I nod, but my mind is barely in the room. It’s too busy mourning the beautiful fucking sunflower that will never be mine.
Chapter 17
Kori
Evelyn’s room is bigger than I expected.
Between the kitchenette and separate bedroom, it’s basically an apartment tucked inside the dorm.
More importantly, it is verypink.
Not that there’s anything wrong with pink—other than yellow is objectively superior—it’s just not what I expected her room to look like. The shade is a soft pastel that coordinates well with the accents of gray and cream, giving the space a delicate and feminine feel.
I’m scared if I move, I’ll disrupt the peaceful balance she’s clearly worked hard to craft. At least the couch is comfortable. It makes a perfect base for me to perch on, unmoving, like a gargoyle. All my muscles are stiff enough to be stone.
Sounds stream from the TV, but they are nothing more than muffled noise to my ears. No matter how hard I try, I can’t tune in to the program. At least my host doesn’t have the same hang-ups. She’s engrossed in the drama on the screen. It’s the whole reason I’m here. She invited me over to watch some reality show with her—Love Something-or-Other. They aren’t my normal cupof tea, but I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to get out of my room. Or my head.
Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice, considering I’m trying to distract myself from my own romantic failings.
God, what even was that kiss?
I thought I read the signs right—the most obvious being his clear, and large, erection—but I was wrong. I googled it once I stopped wishing the floor would open up and eat me; apparently, men’s bodies simply do that sometimes, attraction or not. That would have been really helpful information a few days ago. Would have saved me from some real embarrassment…and maybe our friendship.
Because that is absolutely over now too.
My resolve to keep things platonic dissolved the second I saw an opportunity for something more, and my worst-case scenario came to life. The text from Evelyn this morning was a definite shock, all things considered. I assumed Gage would have me blacklisted from his friends and I’d never hear from any of them again.
Evelyn stirs beside me as the credits roll and the next episode cues.
Shit, has it been that long already?
“How are you settling into Athens?” she asks.
“I’m settling. It definitely feels more like a college town than my last school did, which has been a nice change of pace.”
It’s all too easy to get caught up in the hustle of downtown Atlanta, and before you know it, two years have passed by with nothing to show for it besides the grades on a transcript. I never would have made friends the way I did here…it’s more likely I’d have gotten mugged.
“Why did you transfer? If you don’t mind me asking.”
“My parents are alumni, and I wanted to get my degree from their alma mater. They actually met here when they were inschool. I grew up hearing the stories about how this place shaped their lives for the better.”
“That’s so sweet.”
“Sure,” I snort. “Until they start getting into the details of it. They absolutely hated each other at first. They were in the same program, same organizations, and they are both competitive as hell, so I’m sure you can imagine how that played out.”
“But they fell in love,” she swoons.
“Yeah, they did. Sickeningly so.”
“This place has a way of doing that,” she says with a knowing smile. “If you need any recommendations for things to do and places to check out, let me know. I did my undergrad here too. There is way more to Athens than Cutter’s and Double Teep, no matter what Karis and Gage would have you believe.”
“Wait, you’re in grad school?”
Why on earth is she wasting her time with me?
“Yup. James and I graduated last spring. Morgan, Nathan, and Karis are all in grad school too, and James and Gage are working, obviously.”
“Why are you in the dorm and not in an apartment or graduate housing?”
