Page 15 of Forecheck
“I mean it, Mitch! Stay the fuck away from her friends.”
“Yeah, yeah,” was my teammate’s only response.
@Brent22Jean: Halloween party October 31. Come any time after 7. Costumes are REQUIRED.
@LexieMonroe: Do I have to concoct some bullshit story to get Berk there, or are you going to nut up and ask her yourself?
@Brent22Jean: I’ll ask. I just need your help convincing her it’s a good idea to show up.
@LexieMonroe: Consider it done.
Spun Out
Soaking wet from thedeluge that came out of nowhere and drenched me on the short walk from the bus stop to my apartment building, I was seriously looking forward to getting inside, stripping out of my sopping clothes, sliding into a hot bath, and drowning my sorrows in a bottle of wine.
It had been a long ass week.
Unfortunately, when I unlocked my door and pushed inside, I realized the bath and booze would have to wait.
“Make yourselves at home,” I grumbled to Amelia and Kimber, who were sprawled across my living room furniture, theOne Tree Hilltheme song blasting from the TV.
“We will!” Kimber said brightly, raising a drink into the air. It looked innocent enough, the clear liquid fizzing against the sides of the glass, but I knew from experience that there was enough tequila in it to knock out a linebacker.
I could use one of those right now.
And some peace and quiet.
“Why are you guys even here?”
“Your place is the biggest.”
“It’s literally the same size as Lexie’s.”
And I wasn’t being facetious in saying that. Our buildings were owned by the same company, and were basically identical, only they’d been constructed on opposite sides of the city. The footprints of my and Lexie’s places were exactly the same, though.
“Don’t care,” Kimber said flippantly, and my irritation rose. “You love having us here.”
“Ilovecoming home to an empty apartment,” I murmured as I trudged upstairs to my bedroom, shooting Lexie an SOS text as I did.
Walking into my room was like finally breaking the surface of water after being below for a prolonged period of time. Everything in me sagged as I inhaled deeply, and my bookbag dropped unceremoniously to the floor.
I’d moved in last week, and half of my stuff was still in boxes because I’d been so busy with school that I hadn’t had any free time to sit down and find homes for all my shit.
Even so, I loved this place—when it wasn’t overrun by nosy, needy friends.
The main floor held the kitchen, living room, a half bath, and laundry room, as well as access to a small balcony. Upstairs were two bedrooms—the smaller of which I’d turned into an office—and two full bathrooms. It was probably—no,definitely—way too much space for me. But I’d grown up with two siblings, immediately moved into a dorm, and spent the last six years with at least two roommates, so I figured I deserved it.
I only wished my friends respected my boundaries a bit more.
The decision to give them a key to my door was proving unwise.
I knew I should go back downstairs and entertain, but the moment my feet sank into the light grey carpet of my bedroom, serenity overtook me. And a glance at the bathroom and myfreestanding tub placed beneath the large plate glass window had my mind made up.
Fuck it, I thought, already padding into the bathroom and stripping my clothes.
Twenty minutes later, I was blissfully submerged in hot water and eucalyptus-scented bubbles, my brain focused on nothing but the words of the audiobook drifting to me from across the room.
Only my phone vibrating at the same time Lexie entered the room was enough to pull me from my reverie.
