I can’t help the fact that I blush, because I’m immediately thinking of all the sex that I’ve had since I’ve moved into the house.
“Oh, and you’re going to have to explain that blush,” Taylor says.
I take a bite of my salad so I can take a minute to think. “I have a really nice room on the top floor, and so far most of the guys have been really nice.”
Bailey looks at me suspiciously. “That’s not why you’re blushing though.”
“I, umm…” I look away from both of them. “I’ve kind of been sleeping with Malcolm Levar.”
Both of them stare at me like I’m an alien, and I don’t exactly blame them. I was never a person who slept around in high school. I barely had boyfriends.
“Oh my god,” Taylor says with a sly grin. “Is he the only one? Are there more? Some of the guys in that house are hot.”
I blush hotter. “Of course he’s the only one.”
“I’m just saying, if I were in your position, I wouldn’t restrict myself to only one of them.” Her smirk pisses me off.
“I’m not living there because I’m the house whore, Taylor.”
She raises her hands in surrender. “You don’t have to get all sensitive, geeze.”
“I’m glad you’re happy,” Bailey cuts in. “Are you happy?”
I let my smile come back. “I really am. So far everything has really worked out. I kind of owe Melody for that dare,” I say, laughing. “There was no way I could have known how well things would really work out.”
“That’s really great,” Bailey says while she checks her phone. “Oh, shit.”
“You okay?”
She sighs. “Yeah, I’m fine. They just changed my study group tonight, and because pre-law is crazy, they actually include showing up to study groups as a part of your grade.”
“That sucks,” I say.
She’s gathering her dishes and grabbing her bag. “I’m really sorry, I wish that I could stay. Rain check?”
I nod. “Yeah. I’ll text you.”
She hurries off, and it leaves me with Taylor, which is honestly not where I want to be. We’ve been friends for a long time, but over the last couple of years we’ve really drifted apart. Everything I do now seems to be met with skepticism and sarcasm. But I’m already locked in to dinner, so I might as well see it through.
“Are you still planning on pledging Tri Delta?” she asks.
I actually had barely thought about the sorority since I moved into Granite House. I was desperately seeking companionship and sisterhood, but since she made me do the dare, that had kind of fallen apart in my mind. It doesn’t really matter that the results of the dare turned out well, they almost didn’t.
Do I still want to be a part of a group of girls that likes to challenge people like that without knowing the consequences, or possibly worse, hoping that the consequences are bad? I’m not sure.
“Maybe,” I say. “We’ll see when pledge time comes around.”
“Why wouldn’t you?”
I shrug. “No reason.” There’s no chance that I’m telling Taylor that Malcolm seems to have a problem with Melody that he hasn’t fully told me about. He didn’t paint her in a good light, and so far on the scoreboard, Malcolm is winning. Even when he was pissed at me and planning to hold me hostage about the broken heirloom, he was honest with me.
I’m not sure that Melody was.
Without Bailey in between us, we honestly don’t have that much to say to each other. I finish my salad in awkward silence, and we barely say goodbye even when we’re finished.
I guess I hadn’t realized how little we had in common anymore, but this is college. It happens. People move on, and it’s clear that Taylor already has. That’s fine. I have somewhere to be. Knowing where I’m going and what’s waiting, I practically run home.
15
Juno
There’s a party in full swing at Granite House, but I just go upstairs. Not really my scene. But I’m glad that there’s a party because when I inevitably lose my fucking mind the noise will cover it up.
I told Malcolm that I had to study for a test when I got home and I locked myself in my room. All he did was smirk because he knew exactly what I was doing, but he let it slide. Technically I did have my first anatomy test next week, but that’s not why I locked myself away.
Right now, just the sight of Malcolm makes me wet, and I know that if I get close to him before midnight that I’m not going to be able to hold myself back. And there’s no way that I’m letting this orgasm ban get extended. I’ll die of pleasure starvation.
So instead of studying, which I’ll do this weekend, I’m getting ready. I went off campus and bought my first real set of lingerie. Black and strappy and sexy. And I’m doing my make-up. Dark eyes and big mascara.