I cross toward the door, then pull the door open and hold out theshoe.
She takes it from me and taps it against herhand.
When I don’t move, Annie raises a brow. “You waiting for me to say, ‘Thank you for the orgasms. I’ll study so much betternow’?”
“My ego would appreciatethat.”
“Fine. That was veryrelaxing.”
“Relaxing?” I echo, closing in on her. “Don’t pretend you’re not rubbing one out to me in the showerlater.”
She reaches up to wind her arms around my neck, pressing her body against mine. I’m already getting hard again at the feel of her softcurves.
“Feels like you miss mealready.”
I bite back the groan, my eyes narrowing. “I’m going to make you beg,Six.”
Annie’s lips part, her breath mingling with mine. “Promise?”
She pulls back before I can decide whether to leave or drag up that T-shirt and fuck the smug smile off herlips.
With a last look, I head down the hall, pulling the door closed afterme.
I do miss her already.But not the way shemeans.
* * *
“You’re home late,”Beck comments from the living room when I unlock the door of ourapartment.
I kick off my shoes and toss my wallet on the counter. “We’re closing the showcase. Me and Annie. The schedule gets announced publiclytomorrow.”
Beck’s face splits into a grin. He descends on me, clapping me on theback.
“You deserve it, Ty. The break. The stage. The girl,” he says meaningfully as he crosses to the couch and flicks on the TV. “You should lookhappier.”
I grab a beer from thefridge.
“I am happy, but people say that like you’ve arrived. Like getting what you want is a destination. Those moments don’t last, Beck.” I think of my dad, what he went through—how entitled he felt, how quickly anything he found slipped through hisfingers.
“You want certainty, you’re in the wrong business, my friend,” Becksays.
I join my roommate on the couch. “Music.”
“Life.”
The TV’s on silent but playing some realityshow.
“Smackdown,” he reminds me. “The contestants put themselves through these insane physical tests to try to win a bunch of money. Mostly they end up with bruises, sometimes broken bones, and nothing to show forit.”
“That’s messedup.”
“We do exactly the same thing.” He reaches for my beer with a smirk and takes a long drink before passing it back. “When I met you last fall, I knew you were walking around this city with a broken heart. When Annie showed up this year, the pieces clicked into place. But instead of thanking whatever god you pray to for giving you another chance, you’re thinking of all the reasons it won’twork.”
“Last time, neither of us knew what we wanted. We were kids, Beck, playing at being grown-ups. We’ve both changed. We have more than dreams—we have plans. But I lost myself in her, and it took walking away to realizeit.”
Beck cocks his head. “Are you in love withher?”
“I don’t know if I ever fell out of love withher.”