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He scoffed, shaggy hair falling in his face. “No way.”
Lennox sighed, suddenly exhausted, and stood. He put his clean hand on Auden’s shoulder. “She’s your friend. I’ll respect what you want, but just keep in mind,someonewill be that guy. If not you, someone. I haven’t known O’Neal long, but after kissing her tonight, I know one thing for sure.” He leaned closer, holding Auden’s gaze. “She’sstarving,man. For touch. For experiences. For a chance to finally live her life without looking over her shoulder or up at the heavens to get permission.”
Auden blew out a breath. “That’s doesn’t mean she needs to start by getting involved with two guys who are into sharing and dominance.”
“Maybe not.” Lennox straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “But it’s only a matter of time before someone slides a plate in front of her and offers her a bite. It’s going to be hard to resist. Because when you’re starving, even the cheap, flavorless shit starts looking good.”
His jaw ticked. “Go to bed, Len.”
He smiled. “We’re going to relegate her to sad, gas-station-donut sex, Aud. You want that on your conscience?”
Auden rolled his eyes
“Stale-popcorn sex,” Len went on.
Auden shook his head, a smile peeking out at the corner of his mouth now.
“Fat-free-frozen-yogurt sex.”
Auden laughed. “You’re not going to win this debate. Frozen-yogurt sex won’t damage her. It’s sweet and—”
“Flavorless,” Lennox filled in. “And leaves you unfulfilled and thirsty. So thirsty, dude.”
“Good night, Len.”
Lennox sniffed derisively, knowing that there was no getting through the Auden blockade, at least not tonight. He headed toward his bedroom. But when he was a few steps away, he called out, “Poor O’Neal, doomed to plastic-wrapped-processed-cheese sex!”
A throw pillow hit him in the back of the head.
CHAPTEREIGHT
O’Neal stared at her laptop screen, chewing her thumbnail and trying to come up with a great closing line for her history paper. She’d already written four versions of the line and erased them. Nothing sounded right, and she refused to useSo, in conclusion…
The door to her dorm room burst open, startling her and almost making her knock her laptop off the bed. “What the—?”
Quyen came in like a whirlwind, dropping her backpack by the door with a thunk and texting with the other hand. She smiled O’Neal’s way as she disentangled herself from the earbuds in her ears. “Oh my God, hey.”
O’Neal laughed. Quyen always had this vibe like she was rushing in to tell everyone some piece of urgent good news. “Hey, yourself.”
Quyen tossed her phone and earbuds onto her bed and then plunked herself down on the foot of O’Neal’s bed. “Guess what?”
“What?”
“It’s Friday and you’re done with studying and we’re going out to a club.” She tapped the top of O’Neal’s laptop. “Save your work and shut her down.”
O’Neal gave her a look that she hoped conveyed the message:have aliens taken over your body?“Um…”
“No, no, no, don’t give me that look.” She shook her head. “We’ve been in school a month, and all either of us has done is study and work. These guys from a frat—really cute guys, I might add—invited us out. Said it’s kind of a freshman welcoming party. The club lets in eighteen and up.”
“A freshman welcoming party?” O’Neal said dryly. “Yeah, that sounds legit.”
“I know, I know. It’s probably a pickup line, but who cares? Cute guys! Dancing! Possibly people to buy us drinks. We’re supposed to be doing this. It’s college.” She pressed her hands together in a prayer position. “Please, please don’t make me go solo. I need a wing woman.”
O’Neal snorted. “You realize I will be the absolute worst wing woman, right? I wasn’t allowed to be alone with guys my own age. Or dance. I don’t know how to flirt. I don’t know…what to do with any of it. I didn’t even get a chance to be a wallflower because I wasn’t allowed within the walls.”
“Oh, come on,” Quyen said, undeterred. “You’re not that bad off. You have your friend’s brother and his roommate. You hang out with them sometimes.”
Yeah, she did. At public restaurants or the dining hall. Since the night at their apartment, Auden and Lennox hadn’t invited her back to their place, and she hadn’t asked to go. All they did was check in on her, making sure she was okay. They may as well pat her on the head and call hergood girlat this point.
