“Looking hot, Carla,” Adam, who’s a senior at Trinity, says. His eyes slowly sweep up my body, and it makes me feel like a two-dollar hooker.
I narrow my gaze at him, not appreciating the way he's checking me out. “Stop looking at me as if I’m for sale.”
I hear Aria shriek and glance toward the pool, in time to see Noah throwing her into the air before she plunges back into the water.
There’s a jealous stab in my chest.
Why can’t he be like that with me? Instead, he treats me as if I have some disease.
Ignoring Adam and his friends, I walk to a lounge chair and take a seat.
The pool fills up quickly with half-dressed bodies, and soon water is splashing everywhere.
“Noah,” I hear Julianne’s annoyingly high-pitched voice, and my gaze searches for them.
I watch as she places her hand on his arm, and when he pulls away from her, a smile forms around my lips. Glad to see I’m not the only one he’s rejecting. My eyes drift over his chest and his abs.
Ugh, why is he so hot?
Julianne pouts, and I wish I could hear what they’re saying to each other. Noah looks annoyed, and walking away from her, he dives back into the pool.
“Hey, cuz,” Fallon says with a smile as she comes to sit by me.
Surprised to see her, I reply, “Hey, I didn’t know you were coming.”
“I’m just showing my face, and then I’m heading home,” she explains. Her eyes dart to someone behind me, and she grins, “Hey, Noah.”
I instantly freeze, and I try, I really try, but I can’t stop myself from looking over my shoulder. Noah’s busy patting drops from his chest with a towel.
Damn, I wish I was that towel.
“Hi,” he smiles at Fallon. “Where’s Kao?”
Kao’s engaged to my cousin, and he’s also Noah’s best friend.
“He stopped by his parents’ place after work. He’s probably still there.” Fallon climbs to her feet, and her eyes settle on me. “I’m going to hit the road. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I get up and give her a hug.
Fallon starts to walk away but smiles at Noah. “We’re seeing you this weekend for the big move, right?”
“Yeah,” he replies, and for a second, his eyes lock on me before he turns around and walks away.
Every time he’s friendly with one of the other girls in our group, it digs a chunk of my heart out.
God, I want to hate him. Damn, I’ll even settle for intensely disliking him.
NOAH
It’s hard to adjust to Kao not being at Trinity anymore. Seeing Fallon lessened the loneliness, though.
Damn, I miss my best friend.
Because I’m doing two degrees instead of one like Kao did, I’m stuck at the academy for an extra year.
I glance around at the other students, and there’s not one I remotely want to be friends with. I don’t have the patience for meaningless conversations.
Letting out a sigh, I decide to take one last dip in the pool before returning to the suite. I dive into the water, and coming up on the other side of the pool, I hoist myself out.
“Oh, look what the cat dragged in,” I hear Carla’s voice.
My gaze sweeps over her, and taking in the scant pieces of fabric barely covering her sexy-as-fuck body, I tilt my head and ask, “Did you only get half your pocket money this month, and that’s why you couldn’t afford the other half of that bathing suit?”
Carla’s eyes narrow on me, but then she shakes her head, and impersonating Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story, she says, “You are a sad, strange little man, and you have my pity.”
This girl… Fuck she annoys the living hell out of me with her impersonations.
Since she declared her love to me three years ago, I’ve done my best to stay away from her. I can’t even bring myself to think of her as anything more than a kid. Yeah, she might be all long legs, curves, and a beautiful face, but still, she’ll always be a kid to me.
I take a step closer to her and say, “Don’t you think it’s time you grow up, little girl? You’re in the adult world now.”
“God, help me,” Carla hisses, anger making her features tighten.
Forest grabs hold of her arm, and his eyes lock on mine. “That’s enough.”
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s not to take on the Reyes’ family. Holding up my hands, I shoot a glare at Carla so she’ll know to back off, then I turn and walk away.
God, I miss the old group.
I keep walking until I’m in the suite, and the emptiness makes me feel antsy. I take a shower, and pulling on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, I decide to chill in the living room.
I grab my phone from my desk and walk out of my room. Plopping down on the couch, I turn on the TV and go to CNN.