She shook her head. “I’m going to Rachel’s.” The way her eyes darted around and her cheeks flushed, I knew I’d lost her. Our moment was gone.
“I’m going to figure out what’s going on,” I whispered, pulling her close. “Don’t run away, okay?”
Without answering, she ran down the hall to Rachel’s, three doors away. I watched her knock and then heard Rachel’s voice as Violet disappeared inside.
Turning back into the room, I squinted and pointed at my new roommate. “Who exactly are you?”
He held up his hands, palms to the ceiling, as if I should know. “I’m Sam. Junior. Business major, and apparently a major cockblocker. Got kicked out of my dorm and the university put me here. The powers that be said they emailed you that I’d be moving in. Hey, aren’t you the Hunkarrific football dude?” Without waiting for an answer, he picked up his case and stepped into the living room.
Besides the fact that this guy completely invaded my space and my life and had interrupted the best kiss I’d ever had with the woman of my dreams, I didn’t like having this strange dude in my apartment because he wasn’t Oliver. I’d never lived with another guy besides Ollie, and I didn’t know if I was ready to deal with this Sampson kid. I cursed myself for never checking my university-issued email.
Sampson opened the door to the bathroom, then closed it again. With a flick of his wrist, he next turned the knob and flung open the door to Ollie’s bedroom. “This must be mine.” Then he disappeared inside.
It took me a minute, but I figured it out as I stomped into my room. Sampson was thee Sampson “Samsational” Seaborne. The famous YouTalker celebrity with almost fifteen million subscribers, including my little sister, Sierra, who was in love with the guy.
He’d burst into my life at the worst possible moment. I texted Vi.
Me: I’d like to drive you home. Please don’t freak out.
I waited, my keys in hand, for her reply.
Pix: I’m completely freaking out. I need to apologize.
Fuck. Not what I was hoping for.
Me: Meet me in the hallway in five.
Kissing Violet was exactly like I’d imagined it would be. Like she was full of passion and just needed to explode. Now though, the night was turning into a complete shit show.
I pulled on my jeans and a shirt, counted to ten, and yelled to Sampson that I’d be back later.
Violet
Rachel grabbed my arm and yanked me through her apartment door. “What happened?” Her green eyes searched my face. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
I cleared my throat and pointed down the hallway. “Josh and I were…and then a new roommate showed up… I think he’s famous…YouTalker?” I couldn’t form a sentence. I touched my lips and waited, hoping somehow Rachel could read my thoughts without me having to make the words come out.
“You and Josh, what? Kissed?”
I nodded. “It was a mistake. But then…Sampson Seaborne…he’s here.”
Rachel’s entire body sagged. “Sam Seaborne? The YouTalker guy?”
I nodded again.
“Shit,” she huffed.
“Do you know him?”
Rachel shook her head, as if clearing her thoughts. “Heard he was on campus. Tell me about Josh.”
I gave her a PG-13 version of the events of a few minutes ago. “And then Sampson walked in. What do I do now?”
Rachel twisted a lock of her long hair. “I have no clue. But he’s Josh King. If you tell him it was a mistake, he’ll find other women to kiss, and you can go back to your weird little codependent friendship.”
But the thought of Josh kissing someone else made my stomach turn. “I don’t think I can go back to what we were an hour ago.” I touched my lips again, still feeling his on them somehow. “I’ve never, in twenty-one years, been kissed like that.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s because you’ve only ever kissed Oliver Stoneridge. Ollie’s great, but Josh is...” She sighed. “He’s Hunkarama. Absolutely beautiful, like he was made for a woman’s pleasure.”
It was a hundred degrees in Rachel’s room. I slid off my cardigan and fanned myself. “He lifted me up, like, with one finger, Rach. Like I weighed nothing.” I didn’t tell her how he’d held me against the wall or that he had become naked during the event.
