Between Friends (Between the Raindrops #3)

by Susan Schussler

  I pretty much broke it off with Chase before I left. I agreed not to block his calls and cut him off completely, but I don’t see a future with him. He says he loves me. I don’t think he is capable of loving anyone but himself. When I told him I was leaving for California and nothing he said or did would change my mind, he looked at me as if I was insane. He didn’t offer to follow my dream. He wanted me to fit into his life. Chase believes I will come to my senses and move back home by Thanksgiving, but that’s not going to happen. I am more determined than ever to make my life, mine.

  I understand why people change their plans when they fall in love. I look at Sarah and Jon and know Sarah made the right decision to quit school and move away from home to be with him. But with my past, with the history with my mom, I can’t even think about quitting school. If my mom hadn’t gotten pregnant and left school, would she have ended her life? I know I will never get the answer to that question, but until I graduate, it will always be my motivation to finish my degree. I want to be the best person I can be.

  ***

  My new roommate stands next to the building’s entrance. She’s shorter than I pictured. Her blondish hair falls just below her shoulders, and she’s not wearing stilettoes with her shorts, which is what I expected after talking to Sarah about fashion differences between the Twin Cities and L.A. Maybe that’s only in Sarah’s world though, not the average person’s. Arianna and I have talked on the phone a couple of times, but mostly texted each other. I think it’s hard to get to know someone in a text thread. That thought makes me think of Nordstrom and his aversion to texting. My brain needs to be rewired.

  I introduce myself to Arianna as she holds the door for me.

  “I’ve got your key upstairs. Like I said, the apartment is really small, but the bedroom closet is decent-sized, unless you’re a clotheshorse.” She takes one of my bags and adds, “It’s faster if we take the stairs. The elevator is super slow.”

  “It feels good to use my legs after four days of driving, but I have a lot to carry up.”

  “I’ll help you. We can use the luggage cart in the hall on the first floor for the rest of your stuff. I think the guys in 113 stole it from one of the hotels down the street. It just appeared one day and it still has the hotel nameplate. No one says anything because it’s great for carrying crap to your car and they let everyone use it. The guys are complete horn-dogs, though, so don’t let them touch you.”

  “Thanks for the warning.” I smile at her. “I’m not looking for anything right now. I just want to concentrate on school.”

  “So you don’t have a boyfriend?” She stops on the steps waiting for my answer.

  “Nope.”

  “Good. My last roommate’s boyfriend slept over every night. After a month of sleeping on the couch, I decided to take back the bedroom and started going to bed early to reclaim my space. It didn’t stop them though.” She starts climbing the stairs again. “They’d go at it when they thought I was sleeping. I’d wake up to grunting and her headboard smacking into the wall. It was so gross because the beds are only a few feet apart and I could smell them. I can deal with a scattered hookup every once in a while, but not every night and not while I’m in the room.”

  I laugh. “Don’t worry. I’m pretty private. I won’t do that to you.” We make it to the second floor and start walking down the long corridor. “I’ve got a roommate horror story that tops yours. I’ll tell you about it sometime after I have a couple hundred drinks in me.” This is a new beginning I don’t need to tarnish it right away with tales from my past.

  “Great. We’re going out Saturday night. I hope you don’t have plans. Nikki and Trina, across the hall, know the DJ at one of the big clubs and he’s promised to get us in. I’ve never been there, but it’s a big deal to just get entrance into it.”

  “Sounds great. I don’t have much to unpack anyway.”

  “I’m not one of those club hoes out partying every weekend, but you have to let loose once in a while and classes don’t start until Wednesday,” she says with a smile as she opens the apartment door.

  The monochromatic white coloring of the apartment gives it a sleek, modern feel. There’s a breakfast bar with three white stools. The kitchen cabinets and countertops are white and even the leather sofa is white. It’s bigger than I expected, and really clean. I hope Arianna isn’t a clean freak.

  My thoughts must show on my face because she says, “It’s not usually this clean. I just wanted to give us a starting point.”

  She shows me the bedroom that we will share, and it does seem small.

