Opening messenger, I shoot my mom a text.
N: Bedtime story?
Knowing Mom might be busy at the hospital, I rest my phone on my thigh and focus on the news. I get lost in what’s happening around the world until Forest and Aria walk into the suite. They disappear down the hallway.
Checking my phone, I see a message from Mom.
M: Hi, baby. I had a patient today with an infundibular ventricular septal defect. It’s basically a dangerous hole in the aortic valve. It’s a common congenital heart disease, and I had to perform an early surgical intervention to prevent aortic regurgitation progression.
I read the rest of her message, a smile forming around my lips. My mom’s the best cardiothoracic surgeon in the states, and her medical journal entries have been my bedtime stories since I can remember.
“Watching porn?” Carla suddenly asks, making my head snap up. She takes a bottle of water from the fridge.
Instantly annoyed, I ask, “Shouldn’t you be in bed?”
“Ooooh… wanna tuck me in?” she asks, the corner of her mouth lifting before she takes a sip.
Oh, little girl, you wouldn’t be able to handle me if I were to tuck you in.
“Night, Carla,” I mutter as I turn off the TV and get up.
I only reach the hallway when Carla makes a sputtering sound. My head snaps toward her, and seeing that she’s choking on water, I walk to her and slap her back.
She tries to take a breath, but it sounds like she’s being strangled. I move in front of her and framing her face, I stare into her watery eyes. “Breathe through your nose.” She manages to get some air in. “Again.”
Her hand clamps on my forearm, and the sight of a tear spilling over her cheek makes a weird emotion ripple through me.
It sounds painful as she drags in air, and then she begins to cough. I move to her side and rub a hand over her back. “It’s okay.”
It takes her a couple of minutes to catch her breath, and then she mutters, “Death by water. Who would’ve thought?”
Tilting my head, I ask, “Are you okay?”
Her eyebrow pops up, and I instantly regret asking the question.
She clears her throat, but her voice is still raspy as she asks, “Wow, is that a note of concern I heard?”
“Nope.” Letting go of her, I head down the hallway.
“Too late, Noah. I know you care, or you wouldn’t have asked if I’m okay.”
Turning back to her, I say, “No, Carla. It’s just the humane thing to ask after someone chokes.”
She walks toward me, a daring light in her eyes. “Yeah? So you feel nothing for me? Is that what you’re saying?”
“We move in the same circle, and you’re Jase’s little sister,” I remind her. “Stop reading more into every single thing I do. You make me uncomfortable.”
“How do I do that?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.
“You’re a kid.”
Her gaze narrows on me. “I’m eighteen. Stop calling me a kid or a little girl. It’s demeaning.”
Leaning a little forward, I say, “You’ll always be a kid to me. Get that?”
She takes a step closer to me, and lifting her chin, she chuckles. “It’s only a matter of time, Noah. If you haven’t realized yet, I don’t give up easily.”
Shaking my head, I glance up at the ceiling before I decide this conversation is over. I turn away from her and walk to my room, frustrated as hell.
Chapter 3
CARLA
Forest and Aria seem to be caught in their own little bubble, and it makes me feel a bit lost. I always hung out with them, but since we started at Trinity, I’ve been pretty much on my own.
Sure, there are lots of girls here I can befriend, but the problem with being a Reyes is that you never know if someone is your friend because they genuinely like you or because they want to up their status.
Sitting alone in the restaurant, I let out a sigh. When Fallon, Mila, and Hana, my other roommates, walk into the establishment, a smile instantly forms around my mouth.
They each take a seat, then I say, “You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
Fallon frowns at me. “Why? What happened?”
I shrug. “I’m just struggling to find my place here. Forest and Aria are so busy with their fake relationship, it doesn’t leave much time for them to hang out with me.”
Mila, who’s Jase’s girlfriend, and hopefully my future sister-in-law, places her hand on my arm. “You can hang with me any time.”
Jade smiles at me. “Yeah, what she said.”
Fallon scoots closer and places her arm around me. “Sorry, hon. I should’ve made more of an effort.”
I shake my head. “It’s just weird adjusting to how things work here.”
Mila picks up a menu, then asks, “What are we eating?”
Without looking at the selection of meals, Fallon answers, “I’m having a salmon salad.”