Diamond
Aveena: Are you coming home for dinner tonight? The guys ordered enough pizza to feed a small country.
Sauntering down the hall toward the library, I skim through Aveena’s unanswered messages and devote my sole focus to pretending there isn’t a big pit of guilt stewing in my stomach.Aveena Harper is my best friend—no, Aveena Harper is my sister—and last I checked…
Sisters don’t avoid each other.
She’s been messaging me for days, asking when we can spend time together. I must’ve used every excuse in the book at this point. Don’t get me wrong, I want to spend time with her, but I’ve come to learn that wherever Aveena goes, Xavier follows, and wherever Xavier goes, Finn follows.
I’ve become an expert at staying away from the apartment to avoid the hazel-eyed traitor sleeping on Xavier and Aveena’s couch. You’d think keeping busy would be easy. After all, I’m juggling summer classes, work, and a boyfriend, but it’s surprisingly hard to stay out until everyone’s asleep.
I’ve been hanging out with Chance every night this week, and as much as I wish it was because I enjoy his company, it’s mostly because I have nowhere to go after libraries and coffee shops close.
Seeing Chance every day is starting to weigh on me. He’s been extremely supportive of my decision to take things slow until now, but I can sense his expectations growing with every kiss. And I can’t blame him. We’ve been going out for three months, we like each other, why wouldn’t we have sex?
Worst part is, I’m not entirely sure what’s keeping me from taking the next step in our relationship. When Finn left town, I couldn’t imagine ever trusting another guy enough to open up to him and be the most vulnerable version of myself. But after pondering my next move for days, I realized I needed to stop living in the past. I refuse to keep giving Finn such power over me.
Yes, he hurt me. Yes, it sucked. But Chance isn’t Finn. Theo and his roommates are throwing a party at their house tomorrow night, and I’ve made up my mind. Tomorrow, I’m going to sleep with Chance.
Plopping down into a seat at the library, I drop my bags and books on the table before grabbing my phone to text Aveena back.
Dia: I don’t think so. Studying tonight. I’ll be home late.
Her response is quick.
Aveena: Studying? Since when do you spend Friday nights “STUDYING”?
I’m tempted to tell her “Since I have to live with my ex until the end of the summer” but figure that would be a tough one to swallow. I don’t want her to think that she’s not important enough for me to tolerate Finn’s presence.
Dia: Downside of taking summer classes.
Aveena: I swear I’m seeing you LESS now that we live together than when you lived at the dorms.
Dia: I know, I’m sorry. Do you want to do breakfast tomorrow? There’s this great restaurant five minutes from campus.
There. That way I’m spending time with her without having to see Finn.
Aveena: Are you buying?
I smile, shooting her a quick text that says, “What do you think?” I could hardly see myself not paying for her meal when she’s letting me live in her apartment rent-free until the end of the summer.
She replies right away.
Aveena: I’ll go IF you promise not to fall off the face of the earth again. I swear I almost filed a missing person report for a second there.
I chuckle.
Dia: It wasn’t that bad.
Aveena: Please. The only way I knew you came home last week was because you ate our leftovers.
Dia: Like you could ever eat all that food! Seriously, woman, you cook like you already have five mini Xaviers and Aveenas.
I know she’s kidding, but I can’t shake the guilt gnawing at me. It’s no secret that she tends to overcook, which is why she tells me to help myself to whatever’s in the fridge most days, but now, she’s putting a roof over my head and feeding me.
I’ll find a way to pay her back somehow. Maybe throw her the biggest baby shower of all time? That, and spoil the shit out of her future kid.
Aveena: Just don’t go Casper-the-Friendly-Ghoston me again, okay?