  “I see what you mean about being on top of each other in here, but it’s doable.”

  She helps me get the rest of my stuff and we talk for the next couple of hours while I unpack. I check the time to make sure it isn’t too late and then call my dad to let him know I arrived safely. I think I’m already feeling at home in this new place, and relief washes through me as I realize, I can do this.

  Chapter 29

  Megan

  OUR GROUP SETTLES onto the tall stools that surround the fluorescent-pink glass table, and as the conversation picks up, I feel completely removed from it. The girls don’t even seem to realize I’m here. They’re talking about some guy they all know and the skank girl he is now hooking up with. I look around the club remembering the last time I was here. Sitting in the VIP section was such a different experience than this. It’s as if it is a completely different club. This section is crowded and there is barely enough room to walk between the tall tables. My stool has been bumped three times already as clubbers pass by our table.

  My thoughts are on Liam as I listen to the girls drawl on and on about the slut sleeping with the guy who is so obviously one of their exes. I remember our dance and how perfectly our bodies moved in unison, his hands on my hips pulling me against him and me trying to catch my breath. I think about all the times on the island when he held me, not for sex, but just to be close. It felt so good to be in his arms.

  “Arianna says you’re fresh off the boat from Minnesota. I suppose you’ve never been in a club like this before?” the blonde named Trina announces. I didn’t have the energy to explain Minneapolis is a big city and I’ve been to many clubs. It isn’t even the first time I’ve been to this club.

  “You’re not in Kansas anymore,” Nikki adds, as if she has any clue where Minnesota falls on the U.S. map.

  I hate that saying. People think Minnesotans either live on a farm or in a fishing shack in the woods. Almost four million people in the metro area does not qualify as small town in my book. I smile and roll my eyes at Arianna. At least my roommate is smart enough to know Minnesota is about as different from Kansas as Texas is from Alaska.

  I glance up at the VIP area half wishing I would miraculously spot Liam coming down the stairs to rescue me from this conversation. I miss him. I’ll probably never know what happened with him.

  “Don’t bother,” Nikki says looking up to the second floor. “They never associate with us little people. Theo was supposed to get us bottle service tonight. I don’t understand what happened. He is so on my shit list.” She glances over to the DJ booth and scowls at the guy who met us at the entrance and got us into the club. I guess we’re lucky we got in at all.

  “My cousin did shots with Tom Fallston once. She let him, you know, under the table right in front of everyone,” admits Nikki. “With his hand,” she clarifies.

  Oh my god. At least I didn’t let it go that far with Nordstrom at the club. My thoughts go to the push and pull lesson in the ocean. I thought I meant something to him, but all he wanted was an easy lay. He obviously didn’t feel the mind-blowing chemistry I felt.

  “I would totally do Fallston, even if he is a douchebag,” says Arianna, breaking through my self-loathing. She is the opposite of Alli. Arianna puts it all out for everyone to see. I think we’ll get along just fine for the next few years as roommates.

  “My cousin didn’t care either,” says Nikki bef
ore taking a sip of her martini. “She gave him her number, but he never called.” Typical.

  “A guy I used to date, my freshman year, just got a role on that new show on AMC. He was a waiter when I knew him. Who knew,” adds Trina. “This is probably your first experience being anywhere near them. You don’t run into many celebrities in Minnesota, do you, Megan?”

  “Shhh,” says Arianna, shaking her head. She probably doesn’t want to make me feel bad. She knows I have a close friend who lives out here, but I haven’t told her anything about Sarah.

  “I bet she doesn’t,” says Trina. Her eyes are tracking a guy behind me and I turn, but don’t see anything exceptional. I must have just missed him.

  “No. We’re pretty isolated up there. The snow keeps us inside most of the year,” I say, hoping they all realize I’m being sarcastic. I don’t need to impress these girls. I’m not going to tell them one of my best friends is married to Jonathan Williams, I’ve played strip poker with Jake Gorboni, I’ve done shots with the lead singer and drummer of EXpireD, and I’ve been felt up by Liam Nordstrom in this very club. Let them think what they want.