“Maybe you should go for it.” She lifted her eyebrows and shrugged. “Friends to lovers isn’t the worst way to start off a relationship. And yeah, he’s delicious, so…”
At the sound of the word relationship, my head started to pound. “The last thing I want right now is a relationship, especially one with Oliver’s roommate. I’m trying to make a life for myself, remember?”
She leaned against the door and looked out of her peep hole. “How long do you think he’s been into you?”
“I didn’t think he was into me that way at all. He told Oliver that I was like another sister.”
“Yeah right.” She pointed at the door and whispered. “He’s out there waiting for you, and he looks pretty shaken up.”
I stood on my tiptoes to peek out the peephole, and sure enough, Josh stood across the hall, one knee bent with his foot tapping nervously against the wall. Now though, he was clothed, and he held my coat and wallet. “He’s just…I don’t know. Maybe he’s bored? No matter what his reasons are for kissing me, I have reasons not to let this go anywhere. And I’m going to go tell him those reasons now.”
“Go then, girl. Don’t keep the man waiting. You know if you need anything or want to talk, just call me.” She reached for my hand.
I took hers and gave it a squeeze. “Thanks for letting me regroup.”
She smiled. “I’m no Taryn, but I’m here for you, as much as I can be. Now go figure out what to do with Mr. January.”
With a deep breath, I opened Rachel’s door and stood there, staring at Josh, remembering how his lips felt on mine.
“You okay?” he asked, standing up straight.
I wasn’t okay. I’d almost had sex with the only man who meant something to me. What a way to ruin everything.
He jammed his hands in his pockets, and his eyes were wide, worried. “Are you going to talk to me?”
I opened my mouth to say something, then took off down the hallway.
He followed, having no problem keeping up with me with his long strides. “Violet. Please…”
I flung open the door to the staircase and ran down the stairs, suddenly needing air. My heart pounded, my traitorous body wanting to continue what we’d started. My brain reminded me that I was messing up the best relationship I’d probably ever have by trying to seduce him.
The outer door was heavy and slowed me down enough that Josh opened it for me. “Don’t do this.”
Outside, I walked on the cement path toward north campus and Mill Street. I didn’t have my key and half my stuff was still at Josh’s, but I needed space. He jumped in front of me, blocking my path.
A million thoughts ran through my mind, building up like lava in a volcano. “I saw you naked,” I ended up blurting, pointing at him.
His smile didn’t calm my hormones at all. “And I kissed you.”
I attempted to curve around him, trying not to make eye contact in the process. “We can’t do that.”
He followed me when I passed him. “Why not?”
“Because we’re going to mess everything up. You’re Ollie’s roommate—”
“Well, technically, I’m Sampson’s roommate now—”
“—and we’re friends. Good friends. Best friends. God, that towel…it fell…but I can’t lose you. If we’d done that…” My breath caught, and I started hyperventilating.
He wrapped my coat around my shoulders. I shoved my arms in the sleeves and stared at the ground, sucking in air like there wouldn’t be enough for me. A naked Josh was not something I should be seeing, no matter how perfect the view was. I needed him. I counted on him for security, companionship…my sanity. Clutching my chest, I gasped for air.<
br />
A look of concern spread over his face as he reached for me. “Relax.”
Lightheaded, I held onto his forearms. After a few deep inhales, I felt better.
He bent to my level and looked me in the eyes, searching my face. “It’s okay. It was just a kiss, right? No big deal. We should have known it would happen sooner or later. Don’t freak out. You’re never going to lose me.”
“Just a kiss? But just now…and back in New York, we…” I felt my cheeks warm. “I can’t fall for you, Josh. Not that way.”
He raked a hand through his hair, hair that my hands had messed up a few minutes before, then met my gaze. “Violet. You’re adorable, and sweet, and everything I’d want if I were looking for a relationship. But I’m not, and neither are you.”
Oh.
He continued, “So, we got a little carried away. We’re only human.” He choked out a laugh. “And you said it from the start—it was only going to be one night.”
