Tonight, I went to Rinaldo's to pick up some more pills. He wanted me to take something new with him, since he just got it in, and I figured it wouldn't hurt. I had no plans anyway. However, I really should have thought that through or at least sent Carter a text to let him know I wasn't coming home, because I ended up so high I couldn't find my hands, let alone my phone.
Once I managed to sober up, I started to make my way home, but I knew I would need an excuse. I left my car at Rinaldo's and walked home, telling Carter that I broke down and I have to call a mechanic tomorrow. As for my phone, I told him it died. He knew it was bullshit, because it kept ringing instead of going straight to voicemail, but he knows not to push me on it.
Paige, on the other hand, her response is one I never saw coming. Seeing Rinaldo talk to her on Friday had me feeling like I was ready to lunge across the five feet separating him and me and rip out his vocal cords just for introducing himself. Carter told me all about the shit Zayn and Amelia went through with Blade, and while he's locked up, I'd rather play it safe when it comes to Paige. I don't want her anywhere near him.
When Carter called Paige to let her know I was home, I could hear her through the phone tell him not to let me leave, and the sound of her voice already told me she was pissed. However, I don't think either of us expected her to be as angry as she was. She slammed the door shut so hard I swear the walls shook. Honestly, I'm surprised the RA didn't come check on us. But then again, he seems to stay out of shit when it isn't needed—especially when it comes to us. Carter and I are always fighting and getting into it.
"Say something," I all but whisper. "Please."
She looks down at where my T-shirt is still locked in her grip and releases it immediately. "I don't know what to say."
I can't tell if that's a good thing or not, but instead of trying to push my luck, I nod.
"Well, I'm going to let you think about it, and I'll talk to you tomorrow."
Pressing a soft kiss to her forehead, I step back to give her space, and head into my room. After all, it's three in the morning. Any normal person is sleeping right now anyway.
WHEN I WAKE IN THE morning, I find Paige asleep on the couch. Turns out I was able to fall asleep pretty easily, and solidly, because the blanket she’s using was on the end of my bed when I fell asleep. I walk over and sit beside her.
For a minute, I consider pouring cold water over her to wake her up. I mean, that's what a friend would do, right? Fuck around a little? But thinking about it, she's only asleep on my couch because she was worried about me. Waking her up in any other way than she deserves would just be rude.
"Paige," I say, rubbing my hand over her arm. "Paige."
She groans and pulls the blanket over her face, only for me to chuckle and pull it back down.
"It's time to wake up."
"No," she whines. "Turn off the sun."
It's amazing to me that she can somehow manage to look this good first thing in the morning, but I'm not about to tell her that. Instead, I wait patiently for her to wake up. She rubs her hands over her face and sighs before opening her eyes. When her gaze meets mine, I can see the moment our kiss from last night replays in her head, because she glances at my lips and has to hide a smile.
"What time is it?" she asks.
"Half past noon."
She jumps up so quickly it sends me flying off the couch. "Shit! My class!"
I stare at her from the floor as she freaks out. "Yep. Don't worry about me. I'm okay."
As if she just realized I'm on the ground, she stops and looks down at me. "Oh shit. I'm so sorry."
Paige is anything but graceful. I mean, I literally watched this girl run straight into a pole once when we were younger. She might not have found it funny back then, but Carter and I sure as hell did. So, it's no surprise to me when she goes to help me up and ends up slipping on the blanket, making it so she falls on top of me and her elbow gets me right in the groin.
I mewl in pain and curl up into a ball while she mutters one apology after another. For a good few minutes, the only thing I can manage to do is focus on my breathing. When the pain finally manages to subside a little, I look over at her and find her trying really hard not to laugh.
"You find this funny?" I demand indignantly.
She covers her mouth but the giggle is heard anyway. "No."
Before she can get away, I reach out and pull her back. My fingers dig into her sides as I tickle her, and she screams while thrashing around and trying to escape my grasp. No amount of her pleas can get me to stop. That is, until Carter screams from his bedroom for us to shut up.
We both freeze, and she looks at me like we're two kids who just got busted by a grown up. I look over to Carter's shut door and chuckle.
"See that?" I ask her. "You woke up the royal highness."
Her grin widens. "King Carter?"
I shake my head. "Queen Trayland."
That makes her bust out laughing, but before it gets too loud, she throws her hands over her mouth. The sound is magical. I feel like it's been forever since she’s looked this happy. I mean, it's understandable, given everything she's going through, but I still wish she would laugh more often.
It isn't until she stops laughing and furrows her brows at me, that I realize I've been staring this whole time. How could I not be, though, when she looks that good? And the proximity isn't lost on me.
I carefully rest my hand on her stomach and wait for her to react, but she stays perfectly still.
"We're going to have to talk about last night," I tell her.
She finally breaks eye contact with me and nods. "I know, but I really need to get to class."
Before I can stop her, she gets up off the floor and grabs her purse from the counter. She's halfway to the door before I even sit all the way up.
"Later then?"
"Sure," she calls back to me.
And just like that, she's gone, and I'm left here wishing she'd stayed.
IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT two hours for me to figure out Paige is avoiding me. Every time I text her, I get back short answers, and when I asked her to go to lunch with me, she told me that Charlotte needed her help with boy problems. Let me tell you, I've met Charlotte. If that chick has boy problems, it's only because she's banging too many dudes at once.
A part of me wonders if I should leave her alone for a few days. I mean, I went from hating her to kissing her in the matter of a few weeks. That kind of switch could give anyone whiplash. However, leaving her alone involves staying away from her, and being as tonight is supposed to be the first time she sleeps at my place for her class tomorrow, I don't know that I can do that.
I decide to wait around the corner from her classroom, that way she doesn't see me when she walks out. Leaning against the wall, I take out my phone and scroll through it. There is an email from my therapist, confirming our appointment for tomorrow, as well as a text from Carter asking if he should leave the apartment empty tonight. Honestly, if I wasn't afraid Paige would run for the damn hills, I'd tell him to make himself scarce.
Students start to come out, telling me her class is over. I half-expect to chase after her, but to my surprise, she says goodbye to Charlotte and comes right over to me.
"How'd you know I was here?" I ask her.
She smiles and looks over at two girls who couldn't be subtle to save their lives. "Those two seem to have a thing for you. They giggle like middle schoolers every time they see you."
I look over at her and a part of me can see how much she hates it. So, in a bold move I probably shouldn't be making, I throw my arm over her shoulders and press a kiss to the top of her head. I don't miss the way she tenses slightly, but the girls finally look away and walk in the other direction.
"That should fix it."
Rolling her eyes, she moves my arm from around her. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"
"Breaking hearts is my favorite pastime," I quip.
The two of us make our way over to the parking lot, bu
t she doesn't say anything other than general comments about class being boring and that she’s tired from staying up late. It isn't until we get to her car that I realize she's not going to address this unless I do.
"Well, thanks for walking with me," she says and goes to walk away.
I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her back so fast she ends up against my chest. "You're avoiding me."
"I'm not."
"Don't do that," I tell her with a smile to sound less harsh. "Don't lie to me like I don't know you well enough to see through it."
Her shoulders sag. "I'm not avoiding you; I'm avoiding the topic."
"Is it really that hard of a topic?"
She runs her fingers through her hair and looks around—anywhere but at me. "Not exactly. I just don't know what to say about it yet."
It seems like the answer is simple: the only option I have to keep her around is letting it go for now. It might be hell, being around her and not being able to do what I want, but it's better than her avoiding me.
"Okay." I shrug. "Then we won't talk about it."
Her head whips toward me. "Seriously?"
"Yeah," I say with a shrug. "It'll be like it never happened until you're ready to talk about it."
The idea seems to ease her worries, because she takes a deep breath and nods with a smile.
"Thank you."
"No worries." I turn and lean against her car. "You just have to promise me something."
She tilts her head to the side in a silent question, and I can faintly see the worry in her eyes.
"You'll still sleep at my place tonight. With how tired you are, I don't want you trying to wake up at five in the morning tomorrow."
Crossing her arms over her chest, she raises her brows at me. "No funny business?"
"None," I confirm. "Just a simple sleepover."
"Okay. I'll grab some clothes, check on my dad, and then meet you at your place."
It's not exactly a win, but it feels like one, so fuck it. I'll take it.
PAIGE GETS TO MY place right after the sun goes down, which is just enough time for me to clean up. She doesn't need to know that I cleaned my room and made sure that there was nothing she shouldn't find lying around. Definitely not. Friends don't put in that much of an effort.
I hear her soft knock on the door and don't even get up off the couch. This has to look as much like a friendly thing as possible.
"It's open."
She comes in, and I glance away from the TV for a second to look at her. Her hair is down and straightened, but the rest of her looks like she's ready for bed. She must have decided to wear what she plans on sleeping in so that she didn't have to bring more clothes than necessary. Still, my eyes go to her legs.
"Are you wearing shorts? It's fucking February."
Shivering, she nods and after putting her bag down, she rushes over to the couch. "Shush. I get hot when I sleep. Now give me a blanket."
I look back at the show I was never paying attention to in the first place just to avoid blatantly checking her out. Still, I can't resist messing with her for it.
"You could just sleep naked," I suggest.
As she grabs the closest throw pillow, I think she's going to throw it at me, but instead, she puts it behind her head. "I do, at home."
And fuck. That just made my life so much harder, especially being as I already know what she looks like naked. Then again, she's grown since I last had her in my bed. She's almost two years older, and getting older has never been a bad thing for her. She's aged like a fine wine.
I look over at her, only to find her grinning at me.
"You're fucking with me."
She chuckles and nods. "I can’t help it. It's too fun."
I'm just about to respond when Carter comes in, holding two bags of Chinese food. Of course, he's not subtle at all, and after he puts down the food, he stops and looks between the two of us.
"You two look like elementary school kids who like each other but are afraid to get close."