  Just then I feel large hands grasp my shoulders. It doesn’t surprise me some drunk has decided to introduce himself to the group and has picked me to be his liaison. Nikki’s jaw is practically on the table. He must be hot. I tilt my head back to see what everyone is staring at.

  “Were you going to tell me you were in town, Meg?” Liam squeezes my shoulders, staring off across the club and not meeting my eyes. He is completely serious and sounds mad, as if I’m the one who didn’t answer his texts.

  Nikki’s jaw drops to the floor. I can see her out of the corner of my eye. Trina starts making whimpering noises as if she has to pee. I look to Arianna as I respond to him. “Well, maybe you should have called me. Or did your phone break?” I need to stay calm.

  “Yeah,” his voice sounds indifferent, cold even. He’s good. “Did yours?” He squeezes my shoulder again as his gorgeous dark eyes find mine. “How long have you been in town?”

  My heart is hammering and I am sure he can hear it above the pounding of the music. “A few days,” I say. “You could have at least sent me a text.”

  “I did. I even called.” His expression lightens, turning mischievous. “I’ll forgive you if you dance with me.”

  “Forgive me?” I want to smack him upside the head. “Who are you here with?”

  “Nak, Gorboni, and a few other guys. I came down for some air, but I would rather dance with you. Come,” he says again, letting go of my shoulders and reaching for my hand.

  As much as I crave his body, I don’t know if I can survive another round of Liam Nordstrom. Round three would definitely damage me beyond recovery. I decide he can wait a bit longer.

  “Liam, this is my roommate, Arianna. Arianna, this is my friend Liam.” He glances at me, his dark eyes burning me, and I wish I knew what he was thinking. Maybe we’re not friends anymore. He reaches a hand out and shakes her hand. I’m not sure if she knows who he is or not. I can’t read her face in the shadows of the dim light, but Trina and Nikki definitely recognize him. Their eyes are wide with disbelief as I stand up and add, “Trina and Nikki live across the hall from us. This is Liam Nordstrom.”

  Liam nods and grasps my hips pulling me against him instead of shaking their hands. My heart starts racing uncontrollably. His touch is like a shot of adrenaline, one I haven’t felt in what feels like forever. I don’t know what he wants from me. He is such a bastard. I’m being stupid. He made his intentions clear weeks ago.

  I need less inhibition if I’m going to dance on stage. I don’t know if I’ve made the decision or it is just inevitable, but it is going to happen. I slam my drink, smile at Arianna, and say, “I’ll be back,” trying to reinforce that fact in my mind. I know that even if Arianna doesn’t know who Liam is she will by the time I return, and I will have a lot of explaining to do. I don’t really want all this to come out so soon, but I can’t stop it now. I wanted to get to know my roommate better before my friends influenced how people saw me. I guess that’s out.

  With his hand on the small of my back, Liam guides me across the club to the dance floor where we danced the last time I was here. As we hit the edge of the crowded floor, he reaches for my hands, covering them with his and securing them to my hips.

  Just like before, we dance through the throng of bodies until we reach the raised stage.

  “You’re not nervous, are you?” Liam asks so close to my ear his hot breath sends a hum down my body. I shake my head even though it’s a lie, and he motions for me to climb onto the stage. I’m pretty sure there is no graceful way for me to clamor onto the platform in the dress I’m wearing, and I shake my head again. I don’t remember how I did it last time. It seems so much taller today. Maybe it is a different stage.

  Liam almost smiles as he sits on the edge and pulls himself up. Then he turns and offers me his hands. The next thing I know he’s lifting me into the air with just my hands and I’m on the stage. He spins me around, locking me in a hug, and I swear that he sucks in as if he’s smelling me. I hope he likes my perfume. I can’t ponder that long before he’s grinding against me. Oh god, I should never have agreed to this. It’s going to mess me up so badly. I need to put up a wall with a poster that screams “just friends” in fluorescent-orange or I am likely to press my lips to his face and devour his gorgeous almost smile.

