“So? You’re still my friend. Though I don’t know how to be much more obvious that I want you as more than that. But if you don’t, that’s totally okay. I’ll stop watching your stream if it makes you more comfortable. I’ll—”
“No.” The word is out and I can’t stuff it back in. Especially not at the delight that grows on Oliver’s face, and the way his eyes darken. “No. Umm.” I suck in a breath and let it out slowly. “I like you. Really, I mean that. I don’t know you that well, but I know that I’d like to know you as more than a friend, too.” I hate that my mind is jammed with memories of his body, his cock, and the way he sounds when he touches himself. Having suddenly allowed myself to think of him that way, now I can’t stop.
“Do I get to still watch you stream?” he murmurs against my ear. “Better question; does this mean you’ll start watching me again?”
“Do you want me to?”
“Of course I do. And I want all your honest feedback. In detail. I’ll give you mine, if you want. Though I doubt I’ll be that helpful, since everything you do isperfect.”
“You’re being dramatic. I suck at streaming,” I say crisply, not pulling away.
“If you say so.” He turns his face suddenly, pressing his mouth against my neck. Before I can do more than take a sharp breath, my stomach clenching in anticipation, he bites down lightly and drags his hands up my hips, bringing my shirt up with them. My breath becomes a gasp, ending in some sort of yelp that has him chuckling as he pulls away.
“You sound like a sweet little puppy,” he teases, reminding me of our conversation online before I knew it was him. “Do it again for me, Blair. I bet you make the cutest little sounds while you’re flustered, and I want to hear all of them.” He kisses me before I can reply, holding me tighter against him until I’m all but in his lap. I lean into him without complaint, closing my eyes as he coaxes my mouth open once again.
That is, until I hear someone clear their throat, and the sound of someone’s boot tapping on the porch. I jerk backward, able to hear Oliver’s soft, irritated sigh, and look up into Juniper’s face.
She looks… unamused, to say the least. Her eyes flit from my face to Oliver’s, and her brow furrows in unease. “Are you okay, Blair?” she asks finally, not taking her eyes off of Oliver.
“I’m totally okay,” I promise as Oliver pulls away just enough to smile lazily at Juniper. The friendliness oozes out of him like water, and takes my body heat with it, somehow. For a moment, it’s as if I’m looking at a completely different person.
"Have you been drinking?” she goes on carefully, still sizing up Oliver like she’s prepared to duel him to the death for my honor.
“Just a little. But not that much, and I’m not drunk, Juniper.” I sigh, raking my fingers through my hair. But Juniper doesn’t look at me. Her brows rise by increments as she stares down Oliver, expression exasperated as if she’s tellinghimhe should’ve known better.
“I wasn’t going to go any further, Juniper,” he promises, getting to his feet with a chuckle. It’s not like the ones he has for me. There’s no sweetness, and very little friendliness in the sound. Is he mad she interrupted, or does he just not like her? “I know she’s tipsy, all right? I’m the one who found her all alone, after all.”
The words are an obvious jab toward my best friend and she looks away, frowning. “I thought we’d go home,” she says finally. “It’s been an hour, and I know you don’t love these things. Come on, Blair.” She brushes past me, going down the stairs and pausing on the sidewalk to look at us when I don’t move.
I do try, though. Only for Oliver to hold my arm lightly as he drags my attention back to him. I can hear Juniper’s exasperation, but my eyes are on Oliver alone. “I’ll see you later, okay?” he purrs, leaning in to kiss me again. “Tomorrow, maybe?” His eyes dance at that, because we both knowwhyhe’ll see me tomorrow. The thought sends shivers through me, and I nod.
“Tomorrow,” I promise, and brush my lips against his one more time before pulling away from him and following Juniper down the sidewalk.
“It’s nice to see you again, Juniper,” he calls, not moving from the porch. I don’t turn to look at him, but Jun does, and her expression isn’t entirely friendly.
“Same,” she replies flatly, and walks ahead of me away from the frat house. I do turn, finally, and I’m surprised to find that instead of having gone back in, Oliver is still standing on the porch.
And he’s staring at me.
He watches me as I walk away, and finally the privacy fence is what breaks my sight of him, instead of him having gone anywhere at all.
It’s also then that Juniper lets out an exasperated sigh. “What were you doing?” she asks as we walk back to her car. “WithOliver?”
“Uh, kissing him?” I answer dryly. “Pretty sure you saw it, too.”
“He shouldn’t have kissedyou. You’re drunk.”
“Tipsy.”
“Drunk.”
I shake my head slowly, feeling mostly in control of my actions and not like I’m about to walk into the street. “Buzzed, I’ll give you. But nothing else. I like him, Jun. I’ve liked him for longer than tonight.”
“Blair…” Juniper frowns and looks at the keys in her hand, like she’s forgotten what they’re for. “Can’t you pick anyone else? Someone who isn’t Oliver Greer?”
The words surprise me, and I look at her in shock. “Why not Oliver? You said you knew him, that you tutored with him and didn’t act like there was anything wrong with him.” The conversation is killing my buzz, but maybe that’s a good thing.
“Well, I wasn’t entirely honest. I don’t know, he’s just.” She turns and looks behind us, like he might be listening. “I just think he’s not who he’s pretending to be. Especially with you. I’ve seen him mean before, okay? I don’t want him hurting you.”