Page 87 of You + Me – Against the World

“And the last part we cleaned was the showers. But without you, Princess, it was much less fun…”

Our eyes lock. And stay locked.

The effect this guy has on me…

His phone beeps. He pulls it out and quickly reads the message. A short distance away, I can see Cheyenne pretending to chat with two other students, but watching us.

“So, you spent the end of your day in the showers with… her?”

Vadim puts his phone away in the back pocket of his jeans, then casts a glance in the brunette’s direction.

“Cheyenne? Yes. She got naked again. You know, to avoid getting her clothes wet.”

“Stop it, Vadim.”

“Then she washed the walls with her body. She says human skin is very effective against—”

“Shut up,” I grumble, hitting his shoulder. “I get it, okay?”

He sits on the edge of the nearest wall and pulls me against him. His teasing laugh floats into the air, and I feel a strong pair of arms tighten around me. His voice softens; his warmth, his scent calm me.

“Come here. Stop fighting me.”

“Do you find her attractive? Even just a little?”

It’s stupid. It’s a cliché. But I can’t stop myself from asking.

I’m terrified of losing him.

“Can’t I make friends? She’s really nice. Interesting. But that doesn’t mean I’m interested.”

“Interesting how?”

“I don’t know. She’s different. Resourceful, hardworking. She isn’t afraid of anything. And she’s proud of her Native American roots. She knows a bunch of things, and she’s got a gift for telling stories. She doesn’t care what people think of her. She’s genuine, that’s all.”

Genuine. And better than me?

“I’m trying to open my chakras,” I murmur, still in his arms. “But she seems so perfect for you…”

“I don’t like her hair,” he blurts out suddenly. “Too long, too shiny. I bet it’s fake.”

I look up at him, and the tenderness in his eyes overwhelms me. I steal a kiss from him. A very small but immensely tender kiss.

“Do you want to meet her? You can pull on her wig…”

“I want to, but not right now.”

“Why?”

I wriggle out of his warm embrace, as if I expect to be pushed away anyway once he knows the truth.

“I need to talk to you about something, Vadim.”

“Me too!”

“You first, then.”

Just to buy a little time.