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“It’s already started.”
“And it’s going to get heavier as the night progresses.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?”
She’s the last one left in the house aside from me and I thought she was already gone. Most of the girls left right after finals yesterday. Gia and Kora left late last night, and Mya went home this morning. Not that she had a long drive. She decided to stay with her parents over break since the house was going to be empty.
After seeing the way Brady was looking at her, I’m starting to wonder if she’ll be staying with him instead.
“No. I just want to make sure you get home safe. And I have to finish packing.”
She nods, accepting my lame excuse before bending down and pulling me in for a one-armed hug. Cleo’s not great at showing emotion, unless it’s anger, though I know she cares. Sometimes too much. Not just about me but about all of us.
Once she’s gone, I do exactly as I planned. I grab a spoon and the carton of mint chocolate chip I keep in the freezer, sit on my bedroom floor, and wrap the presents I bought. After placing the ones for the girls under the tree in our living room, I load the others in the backseat of my car.
The snow’s really coming down now, blanketing everything in a fresh coat of white. My car has at least an inch on it, so I decide to brush it off. My hands are numb by the time I’m finished. I hadn’t planned on staying outside for more than a few minutes, so I didn’t bother to grab my coat, gloves, or boots.
Which turns out to be a mistake when I slip going up the back steps, my slipper flying off my foot. Landing hard on the back deck, I curse under my breath as I push myself into a sitting position and assess my throbbing ankle.
Limping back inside, I plop down on the couch and wrap myself in a blanket. My ankle is still sore as I climb the stairs to my room an hour later. There’s a slight discoloration on the outside of my foot, so I decide to text Mya. I’d rather not go to the hospital and have it looked at. She’ll be in nursing school next year, so hopefully she’ll be able to help.
ME: Hey. Any chance you can come over and look at my ankle? I slipped on the back steps, and it’s starting to bruise.
MYA: Sure. I’m at Brady’s, so it might be a little bit. Are you okay?
ME: I’m fine, it’s just sore. I don’t want to go to the hospital if it’s just bruised. Can you bring a brace or wrap for it?
MYA: Brady says he’s going to call the Kappa house and see if anyone is still there who can come look at it in the meantime. We’ll be there in about an hour.
ME: I can wait for you guys. No need to bother anyone else.
The last thing I need is to look like a klutz in front of more people. I’m probably overreacting anyway. I mean, it’s not like it’s broken. If it were, I’d be screaming in pain.
MYA: Brady’s sending Kane over with an Ace bandage. He said he’d wrap your ankle.
ME: I can wait.
MYA: He’s already on his way. With the snow, it’s going to be a while before we can get there.
Great. At least it’s not Colt. He’s the last person I want to see me like this. I’m in sweatpants and an old LSU sweatshirt that’s lost its shape. My ponytail is twisted into a knot on the top of my head, and I wiped my makeup off hours ago. My suitcase is still open, bras and underwear sitting in plain view. Not to mention, there’s an empty ice cream container on my nightstand.
I look like a hot mess, and if you take in the entire scene in my room, it’s clear I’m having a bad day. I’d hate for him to think that he had anything to do with why. He was the highlight. That kiss was the best part of my day. Just talking to him, even if it was about the gala and not about anything important or personal, was great.
The sound of his voice it’s just…it’s amazing. Smooth and sensual. I’ve had a thing for it since the first night I heard him sing.
