Break You (8 page)

As I rounded the top of the stairs, heading past his apartment, I wondered if I would have the strength to turn him down if he asked me right now. I didn’t have to worry, though, because that moment never came.

Opening the front door to Brian and mine’s apartment, I walked right in on him and his girl going at it full force on the couch. I’d never seen Sarah butt-ass naked before, but I would be lying if I said I’d never imagined it. I would never consider myself a pervert, but with a body like Sarah’s, any guy was destined to have at least one undressable moment in his mind’s eye with her.

Sarah was tall, with a petite frame and long, lean limbs. She had the body of a dancer and rightfully so—considering she’d been a ballerina since childhood. She had strawberry blonde hair that fell straight as a board to her hips and skin the color of caramel. I knew it was a fake bake, or at the very least a spray tan, when I first laid eyes on her, because I had never seen a redhead with such naturally dark skin before. It wasn’t possible—there was no way she could obtain a golden-to-perfection tan like that from the natural sun with genes like hers.

Sarah jumped off Brian so fast, I thought there was a good chance she could have broken something of his in the process. From the way he was glaring at me, it might be a possibility. I downturned my eyes and covered them with my hand, but not before I caught sight of a tattoo I didn’t know Sarah had. It was a vine of some sort that zigzagged its way from her hip to her underarm. It was exotic and sexy looking, and I knew I would be seeing images of it for a while after this that would be beyond my control.

“Jesus Christ, Jason! What the fuck are you doing home so soon, man?” Brian asked.

When I opened my eyes I noticed he’d draped his T-shirt over his nether regions and was smoothing a hand over his face. Sarah had wrapped a sundress from somewhere around her and was scurrying to Brian’s room. It was safe to look now, safe to enter the apartment, but that didn’t mean I wanted to. This was beyond awkward. It wasn’t the first time something like this had happened between the two of us—hell, once it had even been reversed roles—but that didn’t lessen the sense of discomfort embedded in the situation any.

I rubbed my forehead and chuckled. “I said I was on my way home. I texted you and everything, dude.”

“I know, but damn it, I thought we had a little while. Shit! Now she’s gonna wanna leave. Fuck, man.” Brian tossed the T-shirt he’d been using to cover himself with at me. I dodged it and caught sight of his bare ass as he made his way down the hall to retrieve Sarah.

Closing the front door behind me, I laughed and tossed my duffle bag in the recliner. The couch would be tainted to me for a while, maybe forever. Murmurs from Brian’s bedroom met with my ears. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but it didn’t sound like they were picking up where they left off. I wondered for a moment if I should head somewhere else for a bit to give them a moment of privacy so they could do just that, but then I remembered I was the one who’d just driven four hours. They’d just have to deal with my presence or go someplace else.

Dumping my watered-down soda in the sink and tossing the cup in the trash, I pulled out my cell and got on Facebook. The desire to see if Blaire had given in like I thought she would was eating me alive. I waited for the page to load and heard Sarah coming down the hallway.

“Hey, Jason, glad you made it back okay.” She smiled. “Sorry you had to come home to…
that
.” Her cheeks tinted a pretty shade of pink and she darted toward the door.

“Don’t leave,” I said. “You two can pick up where you left off. I can always sit on the deck if you’re worried I might hear something.”

She’d paused at the door and turned to glance at me over her shoulder. “I don’t think so, I needed to head to work anyway.”

“All right, if you’re sure.” I grinned, unable to help myself. This was such an awkward conversation.

“I’m good,” she said. “
He
might need another minute or two, though.” She flashed me a wicked smile.

I knew exactly what she was talking about and I’ll be damned if this little joking thing we had going didn’t turn me on, regardless of the topic. It was official, I really needed to get laid.

Sarah left without another word. I was glad, because it was wrong on so many levels for me to even be thinking about her the way that I was. Some guys were like that, I wasn’t one of them. I didn’t enjoy stealing another’s girl, nor did I enjoy undressing them with my eyes, or having fantasies plague my mind while in their presence. Shifting my attention back to Blaire and Facebook, I realized I still didn’t have the response back from her that I wanted.

