sorry this morning and I’m gonna be back for more snuggles, that was the best thing to happen to me for a while,” he says with a cheeky hubba-hubba eyebrow. “See you at lunch,” he adds before walking out of my front door.
I stand there for a few minutes taking in the events of this morning and I feel pretty okay about it all. Well, except for the phone call.
Despite it being a Saturday morning at St Joseph’s, we still have a half-day of study with classes running, until early afternoon. I have Corporate Law first up, then IT, surprisingly, I enjoy both of them, so I am looking forward to the day. Hartley and I have arranged to have coffee later and then I need to study. Another one of Grandpa’s special life lessons, Sunday is my day, I get to choose what I do and I currently have a list a mile long for tomorrow, but first I am going to smash today.
The St. Joseph’s uniform is relatively simple and very traditional. Blazers, ties, skirts and long socks, I don’t mind it at all, it takes the guesswork out of what I have to wear each day. This morning though I take extra care, twisting and turning in all directions to make sure that you can’t see Hunter’s hickey. After checking every angle, satisfied that it is indeed buried under my shirt, I grab my satchel and leave, hopefully having time to grab a tea on the way.
The lecture theatre is fast filling up. Tardiness is certainly frowned upon, and this professor is very good, she has a flair for making the banal detail sound exciting, so everyone is keen. I generally sit up close to the front; it just works well for me.
The large lecture theatre is relatively quiet as everyone gets ready for the next few hours, honestly, this professor goes from zero to one hundred in next to no time. We are nearing the lecture start time when suddenly the door bangs open unexpectedly, causing all the seated participants to turn as one and see what the commotion is. Unsurprisingly, it is not our usual professor, she is dramatic but not crass, instead of her, Connor stands in the doorway with a massive, toothy smile on his face.
“Hey folks, sorry I am late. Professor Gibson sends her apologies but was needed at her office so instead, you have me and my amazing, um notes, for the morning. Now drum roll please, we have, Insolvency and Ongoing Obligations for Directors with detailed analysis of a couple of recent court cases, that certainly changed the legal landscape. Thankfully I am using Professor Gibson’s presentation, which you all should have pre-read,” he talks to the whole room as he strides across to the centrally located lectern. Connor’s showmanship shines bright as he presents to us for a few hours. The time flies past as he keeps us focused, entertained, and laughing through a series of very detailed slides that ends in a fiery debate. My brain is totally overloaded and my tummy aches from all the laughing, at the end of our long session, I find I have a real pep in my step, and I move to my next session.
I wish I can say the same for IT. Coding is just something that does not jell with my brain, I suspect it is because it is so heavily maths based and whilst I am good, I am not good at stochastic processes which is integral to the fundamental, basic strategy that we are studying today. As opposed to the last class, this lecture is almost emotionless, people are here to work, not intermingle and it’s daunting the level of intelligence shared by everyone here. It certainly brings out my inferiority complex, coupled with my growing tiredness, it sees me struggling to take notes and follow the presentation. I am pretty sure I just end up staring at the screen. My workload for the weekend has just increased ten-fold which just annoys the shit out of me.
Thankfully I am meeting Hartley for coffee. Her carefree, effervescence is just what I need. I see her as soon as I push inside the campus coffee shop. St Joseph’s is such a weird set up, like a mini town with a selection of small, intimate coffee shops and restaurants, as well as the usual dining area, with everything included in our tuition fee. Weirdly there are still servers to take our orders. This little coffee shop is centrally located on campus and has beautiful views to the gardens. It is always busy and loud in here but Hartley has already gotten us a great table, right at the back, so we sit next to the full height windows, and even better, she already has a mountain of food ready for us.
“I am starving. Bless you for ordering Harts! I missed breakfast and it’s been non-stop since then, and you got my favourite! Love you. OMG, it’s delicious,” I lean down to give her a side hug with a quick kiss before sitting down and breaking into the banana choc-chip muffin, before even looking at her again.
“And why exactly did you miss breakfast Gin,” she asks conspiratorially, leaning in closer, with her cappuccino perched in her hands.
“Not much to say,” I stuff more muffin in my face to avoid answering, my eyes watching her though, knowing she is on to me.
“No way, Gin. It was Dom, wasn't it? What happened last night? He was so pissed after you left. Did you guys have a fight?” Hartley is nosy as all heck and raises an eyebrow in question, waiting.