“Yes, that’s right.” I let out a long breath. “One night. But you know we can’t even do one minute, never mind one night. Being with you…it would never work out. Graduation, Oliver, I can’t even get myself straight. I’d never be able to commit—”
“Commit?” He furrowed his brow and choked out a laugh. “Do you think I’m the type of guy who wants that?”
His words broke my heart a little. Thinking of a relationship with Josh conjured up images of warmth, love, and tons of sexy times. But I was right about this, and what he said was true. “You are Hunkarama. It’s not like you’ve ever had a girlfriend.”
He gulped. “See? You can’t fall for me. I’d break your heart. I was completely bluffing when I dropped the towel. Trying to piss you off. I was sure you’d run.”
But the way his voice hilted at the end made me wonder if he was being honest. And I certainly hadn’t planned to run anywhere. If his new roommate hadn’t walked in, we’d be in his bed right now. I was sure of it.
I took off walking again, wrapping my coat tightly around me to ward off the cold winter air. Everything about the night confused me. What Josh had done at the party by dragging me out, what he’d said at my apartment, what had happened at his place, and what he was saying now. None of it worked together in my mind, and none of it was logical.
Yet even if he was lying—if he was offering me a way out of this night and a redo back to the way we were, the way it was yesterday—I was going to jump on it. “So…we’re back to being friends?”
He nodded deliberately. “That’s what we do best, isn’t it?”
“Yes. Brother and sister.”
“Okay, don’t go crazy—”
“I need to make sure we’re on the same page, that tonight was a fluke.”
He tilted his head and let out an exasperated sigh. “Relax, Violet. It was a fluke. We’re on the same page. I meant ‘don’t go crazy’ because we did kiss, so to call us brother and sister grossed me out. I have all those sisters and…” He shuddered.
I coughed out a laugh. “Fair enough. So…friends?”
He held out his hand and I placed my palm over his. “Friends,” he said. When he lifted my hand to his mouth and kissed it, my insides turned to jelly.
Friends. I was really starting to hate that word.
Chapter Nine
Josh
After driving Violet back to Mill Street, I headed home again. Sampson sat on the couch, leaning over his laptop. “How’d it go with your girl?”
I locked the door. “She’s not my girl.”
“She certainly looked like she was your girl when I walked in.” He closed his laptop and placed it next to him, snickering.
After throwing my keys on the kitchen counter, I fell into the chair across from him. “It’s a long story. Why are you here again?”
He rested his elbows on his knees and rubbed his eyes. “Do you know who I am?”
The accent annoyed me. “You’re the famous YouTalker dude. What does that mean for me?”
“It doesn’t mean anything for you unless you want it to. You’ll never be seen without your consent. You can trust me on that.” He clasped his hands together. “It is a lucrative business, and I make a lot of money. I need to make content, and since I don’t have an off-site studio, I’ll be transforming that bedroom into one—adding soundproofing, hooking up cameras, hanging backdrops, and such. Is that okay with you?”
“Where will you sleep?”
He laughed. “I don’t sleep much, but I’ll be on the couch. Or if you need privacy, I’ll find somewhere to go. I guess what I’m trying to tell you is that I’m not a low-maintenance roommate, and I’ll do my best not to bother you.”
“I appreciate that.” I held out my hand in a gesture of good faith, and he shook it. “Welcome to Campus Apartments.”
“Nice to be here.” He nodded toward the bedroom. “What happened to the last guy?”
Rubbing my hand through my hair, I sunk back into the chair. “He moved to California with his girlfriend.”
“Wasn’t he a senior?”
“Yep.”
“That’s insane.” Sampson’s eyes seemed to grow a few sizes. He was animated. I guess it made for good videos.
“He was in love. He’s happy as fuck now.”
“You were close?”
“He’s my best friend.” I stood and stretched. “What about you? What did you do to get kicked out?”
He pointed to his right foot. “I jumped off of Sheridan Hall and filmed it. President Hernandez reamed me out and threatened to expel me. Sprained my damn ankle. I promised to plug the University on my channel, and he eased up a bit. Housing sent me here to finish out the year, as far away from the heart of campus as possible and away from the impressionable underclassman.”
