Page 14 of Of Flesh & Bone

Her apartment is off campus in a modest complex called Pinecrest Place.Each building has two apartments, one upstairs and one downstairs.The buildings are connected by the roof and several landings.Eve’s upstairs apartment is in the back of the complex.I immediately wonderwho helped her get her furniture up the stairs?Does she have a boyfriend?Is that why she refused to go to lunch with me?I can’t believe I never asked if she had a boyfriend.We have talked about me possibly having a girlfriend more than once and it never occurred to me that it might be her who is unavailable.

“Do you have a boyfriend?”My brows are furrowed, and my expression is hard.

She huffs a laugh.“It’s a little late for that question, isn’t it?”

I grab her by the arm and roughly pull her into my body, stealing her breath.Grabbing her hip and holding her firmly in place, I lean down to speak directly to her mouth.“It won’t change a thing.We are still going inside and tonight won’t be the last night we will spend together.Now, do you have a boyfriend?”

She's looking at me wide-eyed and breathing heavily.She shakes her head and continues to give me her full attention.

“Say it.”

Quietly she says, “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“Good girl.”I pull her closer and again I kiss her forehead firmly, lingering there, closing my eyes and breathing in her scent.It’s sweet, like honey and jasmine.Finally, I release her and motion for her to lead the way up the stairs and into her apartment.She stares at me still wide-eyed and innocent, for a moment.I haven't seen this expression yet.I perceive her to be a lot of things, but innocent isn't one of them.Breaking our gaze, I again motion toward her apartment with a nod and she leads the way.

The inside of her apartment isn’t as modest as the exterior.It smells of Eve and something else, another feminine scent.The furniture is plush and welcoming, and the décor is eclectic.Nothing really matches but it all somehow still belongs here.There's a young woman sitting on the couch.She’s very pretty, but she doesn’t appeal to me in the same way Eve does.Even though she's sitting cross-legged on the couch, I can tell that she isn’t as tall as Eve and where Eve is tone and tan, this woman is curvy and fair-complected.She's wearing headphones and doesn’t seem to notice us walk in.She's studying from three different books while taking notes in a large, worn-out notebook.

Once Eve takes in her surroundings, she turns to me quickly and holds her finger over her mouth, gesturing for me to be quiet.She tilts her head toward the back of the apartment, and I follow her into the bedroom.Her bedroom.The scent of Eve overwhelms my senses as soon as I'm through the door.Damn it.How am I turned on by a scent?

This room is different from the rest of the apartment.There is very little décor in here and only one picture.It’s of Eve, the woman on the couch, and a large, muscular man.He has his arms around both Eve and the other woman.

“Who is this?”

“Who is who?”She asks before she sees the picture in my hand.“That’s my roommate Vaughn and her boyfriend Eli, our other roommate.They’re my best friends.”

She has a male roommate?And he looks like that?

“Both of them?”

“Yes.I met them both when I came to interview with Vaughn and to view the apartment.They’re pretty much my favorite people on the planet and my only friends here.”

I'm filled both with an unfamiliar jealousy and anger.I have felt more emotions today with her than I have in the past 8 years combined.Why am Ijealous of these two people who have Eve’s love and admiration?Why am I angry at everyone else in this damn town who hasn’t taken the time to see how funny and strong this woman is?It’s not hard to detect the tenor of sadness in her voice when she says these two are her only friends.

“Don’t you hang out with your teammates?”I know that she doesn't, but I want to learn more about why.

She looks at me and opens her mouth to speak before changing her mind and shaking her head.

“Why not?”

“Things just didn’t turn out the way I thought they would.I knew a little bit about a couple of girls before I came here.I was in a couple of camps that one of them assistant coached and I saw another one in TV interviews and read about her.They’re actually the reason I came here.So stupid.”She chuckles at the admission in a self-deprecating way.

“You came here to play with these girls, and you ended up not liking them in reality?”

She takes in a deep breath.“I don’t really want to talk about it.I know you’re friends with Ada, at the very least.I really don’t want to dig my hole any deeper.I still have to finish out this year with them.”

I don't miss that she doesn't mention next year.Is she planning to transfer?Drop out?

“Ace and I aren’t what you would call friends.The guys and I were at your practice to talk to your coach, not your teammates.Our coach sent us to discuss plans for the sports banquet.”

“You called her your girl.”

“And here all this time, I thought you weren’t paying attention to me.”

Her cheeks redden slightly at my taunt, and I want more of this.I need more of it.

“I wasn’t.I have ears, and I can’t help but hear what’s being said around me.I’m not actually just volleyball.I happen to be a whole person.”

She knows then.She knows that they call her volleyball and why they do it.

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