“You’re timing totally sucks, bro,” Brian said. He made his way to the kitchen, dressed in a pair of blue basketball shorts, and grabbed himself a beer from the fridge.

I followed suit, popping the top with the belt buckle I’d bought for this sole reason. “Glad to see you have some damn clothes on,” I replied. “That was sick, man, don’t ever walk through the apartment naked again please.”

He chuckled and took a swig of his beer. “Well, next time coordinate with me a little better about when you’re coming back, don’t leave me guessing how much longer, because I apparently suck at that.”

“That you do.” I leaned against the counter and smirked.

“So, how was the trip? You get everything you needed to get done?” Brain asked. He knew everything I’d been going there to deal with. He also knew there was a possibility he might have to find a new roommate if things went south and were going to take longer than I anticipated them to, which was pretty much my life story.

“Mostly.” I fingered the bottle cap I had yet to throw away and stared off into space. “I plan on going back next weekend. There’s still a few things I need to get done and my mom should have the list of repairs by then.”

“Okay, so I hate to even bring it up, but do you think you might be gone for a while?” he asked.

I knew what he was getting to, but Brian was too decent of a guy to come right out and ask.

“I don’t think I’ll be moving out any time soon, if that’s what you’re getting around to,” I said. “I know I’ll probably have to go there more than one weekend over the next month, but I’ll still find a way to pay rent and all that shit.”

He shrugged a shoulder like it was no big deal, but I knew it was. Brian couldn’t afford to float the rent for me. He had a roommate for a reason.

“No worries, man,” he said.

“If I think I’ll be moving back or something for whatever reason, I’ll give you a heads up. I wouldn’t leave you hanging.”

“I never thought you would,” he said.

We both took a swig of our beers and ended the conversation.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BLAIRE

I had taken Tinley back to Bonnie’s around four in the afternoon. Bonnie had gotten a lot done in the sewing department and there was a large stack of boxes varying in sizes by the front door ready to go to the post office tomorrow. I’d pulled away from her house, realizing I needed to make more of an effort to spend time with both Bonnie and Tinley. My cell chimed from in my cup holder, alerting me of a new text. I waited until I was stopped at a traffic light before I picked it up to read it. It was from Paige.

You eating here tonight?

Yeah, on my way. Why? ~ Blaire

The light turned green and I set my phone back down. When I got to the next light, I picked it up again to read her response.

Ordering in Chinese and wanted to know if I needed to get extra.

I smiled.

Yes, please! ~ Blaire

My stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Chinese food was a favorite of mine. A song I hadn’t heard in a while came on the radio and, for whatever reason, it instantly made me think of Jason. I turned it up and thought about the message he’d sent me last. Why I’d shot him down I had no clue. I’d already gotten my little bit of revenge and spoke my mind about what I thought about him and what he’d done back in high school. My declining him really wasn’t about that. It was more along the lines of I knew the type of guy he’d grown up to be and I didn’t want, didn’t need, to be around a guy of that kind. He was bad for me. He’d reel me in like a freaking trout and then toss me back, bleeding, like I was nothing. It was catch and release with guys like him. I’d witnessed enough of Paige and Lauren’s past relationships to be able to spot a guy like that early on.

Jason Bryant was definitely someone I needed to avoid.

The drive to my apartment was long, nearly forty minutes. When Calmount Apartments came into view a sigh of relief escaped me. I was dog tired. Lugging my exhausted ass up the minimal stairs leading to our apartment, I opened the door and was greeted by the heavenly scent of Chinese food.

“Hey, chick,” Paige said from the couch. She was stuffing her face with noodles of some sort. “You look like crap. Did Tinley wear you out or something?”

“She’s such a handful. I have no clue how my sister does it.” I flopped down on the couch beside her and plunked my heavy purse on the coffee table. “I took her to the park. At first I just watched her play in the water feature thing they have, but then she wanted to swing so I had to push her. Then she moved to the slide and wanted Aunt B to go down it with her, like fifty times. I’m so tired I think I might fall asleep while eating.”