I finish my mouthful of muffin with a roll of my eyes, breaking off more, before having a sip of the short black she ordered me. I don’t do a lot of coffee, but when I do I need it old school, original, a throwback to my Italian heritage.
I am pretty sure my shoulders slump and Hartley just watches me with an amused, expectant look sitting on her pretty face as she waits. “Yeah, Dom came over this morning, we chatted, snuggled, slept and then he left. Honestly, Hartley, there is nothing to it,” I say quickly before taking another mouthful of food to try to stem her happy interrogation.
“Gin, you seem to be attracting a fair bit of attention. I can’t even have a coffee with my bestie without you being watched,” she smirks, the move kicking up the side of her pink lips.
“What?” I say probably louder than I intend, my eyes popping wide in question.
“Why none other than, our very own illustrious student pres, as well as St Joseph’s best student for the past three years,” she goads through a light laugh before continuing, “Although, I think Hunter ate something that doesn’t agree with him, his face is nothing but sour!” Hartley smirks, as I start choking on my muffin again.
“Fuck, Gin, are you okay?” she says in fake concern, dripping in her obvious enjoyment, before starting to laugh. “Now stop trying to get out of telling me what happened with Dom, spill. And don’t think I missed you saying sleep,” she finishes, her joy clearly written all over her face. Sassy Hartley is very funny Hartley.
“Okay, let me just get a juice,” I respond before jumping up and all but running to the fridge. I stand there trying to gather my thoughts as to what to tell Hartley and also wondering why Connor and Hunter are watching us, before I realise that the latter is now standing next to me, pretending to choose a juice flavour also.
“Thought I was pretty clear last night Gigi about what the rules are and yet not even a few hours later there is someone in your bed? That’s fucked up, you know that right?” he snarls under his breath before leaning down and pulling the fridge open, grabbing a drink. He turns to me then and I know that Hartley and Connor are watching, so does he. A huge smile breaks over his face and he drops a laugh, handing me a juice, like we have just shared a joke. I am so thankful that my back is still to our friends so they can’t see my confusion. Hunter turns back to look at the fridge again and the smile instantly drops from his face. I watch him out the corner of my eye.
“Last warning Gigi. Next time, shit gets real,” and then he saunters off very relaxed.
I go up to the counter and swipe my card, even though we don’t have to, the admin likes us to do it, apparently
, it is easier for stock ordering. Either way it gives me a few extra seconds to settle myself before I have to face Hartley’s questions, made worse because I really don’t understand the game that Hunter is playing.
I sit back down and Hartley smirks again before leaning in close, “He is so damn hot that boy, what did he say to you Gin? He jumped up as soon as you moved.”
“Just instilling the benefits of a mixed juice. Said it looked like I was too sweet for just apple or some shit. I really don’t know Hartley, I was honestly thinking about other stuff,” I offer back with a grin, and she seems to settle for it.
“Okay, now Dom,” damn, she is persistent today.
“Ummm. I, look Hartley, you know if there was anything I would tell you. Honestly, it is probably more than what you think it is. We had a ‘disagreement’ last night, he came to apologise and we chatted. Either way, he is going to be my friend, I told him that is all I can do and he was okay with that,” I look at her, holding her attention. I speak, so we don’t have any cross wires.
“Why just friends? Have you seen him? He is a fucking stunner. This school is full of hot guys, who all seem to have a thing for my best friend. Hmmm,” she pretends to think as she taps her light pink nails against the side of her head, “this might just work in my favour. I’ll have your scraps babe, not that they are really scraps. Holy smokes,” she laughs loud enough for people to turn and look. Ignoring them, she starts to gather her stuff.
Her words for some reason, really, really, piss me off. I want to scream at her to go find her own guys, but that is just fucking weird. I have no hold on either of them.
“You’re off already? I just sat down,” I say after taking a deep settling inhale, watching her closely.
“Sorry lovely, I signed up for the Social Committee, we have our first meeting this afternoon to talk about the Saints First Party that is a couple of weeks off. Apparently it is huge, like one of the biggest of the year. And hello, I am not missing out on that. Catch you girl, see you maybe for dinner,” she finishes, coming in close for a one-armed hug before she throws her bag over her shoulder, shuffling her way out of the cafe.
You Promised Me Page 5
