Page 33 of Stay
That’s a lie, but I can’t sit here any longer and listen to Brooklyn talk about Cole as if we’re going to get together, because it’s not happening.
Brooklyn’s dark blonde brows slide together in confusion before she grumbles, “Hold on, hold on. Jeez. I’m not even done eating yet.” Rather impressively, she shovels the rest of her breakfast into her mouth before setting her tray down by the garbage can.
As we push through the cafeteria doors, she says, “I’m seeing Austin again tonight.” A giddy smile overtakes her face. “I like him so much.” She grabs my arm, squeezing it in a death grip as we walk along one of the cement pathways. Even though the weather has grown cool, bright sunlight cuts through some of the early September chill. “Just in case you were wondering—yes, he’s amazing in bed and knows exactly what to do with his tongue. Which, I’m not going to lie, is a huge plus in his favor.”
“Ummm, I wasn’t wondering about that at all.” I laugh and shake my head. “But thanks for the overshare.”
“Which part was over share? The sleeping together part or the inventive way he uses his tongue?”
I wince, attempting to keep the visual at bay. “All of it.”
She rolls her eyes before huffing out a breath. “Oh, come on, that’s hardly too much information.”
“It’s actually the definition of TMI.”
“It’s not like I told you about how he?—”
This time, I slap a hand over her mouth to stop her from speaking. “TMI, Brook, TMI.”
After a few seconds, I remove my hand from her pouting face.
“You’re such a buzzkill.”
“If not wanting to hear all the gory details of your sexcapades makes me a buzzkill, then so be it.”
I can’t help the slight smile that tugs at the corners of my lips. This is one of the things I like about Brooklyn. No, not hearing about her overactive sex life, which she is always eager to share in vivid detail, but that she’s so light, sunny, and full of energy. I enjoy being around her even though she’s always in perpetual motion. It can be exhausting, but it’s a good kind of exhausting. Most of the time, it allows me to escape from myself, and that’s almost always a positive.
“He seemed nice,” I tell her. Although, I can’t exactly say I spoke with him, because Brooklyn had been sucking the life out of his face the entire time we’d been in the lobby.
She clenches my arm again. “I have an idea. Maybe we can all go out some time.” Her gaze slides to mine in excitement.
“All go out?” I repeat. All who?
I blink, and that’s when theall whohits me.
“You know—you, me, Austin, and Cole,” she says as if I’m too dense for words.
This has me stopping dead in my tracks before I swing toward her. The people walking directly behind us grumble as they weave their way around us.
“No.” My belly dips as I shake my head. “That’s not a good idea.”
In fact, after last night, it’s a terrible idea. I don’t need a pity date. Idon’t need a date at all. My life had been far less complicated before Cole shoved his way into it.
“Why not?” She hooks an arm around my shoulder as we continue walking. “You need more of a social life, and I’m going to help you out with that.”
“Who says I need more of a social life?” I yank my sunglasses off the top of my head and settle them on my face.
“Umm, me. That’s who. Seriously, Cass, you can loosen up without getting completely shitfaced and dancing naked on top of the table. It’s okay to let your guard down every once in a while and enjoy yourself. Go out with a couple of guys, have some fun.” She grins before waggling her brows. “Experiment. Play the field a bit.” Her expression turns devious. “Find someone with a really great tongue.”
When Cole’s handsome face pops up in my brain, I groan and whack her arm.
Other than the whole tongue comment, maybe Brooklyn has a point about letting my guard down, but that doesn’t make it any easier to do. I have so much to prove this year. To myself. To my family. Even thinking about them makes me cringe. Their disappointment last year had been palpable.
“Okay.” I finally give in because one— maybe I do need to loosen up a tiny bit, and two—I want to end this conversation as quickly as humanly possible. And agreeing with Brooklyn is the easiest way to accomplish that objective. “Maybe you’re right.”
She beams just like I knew she would.
From the corner of my eye, I watch as a guy passing by us almost stumbles while staring at her.
