“Wh-what?” she manages to squeak out, looking like a deer in headlights, and I take pity on her.
“Just kidding, well, kind of. You really can kiss me anytime, though, Pookie. I’ll never be mad about that.”
Still, she remains frozen, so I bump my shoulder against hers, and she thaws, at least a little bit.
“What if you do movie night with us if he passes?” Nolan suggests, and damn, I could almost kiss him. He’s not into guys as far as I know, though, so I keep it to myself, but man, am I tempted. I’ve been trying to convince her to join us for our weekly movie night down in the theater for the last two weeks.
She said she was busy and needed to study, and I get that, but like, girl studies all day every day; she’s almost as bad as Nolan and his swimming.
No wonder she’s so damn smart; her brain doesn’t have room for anything else.
Other than her photography, I’ve never seen her do anything ‘fun.’
We wait, watching for her reaction. I swear I can see the gears turning in her head as she debates, but when she looks up at me, I know we’ve won even before she nods.
That’s the kind of person Wren is; she wants to help, to be needed, and, for whatever reason, I’m someone worth helping to her.
I get the feeling she would have agreed to the kiss if I pushed, more worried about me failing than her own discomfort.
But I don’t want her to kiss me because she has to. No, eventually, hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, I’ll be able to taste those lips as often as I want, and she’ll be begging me not to stop.
I’m not sure what I did in this life or the last to deserve her concern, but I’ll take it.
I’ll take anything she gives me.
The door swings open, and we all look to see who it is. Gavin wanders in, looking down at a book in his hand. He pauses and either feels our gazes or hears the silence before his eyes snap up. His face is blank for all of two seconds before he sees us, and his lips twist in disgust.
“Great, you too?” He jerks his chin toward Nolan, who rolls his eyes but doesn’t bother responding. Not that Gavin gives him much of a chance before he stomps over to the stairs and disappears.
It’s impossible to miss the way Wren’s mood collapses.
I’m going to beat his ass, I swear.
He’s being a spoiled brat who can’t see past his own nose, and it’s hurting Wren. She doesn’t deserve his shitty attitude.
I know his brother raised him better than that. D might be an ass, but not to girls or people who don't deserve it.
Hold on a minute…
There’s no way. Those can’t be the same people, could they?
“He’s just upset because my father won’t move you into another dorm,” Nolan tells her, pulling me back to the conversation, and I shelf my theory to look into later.
I give him points for trying to cheer up my Pookie, though I’m not sure it helps with Gavin being an ass; it does seem to distract her.
“Your father is the dean?” Wren asks, and, duh, I smack my hand to my forehead. Of course, she wouldn’t know that.
“Yeah, don’t think that will get you some kind of special treatment, though. If anything, he probably dislikes you more if you're my friend.”
Ouch.
While that’s true, I know it must not be easy to admit aloud.
I hear her heart rate as it doubles, and I have to repeat what Nolan just said in my head before it makes sense.
“Aw, new friends!” I toss my arms around each of their shoulders, pulling them in close. It’s easy enough with Wren, but I really have to heave with Nolan’s huge ass, and judging by the death glare, he isn’t very happy about it.
It only lasts about one second, though, before the most amazing sound fills the room, stopping what I’m sure was about to be an ass-whooping.