Paige throws her head back laughing while I flip him off. Carter has never failed to make things awkward. It's one thing he lives for. When he first found out we were hooking up—by literally walking in on us mind you—he stood in the doorway and asked if it felt like fucking my sister. It didn't, and I don't have a fucking sister, but it definitely killed the mood.
As I go over to get my food, I make sure to slap Carter across the back of the head in the process. He whines about it for a second, but no part of him asks what it's for. He knows. But to be honest, it's nice that we seem to be getting back to how things were. Granted, the nightmares still keep me up at night, and the anxiety creeps in when I least expect it, but our friendship has been a lot better since Paige started coming around again. I don't want to punch him in the face. Or at least when I do, it's not as frequent.
THE THREE OF US spend the night eating Chinese and junk food, and watching some show that Paige seems to be obsessed with. It's one of those girly shows that either motivates you to be your best self or make you feel like shit. Carter seems to end up with the best-self reaction. He starts talking to us about how he's going to go change his major tomorrow to pre-med, and how he's going to volunteer at a food bank. All things he could do, and should do, but we both know he won't.
The whole night, I can't tell if Paige is flirting with me or just fucking around. I could be overthinking every move she makes, but I don't think it's a coincidence that when the couple on the screen started kissing, I caught her looking over at me.
She's thinking about it.
Carter ends up being the first to go to bed, leaving Paige and me in the living room. She stands up and stretches her back, and I hear as it cracks all the way down. The sound makes even me wince.
"What are you, sixty?" I tease her.
She narrows her eyes at me. "It's your couch. You know, for two rich assholes, you'd think your furniture would be a lot more comfortable."
"It came with the room," I justify. "We didn't get to pick it out."
"Well, it sucks."
"Clearly." I stand up and head into my room for a second, grabbing my pillow off my bed. "I'll take the couch. You go take my bed."
She shakes her head rapidly. "I can't do that. It's your bed. You shouldn't get the uncomfortable couch."
Fuck it. "We could both sleep in the bed."
It's a suggestion that I'm not even sure is completely serious. Especially not after I told her I was going to drop the subject. I'm even about to play it off as a joke when she opens her mouth.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
Her eyes look like they've having a hard time staying open as she rubs them. "Yeah. I mean, it's just sleeping, right?"
"Right."
"Then sure."
Grabbing my pillow off the couch, I make my way back to my room as Paige follows. It's only a twin size bed, so the two of us are going to end up practically on top of each other, but at least it's more comfortable. I wasn't allowed to change the mattress out, but I was able to put a pillow top on it to make it a little more bearable.
"Do you want the wall or the edge?"
She tilts her head to the side as she thinks about it. "The edge. I don't want to wake you up in the morning when I'm trying to get out of bed at quarter after six."
I purse my lips as I realize she's right. "Good point."
Climbing onto the bed, I get as close to the wall as possible, and she gets in behind me. Even with my one arm flush against the cold sheetrock, we're still pressed together. I roll onto my side to try to give us more room, but she stays staring up at the ceiling.
"Goodnight, Paige."
She doesn't move an inch, not even to look over at me. "Goodnight."
A few minutes pass as I wait for her to close her eyes, but that time doesn't come. She blinks up at the ceiling, like it's not even there and she's watching the stars. It isn't until she moves her hand just slightly, that I realize I wasn't imagining things all night
.
Her hand moves across the bed until it ends up directly on my dick, and it instantly twitches. I can't really blame it, since I've gone longer than a monk without sex lately, but it's a bit disappointing when she rips her hand away.
"Oh my God," she gasps. "I'm sorry. I was...I'm sorry."
I can't help but chuckle as she covers her face. "It's fine. If you want to touch my cock, it's free game."
She whimpers and reaches over to smack me, though it lacks force. "Ugh, this was a bad idea."
"What were you trying to do?"
Her head turns my way, and she huffs. "I was looking for your hand."
I lift my hand from next to my head. "It's up here."
"I see that now."
Thankfully, my fears of her insisting she sleeps on the couch dissipate as she doesn't move. Instead, she goes back to staring up at the ceiling, but I'm rock hard at this point. Even just a second of her touch was enough to wake the beast.
I slowly drag my fingertips down her arm, starting from her shoulder. Then, I skate over to her leg and make my way up her thigh—really taking my time in case she wants to stop me. But she doesn't. She stays completely still, until just before I reach the waistband of her shorts. My fingers dip under the fabric, and her breath hitches.
"You said no funny business," she whispers into the silence.
I hum. "Trust me, I find nothing funny about this."
Rubbing circles with my thumb, I keep my hand exactly where it is, giving her every opportunity to pull it away, but when I realize that moment isn't coming, it's game on.
I slide down over her pussy, only to find she's already wet. The first thing I do is press my middle finger right over her clit, and she lets out a breathy moan as she arches her back. That's one thing I've always loved about her—she's so fucking responsive. Even the slightest touch turns her into putty in my hands.
Taking my time, I make sure to pay attention to all the places I know she loves. It's like they were all etched into my brain, waiting for the next time I would need them.
Change My Game: An Emotional Second Chance Romance (North Haven University Book 2) Page 9
