Page 5 of Late Nights

The two said their goodbyes and were out the door, leaving me in the apartment alone with Demi down the hall.

Now I just needed to figure out how to act brotherly toward a girl I didn’t think of at all in a sisterly way.

2

Demi

Istared at the two large suitcases full of shoes and then back at the limited space West had tried to clear out for me in his closet. Neither of us was known for being minimalists when it came to fashion.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, letting out a heavy sigh as I took in the unfamiliar room around me. As much as I’d thought about leaving Stanford and going off on my own, it hadn’t prepared me for actually doing it. I still couldn’t believe that I’d done it—that I’d stood up to my dad.

I had known he was going to be mad, but I hadn’t known he would be upset enough to kick me out of the house.

Since my parents lived so close to the university, it had made sense to live at home while I finished my MBA. And I wasn’t naive to the fact that my dad had wanted to keep a close eye on me and my education. I hadn’t put up a fight about it since living at home with a chef and maid was better than living alone in some random apartment. That, and how I was older than most of the students in the surrounding housing.

My two-year gap after getting my bachelor’s degree—which my dad liked to bring up constantly, calling it a waste of my time—had technically put me behind. But I didn’t view it that way. Those two years of not being under my dad’s thumb had been liberating. I’d traveled the world, met some amazing people, and learned what it was like to live on my own.

It had made coming back home to a rigorous MBA program—which I hadn’t even wanted to do—that much harder. But I’d kept to my dad’s plans. Day after day, week after week, month after month, semester after semester, I’d done everything I was supposed to do. I’d kept my grades up and made sure not to taint the Vanderhall name.

But starting another semester after the winter break, something had snapped inside of me. Every cell in my body had revolted, refusing to go through the motions any longer. So I’d stopped stuffing my feelings down and finally spoken up.

And then my dad had blown up.

In his defense, he had paid for all my schooling and living expenses, including my two-year gap, so I could understand his frustration. But it had still felt like a slap in the face to be kicked out of my childhood home.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

West and Halle had already left, which meant it could only be one other person.

Cannon.

In the whirlwind of my thoughts, I’d almost forgotten that I’d be living with him for the foreseeable future. I’d thought I’d have West here as a buffer, but now with him moving in with Halle, I’d have to figure out how to deal with being around Cannon so much.

Cannon James was the kind of guy you couldn’t help but like, whether it was just as friends or more than that. His charisma and charm worked on everybody. Including me.

I’d had some level of a crush on him ever since he and West had become friends ten years ago.

I could still remember the first time I’d met him. I’d been sixteen when West had brought Cannon home for a family dinner. At the time I had thought he was so mature and manly, but looking back now I couldn’t help but laugh. Sure, he had been handsome, but he’d still been on the skinny and boyish side at nineteen years old, especially compared to what he looked like now.

“Come in,” I called out.

The door opened slowly, and Cannon’s large frame filled the doorway. His dark hair was just long enough to see his natural waves, contrasting perfectly with his blue eyes. Scruff covered his jawline, not usual for him, which had me thinking he probably hadn’t shaved this weekend. And the way his t-shirt pulled taut across his shoulders and chest had me wondering how many hours he had to put in at the gym to look like that.

“Hey,” he said softly. “I wanted to see if you need anything. Maybe something to eat?”

One side of my mouth lifted in a small smile, grateful to him for checking up on me. “I’m not really hungry, but thank you for asking.”

He took in the room, half of my luggage still full as I sat on the bed. “If you need to put some things in my closet, you can. I only use about half of it.”

My eyes widened at his offer. “Really? You wouldn’t mind?”

“No, feel free to take what space you need.”

I practically jumped off the bed in my excitement at not having to live in a maze of suitcases.

Cannon chuckled, and I looked to see what was so funny. “What?”

“You would have thought I’d given you a puppy instead of just offering to share my closet,” he said, amusement apparent in his voice.

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