  I roll my head back and forth across my shoulders, trying to relax and Liam pecks my cheek. That didn’t help. I need to loosen up or I will look too stiff.

  A new song comes on and he spins me around to face him. He consumes me as if I’m prey with his analytical expression. Then, before I have a chance to wonder what he sees, his lips are on mine. My body melts at his touch and as he pulls back, he says, “See I knew you could relax.”

  I try to scowl but he touches my cheek and I smile instead. Then, he grabs my hips and lifts me into the air. I arch back and his nose skims my stomach as I drop back to my feet. The tempo picks up and we’re dancing sped-up swing with a hip-hop twist, just like the last time. Soon, we’ve burned through two songs and I’m feeling comfortable anticipating his moves. As long as I don’t think too much about being naked with him or being visible to the entire club via the giant Jumbotron, I will survive this.

  “Over my back and through my legs,” says Liam, and I don’t have time to protest before he’s bending over, I’m rolling across his back with my legs straight out and he’s pulling me through his legs. As he turns to face me, he’s actually smiling—a real smile that penetrates his eyes—and I think I just impressed him. He spins me around and is grinding against me. I feel him. He definitely liked the flip. We’re both moving slower now, trying to catch our breaths. He’s kissing my neck as his hands run up and down my sides. My hips are moving slowly as I push back against him. I can’t resist. I don’t get to feel this good very often, I might as well enjoy it. Suddenly he spins me.

  “So that’s how you’re going to play it,” he says into my ear. “You fight dirty, Miss Billings.”

  I smirk because I know I’ve affected him. I make him as uncomfortable as he makes me. We dance through one more song, before he jumps off the stage and tells me to trust-fall backwards into his arms. I don’t trust him. Not after the silent treatment. But somehow, his sultry voice convinces me to do it anyway. When his arms close around me, my adrenaline level is so high I’m shaking. He holds me tight and tucks his head so his lips are at my ear.

  “You’re shaking.”

  “I know. I was nervous.” I don’t tell him it’s not the dancing. It’s him and our whole situation. I want him to be mine and it scares me to death.

  “I’ve got you, Meg. I’ve got you.” He rubs my arms as if he’s trying to warm me up. “It’s funny you didn’t seem nervous at the end.”

  His eyes buzz with excitement and he mumbles under his breath as he rights me on my feet.

  “I just don’t know what you
want from me,” I admit, looking around the club to get my bearings. We start walking and I don’t think we are going in the right direction. This club is so big. Finally, I recognize the grand staircase that leads to the VIP section. The bouncer unlatches the rope for us to pass as he fishes a golden wristband out of his back pocket. He holds it up as if asking Liam whether I was worthy of having access or if I would just be in the section as long as I was useful.

  “Come on upstairs with me. There’s a private room up there where we can talk.” He nods and the bouncer affixes the band around my wrist without even talking to me.

  “No.” I pull my banded hand away seconds too late. I can’t go to a private room with him. “I’m going back to my friends. Thanks for the dance.”

  Chapter 30

  Megan

  LIAM ROLLS HIS eyes as I turn toward the direction I think my roommate is seated. He grabs my hand, following me through the crowded club. I know I’m just a prop, someone to V-block the other girls, but his grasp still feels unbelievable, firm and hot, making my insides raw and vulnerable.

  We get back to the table and I can tell the girls have filled Arianna in on Liam’s identity. All three of them have their phones out. Arianna pulls her purse off my chair and I climb onto the high stool. Liam stands next to me, his hand on my sweaty back and his face heavy in thought. It’s funny that just minutes ago, he had the brightest smile I’ve ever seen.

  “So how do you know each other?” asks Arianna, with an amazed look on her face.

  I look to Liam to see if I should show all my cards or not. He raises an eyebrow as his thumb creeps under the V on the back of my dress and slowly strokes my bare skin. That isn’t helpful. “We met through friends,” I say.

  The server interrupts, setting drinks down for the rest of the table. “Liam, I’ll have someone bring you a chair in a minute. Can I get you your usual?” she says.

  “No. A Jameson on ice for me. Meg?”