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“Hey beautiful, I heard you were moving in,” Ares drawls, stepping into the open doorway of my new dorm room and leaning a thick shoulder against the doorframe. “Need any help unpacking?”
“Thanks, but I’m actually almost finished,” I say as I fish a hanger out of the closet and slip a dress onto it. “I didn’t bring everything, just one bag for now.”
“Wow, gorgeousandlow maintenance? You’d better stop it before I fall in love with you.”
A giggle slips past my lips and I roll my eyes. “Does that actually work on women?” I ask, scrunching my nose.
He shrugs, a mischievous glint shining in his big brown eyes. “You tell me.”
“Nice try, Ares, but I’m probably the most emotionally unavailable girl in this whole building,” I sigh, crossing the room to return to my suitcase on the bed and pulling out a few more of my things. “Not to mention the fact that I’m what, five years older than you?”
“Psh, age is just a number,” he scoffs, waving a hand dismissively.
I toss a grin his way as I move back over to the closet to hang up more of my clothes.
“Well, I just wanted to come by and say welcome to the neighborhood. If you ever wanna hang, I’m in Andie’s old room,” he says, carding his fingers through his red hair. “Room one-oh-four,” he adds belatedly, as if suddenly remembering that I’m new around here and wouldn’t be familiar with his sister’s old dorm assignment.
“Thanks, Ares,” I say, flashing him a genuine smile. “I really appreciate it. It’s nice to have a friend around here.”
He smirks, pushing off from the doorframe and pointing a finger in my direction. “Friend zone me all you want, Sloane, but when you get lonely at night and need a cuddle buddy, you’ll be whistling a different tune.”
I laugh, balling up a shirt in my hands and throwing it at him. He ducks out of the way with a laugh of his own, blowing me a kiss as he retreats back into the hall.
Ares Raines really has the whole slick, charming thing down pat. And though I’d never go there with him in a million years, I’ve gotta admit that it’s a nice change of pace for a guy to actually laugh and flirt with me after all the verbal abuse I’ve taken from Madd these last few days.
I slide another shirt onto a hanger in the closet, then step over to the doorway to retrieve the one I threw at Ares. As I bend down to pick it up, I see a pair of feet approaching my door wearing black flip-flops and hot pink toenail polish.
I straighten with the shirt in my hands only to come face to face with Roxy, her brows lifting in surprise when our gazes meet.
“Oh, sorry,” she stammers. “I saw the door open, so I thought…” She trails off, blue eyes wide and throat bobbing with a hard swallow.
“I just moved in,” I rush out. “Not with Madd, he gave me his old room. Well, he said that there weren’t any rooms left and there was a waitlist, but that he didn’t use this one anyways, so I’m just kinda borrowing it, I guess. For now. Not with him. Just me.” I snap my mouth closed, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the realization that I’m just nervously rambling. “He didn’t tell you?”
Roxy shakes her head, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “We broke up.”
“Oh. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.” She heaves a sigh, sweeping her ponytail over her shoulder and fiddling with the ends of her hair. “Well this is awkward, huh?” She chuckles uncomfortably, glancing past me into the room. “I actually just came by to get some stuff I left here, do you mind if I…”
“Oh, sure,” I blurt, stepping aside and gesturing for her to come in.
Roxy moves past me into the room, heading straight for the nightstand and pulling open the top drawer.
And if I wasn’t already thinking about her sleeping beside Madd in that bed, in this room, I definitely am now.
“For what it’s worth, there’s nothing going on between the two of us,” I grit out, cringing at the awkwardness of this whole situation. “He doesn’t want anything to do with me.”
“Do you really believe that?” she murmurs as she rummages around in the drawer. Then she pushes it closed and turns around, clutching a phone charger, some hair ties, and a pair of sleep shorts in her grip. She must see the confusion written all over my face, because she heaves a sigh, shaking her head. “Look, I know Madd.” She winces, amending, “well, as much as he’ll let anyone know him, at least. Let’s just say that if I got upset at a party and started crying, he wouldn’t have jumped in and carried me away so I could save face. He probably would’ve just told me to suck it up before walking away.”
I stare at her dubiously as she strides back toward me, her light brown ponytail swishing behind her.
Roxy is pretty. I can see why Madd chose her. From her slender, athletic build, to her bright blue eyes, tiny nose, and full lips, the girl is a damn catch. It sort of makes me want to hate her, but if Madd was really as cold and aloof as she makes him sound while they were dating, I just feel sorry for her.
“Maybe now that you’re back, you can get through to him,” she sighs, shrugging. “I tried, but let’s face it, I wasn’t the one.”
“I mean, you could be…” I say, not even knowing why I do. It’s not like it’s easy to watch Madd with someone else. I just feel guilty because Roxy is obviously hurting over things ending with him, and I somehow doubt that their breakup happening right after I suddenly reappeared in his life is entirely coincidental. Me being here seems to have brought out the worst in him.
She chuckles wryly. “Yeah right, like I’d stand a chance against the history you two have.” Her voice breaks, eyes rounded in sadness. Then she quickly schools her features and blows out a shallow breath. “It’s okay, Sloane, I don’t blame you. I knew Madd and I weren’t built to last. I guess I’d just hoped that might change with time. But you know what? I deserve better than to be strung along by a guy who’s in love with someone else.”
