She yanks her head back, locking my stare into hers. “Mason.”
For a brief beat, neither one of us says anything as we both wait for our breathing to stabilize. Our bodies sucking in large amounts of precious air are the only sounds that vibrate off the padded walls around us. If I try to block out her labored breaths, I can faintly hear the bellowing rain outside the pocket windows.
I realize that mine has not slowed—it has picked up.
She’s waiting for me to explain why I’ve just reached out for her arm, which I myself am not sure. It was a reflex that I can’t explain. Instead of admitting that, I say the first thing that comes to mind. “I don’t understand why you hate me so much. I mean,I know I get under your skin—and trust me, you get under mine as well, but it’s been six years. Let’s just be adults and move on, okay?”
“Are you seriously asking me this right now?”
“Yes.”
She squints her eyes. “You really have no idea why I don’t like you?”
“Maybe if you’d tell me, that might help me better understand,” I retort.
“Well, let me enlighten you. All I’ve ever heard about you is that you tried to get Harry in trouble during college. Taking him out to get wasted. Putting him in situations that you knew would jeopardize his relationship with Jess. What type of a friend does that?” She draws herself back.
I open my mouth to defend myself, but she picks up her thoughts again. Only this time, with an elevated tone. “And on top of that, the first time I met you, my whole family walked in on you banging some girl in your dorm room.”
“I remember that day,” I say, sighing deeply.
“I’m sure you do. It looked like you were having a great time,” she snaps. “I hope that was clear enough for you.”
She looks sexy when she’s feisty and worked up. I remember that from college too.
“You wished that girl was you, didn’t you?” I say, lifting one eyebrow at her.
“Excuse me?”
“You did, didn’t you? You were jealous. It’s okay. I won’t fault you for that.”
Her mouth drops. “I was not jealous! Why would I want to be just another girl who crawled into your bed just to be forgotten about the next morning?”
“So, you’d want me to remember you? Is that what you’re saying?” I bait her.
Her eyes dilate while she chews on the side of her cheek trying to come back with something sarcastic. “I’m saying that I would have never fucked you back then!”
I let a smile slip, hoping she sees it. “Back then . . . but you’re not saying you wouldn’t now?”
“I’m saying I would not have fucked you back in college and would not fuck you now. Is that clear enough for you?”
I have to fight the urge to laugh because I don’t want her to take it the wrong way, but she looks sexy all worked up like that.
Bailey slowly lifts her eyelids like they have weights attached to them. “Are we done here?”
I rub my lips together while more ways to torment her scatter devious thoughts across my mind. I push them aside. “Bailey. Look, can you just try not to be so obvious with your justified aversion toward me? It’s not a secret that we will be seeing more of each other in the future, and I’d like to not have to worry about you shooting me daggers from across the room anytime we’re in close proximity.” I lower my eyes in an attempt to show her my sincerity.
Bailey begins zipping her initial necklace back and forth around her neck, avoiding my stare before answering. “Alright.”
I grin. “Yeah?”
“Yes, we’re both adults. I guess I can pretend to not detest you in front of others, especially your real estate agentslashgirlfriend,” she says, raising her eyebrows.
My initial reaction is shock when Bailey mentions Claire. Not because she remembered her but because I clearly told her that Claire is not my girlfriend. But it was enough of a significant thought in her mind that she felt the need to bring it up.
My thoughts swirl with this realization. I quickly reach out, resting my hand on Bailey’s arm once again.
“Claire is not my girlfriend. I don’t have a girlfriend,” I say, looking directly into her large hazel eyes. They’re dark brownaround the rim and light green toward the middle before darkening into a deeper brown tone that circles her pupils. Another thing about her that I remember so clearly, wondering what it would be like getting lost in them while I fucked her.