“Impressive.”
He ran a hand over his green hair. “That’s me. Any house rules I need to know about?”
I appreciated him asking. “Don’t eat my cereal. Don’t fuck with Violet. If you take a shit, flush. That’s about it.”
“No Violet, huh? What’s your story?”
I saw his wheels turning, like he was going to make a movie out of me or something. “What are you, writing a book?”
“Curiosity is my greatest flaw. I’m always craving a good story.”
“We’re best friends. We kissed. You interrupted. She freaked out. We promised each other to never do it again. End of story.”
“You’re in love with her, aren’t you?”
If I wasn’t ready to admit to Violet that I loved her, I certainly wasn’t going to tell this clown. Sampson seemed legit, but what the hell did I know? I changed the subject. “Speaking of, my little sister is in love with you. Where are you from? The accent…”
“I grew up in London. We moved to Texas years ago. Can’t seem to shake certain parts of the British accent.”
“Makes you sound classy,” I said, standing and stretching. “Listen, do you mind if I head to bed? I’m exhausted.”
“Sure. Maybe tomorrow we can go to The Study? Grab a beer?”
I hadn’t been to The Study since Ollie left. It would be nice to have a guy to hang out with who wasn’t a frat brother. He’d never be Ollie, but at least he was willing to try. “Yeah. That’d be cool.”
As I escaped into my room, a sense of dread washed over me. The room wasn’t really mine anymore. It was Vi’s. I was alone, surrounded by her stuff. I’d fucked everything up, and then I’d lied about how I felt. I knew she wasn’t ready for me, but the draw to her was unmistakable. Damn, I missed her already.
I stripped and fell into bed, imagining her in the space next to me. I picked up my phone. First, I checked Sampson’s YouTalker channel. Then I couldn’t hold out anymore and texted Vi.
Me: Are you home okay?
Her reply was immediate.
Pix: Yes, fine.
Me: I miss you being here.
I sent her a heart emoji and waited, but she didn’t reply.
For about a half
hour, I tried to sleep, but Vi’s flowery shampoo smell covered my pillowcase. I tossed and turned until I finally grabbed my phone again. A message waited for me, but it wasn’t Vi. It was Ollie. I tried to be excited but a little sadness crept in.
Ollie: Made my travel plans. I’ll be back the week after spring break so we can hang.
I couldn’t wait to see Ollie again. When he told me he’d be back for spring break, I’d been disappointed since I wouldn’t be around. I needed my friend more than ever, even if I couldn’t tell him why. He’d offered to change his plans but wasn’t sure if it would work out. I was glad it had.
Me: Awesome.
I’d have to tell Violet. Of course, that would only add to the drama. We’d kissed; she’d declared it a mistake. And now her ex, my best friend, was coming for a visit and shocking us back to reality. I’d have the memory of that kiss to last me a lifetime, but that was all it could be—a memory between “friends.” She’d need me again, even though all I wanted to do was love her until she forgot all about her past with Ollie.
Violet
Friday, when classes ended and spring break began, I grabbed my suitcase and waited for Rachel to pick me up. We’d planned on driving straight to Florida and staying with her grandmother in Miami for the week. But instead of showing up in the alley next to my apartment, Rachel called me.
I picked up immediately. “I’m here. On my way out the door.”
Rachel’s voice was muffled, like she was on speakerphone. “I’m so sorry, Vi, but I can’t go. We can’t go.”
I dropped my suitcase and plugged my free ear with my finger to hear her better. “What? We can’t?”
“I have to stay here.” Even on speaker, I could hear the disappointment in her voice. “My parents need me for something…a family emergency. I’m so sorry.”
“Oh my God. Is everything okay?” I didn’t know much about Rachel’s family, except that she lived locally and spent a lot of time at home.
“It will be. I feel terrible. I know we were supposed to have our girls’ week, and you wanted to get out of here before Oliver showed up. But…I just can’t.”
Making the Move: Mill Street Series #2 Page 9
