Page 57 of Drown Like Heaven
And I have no fucking clue how far down that is.
“I’m always quiet,” I replied and took a pair of jeans off the rack, holding them up just so I had something to do with my hands.
“Those are cute,” Mila said about the jeans.
“They’re too short.” I didn’t have to check the inseam to know; most jeans were too short for me.
“If you don’t want to talk about whatever’s bothering you, that’s okay. Just know I’m here for you. Always.” Her brown-eyed gaze was sincere. It would’ve been soothing if my problems were normal, and not life-altering. She’d soothed me many times with that look, with her pretty voice. Just not now.
“I swear I’m fine,” I tried to reassure her, hanging the jeans back up and pushing my hair off my face.
Mila was quiet for a few seconds, clearly not believing me, but choosing not to pry any further. She gave me a little forced smile, a quick nod, then went back to scouring the rack. I felt kind of guilty about that.
After getting Mason’s last name, I’d tried to look him up on social media. There wasn’t a single Mason Ashborn that looked anything like him, though. So I didn’t have a visual to give Mila if I ever did tell her about him.
Maybe he’d been lying about it anyway.
I had a feeling he lied about half the shit he said.
Mila and I made our way around to the sweaters, talking about school now. Annoying people in her classes, my lab group this semester. It wasn’t long before she breached the subject of Dr. Killshaw.
“So…about that hot professor of yours…” she prompted, a real grin tugging at the corners of her pink mouth.
“You are relentless,” I groaned, trying to inconspicuously look around us to make sure nobody was eavesdropping on our conversation.
“Andyoutold me you reallyreallywanted to fuck him.”
“Mila!” I whispered. “Shut the fuck up.”
“You think she cares what I’m talking about?” Mila asked, voice hushed as she leaned towards me and jerked her thumb at the short old woman browsing the pajamas a few aisles over. “I doubt she can hear us, and if she can, I’m sure she’s loving the gossip. She won’t tell a soul, except everyone in her book club. But they’re already reading bodice-rippers, so what do they care? It’ll be exciting.”
I just stared at Mila for a second, a bit impressed with the image she’d just conjured up for this random woman shopping for long nightgowns.
And then I laughed.
“You are so ridiculous,” I said through my laughter, trying to cover my mouth with my hand to muffle the sound. Somehow everything was funnier when you needed to be quiet.
“Ridiculous, or skilled at reading people?”
“Ugh. Both. Whatever. Nothing is ever going to happen with my professor anyway. Like, duh. He’s just hot.”
And he looks at me with an intensity that makes me wet.
I didn’t say that part, even though the image of his face in the lab the other day was branded into my mind.
“Have you guys, like, accidentally brushed hands or anything? Bumped hard hats?”
“Oh, my God.” I dropped my face into my palms, feeling my cheeks heat.
“I know what you really want to bump on him. Not a hard hat. And I’ll bet he wants it too.”
“You have no way of knowing that.” I shook my head.
“Yes I do. You’re sexy as fuck, and any hot-blooded male who sees you is gonna want you to put it on him. That’s a fact.”
“You flatter me. Making me think we need to kiss sober next.”
She pretended to fan her face, like she was overheating at the thought. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.”
