Any other guy would have been pissed, but Theo laughed harder, letting go of my hand to wrap his arm around my shoulders and pull me deep into his side. And I liked it. Jesus, I liked hearing him laugh and having his arm around me like that.
Which meant I had to push him away. I couldn’t like it. I had no room for twinkly eyes or kissing under ancient trees or complications. Theo was all those and more—and I. Just. Could. Not. Do. It.
Even though a small, sparkly heart-shaped part of me wished I could.
I slipped from beneath his arm. He let me do it, probably because we were at my dorm. Most likely also because he knew he’d have me for hours tomorrow, and I’d have to be nice to him or he could leave me in L.A.
“Bye, Tiger,” he called after me.
Scrambling up the steps, I waved over my shoulder. I could still hear his low, lovely chuckle as I swiped my card to enter the dorm.
The faint buzz my interaction with Theo had given me evaporated when I entered my suite to find Elena lounging on the couch. Zadie was there too, a book in her lap in the armchair.
Elena’s eagle eyes landed on me immediately. “My, my, our little Helen is blushing. Were you having a rendezvous with your criminal boyfriend in the bushes again?”
I scoffed and tossed my skateboard next to the door. “Hi, Zadie. There’s no way you’re doing homework on a Friday.”
She was chewing on the corner of her lip. “I am. But only because if I get it all done tonight, I won’t have to think about school until Monday.”
“Genius,” Elena supplied. “If I didn’t have plans in an hour, I’d join you. Maybe next weekend.”
“Really?” Zadie asked.
“Mmhmm.” Elena nodded. “Lazy Sundays are my favorite, but I can get on board with lazy Saturdays too.”
“Well, I do other things, so—”
Elena sliced her perfectly manicured nails through the air. “Shhh…shhh. I know you probably volunteer to sew blankets for orphans or plant trees or something, but that’s not me. And you know, they say laziness is next to godliness.”
Zadie’s mouth fell open, but I shook my head. If Elena wanted to believe that was the saying, we should let her have it.
I went to the kitchenette, grabbed a soda from the mini-fridge, cracked it open, then started for my room. As much as I liked Zadie, I needed a nap before I faced another night at Savage Beauties. Plus…well, Elena.
“I’m taking a nap.” I hit the frame of my door.
“Getting ready for a long night at the strip club?” Elena asked.
I stopped, froze, my eyes darting to Zadie. Her cheeks bloomed with color. She had told our third, unwanted roommate where I worked. I was none too pleased. And disappointed. She’d always given me the impression of being real and loyal.
“Wow, Z.”
Zadie’s eyes went round, her pretty face the picture of innocence.
Elena untucked her legs and rose from the couch. “Oh, come off it. Zadie didn’t say shit. I used context clues to figure you out, girl. Skanky outfit, stack of one-dollar bills on your nightstand. You smell like perfume and desperation when you leave, and you come back with the scent of blue balls and old-man sweat clinging to you like a cloud. That reads strip club to me. You just confirmed it.”
“I waitress,” I said flatly. “But I think it’s interesting you so closely study me. Consider discussing that with your therapist.”
Elena pursed her lips. “Oooh, joking about mental health is such a sick burn.”
“And putting down sex work when you were born with a silver spoon crammed up your lily-white ass is about as privileged and narrow minded as it comes.”
I closed my door more gently than I thought myself capable and leaned heavy against it, tired down to my bones, and not from lack of sleep. Every day was a fight. It had been that way my whole life. Yeah, I brought some of it on myself. I knew that. I just didn’t know how to lower my fists. I’d give a lot for a peaceful living situation, but simply looking at Elena’s perfect, bitchtastic face made me pissy.
I could try. Maybe.
Throwing myself on my bed, I put my soda on my nightstand and took out my phone. If I was going to do some deep introspection, I needed company for that. I sent a text to my girl Penelope, who happened to be Elena’s much nicer cousin and my best friend Gabe’s girlfriend.
Me:How do I live with Elena without murdering her?