Paige laughed. “I can’t believe how big she’s getting. I bet she’s so stinking cute now though.”

“She is.” I nodded. I scooped up a box of what looked like chicken fried rice and the fork Paige had set out for me.

“So, that means no cram fest together tonight then, huh?” Paige asked with mild concern. Some TV show was drawing her attention away from the conversation quickly.

I smacked my palm to my forehead. I’d completely forgotten I was supposed to help her study tonight. I’d made note cards and everything the other night while I’d lain in bed sucking on throat lozenges.

“I forgot! I’m sorry,” I said. “We can still study though, I’ll drink some coffee and then I’ll be good to go. Promise.”

“Eh, it’s really not that big of a deal. I think I’ll manage. I’ll just look over those note card things you made before the test and I should be good,” she said. Her eyes were glued to the TV; she didn’t even notice when half of the noodles she’d attempted to cram in her mouth fell into her lap.

Shifting my eyes, I realized why. It wasn’t a TV show she was watching—it was the movie
Magic Mike
. And dear God, I didn’t blame her for tuning me out. How Channing Tatum landed those dance moves blew my freaking mind. This couldn’t be something he was taught, that was for sure. No, not even close, those dance moves were something he was born knowing how to do. And Jesus he looked good doing them.

* * * *

After watching
Magic Mike
with my eyes glued to the TV, I made a cup of coffee and decided to cram a bit before I went to bed anyway. This would have generally been fine, but with the images from the movie still lingering in my mind and the aching they’d created between my thighs still plying for my attention—there was no studying going to happen at the moment. Picking up my phone, I tapped on Facebook to distract myself, and maybe find a good picture of Jason to stare at while I took matters into my own hands.

Once Facebook loaded, I realized I wasn’t the only one up at midnight—Jason was too. And he instantly messaged me.

What are you doing up so late? Allowing Facebook to distract you while taking a break from cramming the night before like the rest of us?

Ha! If only he knew what I was trolling Facebook for.

Yup, you caught me. What about you? Same?

I bit my bottom lip while I waited for his response. Why was I even talking to him? No good could come from this.

Trout, I reminded myself, you do not want to be a trout on his pole. His pole? Damn you,
Magic Mike
, now my mind was corrupted for good.

Same. What’s your major again?

I’d just told him this the other night. Was his memory really that lax?

I’m going for my RN license.

Oh. Right. I forgot.

I let out a loud breath. The release I’d wanted moments ago was now gone. Maybe it had been a good thing—pleasuring myself to an image of Jason from Facebook sounded stalker-ish in more ways than I liked. By being online and talking to me, he’d actually done me a favor.

What’s yours?

It was part common courtesy of me to ask and partly because I wanted to know. He responded quickly.

Psychology.

I wasn’t sure what shocked me more—his speed at responding or his answer.

Wow, really?

Why, does that surprise you?

I thought about his question for a minute, determining the best way to answer.

Just figured you’d be studying sports medicine or something considering how athletic you were in high school.

Athletic, why did I have to say that? Now I was back to thinking about his body and how finely sculpted it was sure to feel beneath my hands.

Eh, I enjoy learning about the mind and people’s behavior patterns and such. Maybe I’m a little more intellectual than you thought, huh?

Did he think I thought he was a moron? Wasn’t too far from the truth. I mean, a person couldn’t have it all—both brains and body—could they?

Guilty.

Well, maybe if you’d take me up on my offer for next Saturday you’d get to know me a little more and realize that couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Damn it, there he was bringing Saturday up again. Trout. Trout. I really needed to remember that. I couldn’t let him reel me in, it would only cause me heartache and pain that I didn’t need.

You know you never gave me a legitimate reason as to why you said no.

My heart dropped to my stomach. Why would he put me on the spot like that? I laid my head back, trying to think of a reply.