I wake up to music blaring. I groan, opening my eyes to see Bree on her computer, her eyes narrowed and her fingers playing the drums on her legs.
“Do you mind?!” I yell, my head already pounding.
She ignores me, raising her eyebrows and laughing dryly. I roll my eyes and shove a pillow over my head, pressing down to try to drown out the noise. It’s no use. I’m stuck awake now and there’s nothing I can do about it.
I clamber out of my bed, refusing to acknowledge Bree’s glares at the back of my head as I grab clothes and escape into the bathroom. By the time that I’m done getting ready for the day, she’s long since turned off the music – her goal of waking me up already accomplished.
When I exit the bathroom, my roommate is doing her makeup. It’s clear to me that she has a lot less strength when Taylor isn’t here. I start to wonder if I should try talking to her. It’s obvious she’s still very angry, not saying a single thing to me all morning. However, if I don’t, she may think I don’t care.
“Can we please talk?” I ask carefully.
“I’d rather not.” She scoffs. “You have Holden. Go talk to him.”
I sigh. “I don’t want to talk to him. I want to talk to you.”
She throws her makeup brush onto the desk in front of her and turns toward me. “What, Kayleigh?”
I can feel the tears starting to build, but I swallow it down, willing myself not to cry. “I never meant for you to get hurt in this. You need to believe that.”
She laughs humorlessly. “I don’t need to do anything. You stole my boyfriend. How was that not supposed to hurt me?”
“I didn’t – steal him I mean. I had nothing to do with him breaking up with you.”
“Bullshit.” She spits. “Him and I were great until you stopped thinking he was Satan in the flesh. Then magically a couple weeks later, he doesn’t want to be with me anymore?”
I wince at her tone. I’ve never seen her this angry before. “We’re friends, but that’s it. Nothing more. And when he broke up with you, I yelled at him for it. You can ask him if you don’t believe me.”
She rolls her eyes. “So, you’re telling me you’ve never done anything with him? Not even kissed?” I swallow, and Bree doesn’t miss my hesitation. “That’s what I thought.”
“I’m so sorry.” I cry.
“Look, it’s Sunday and the student housing office is closed, but first thing tomorrow morning I’m going there and requesting a new roommate. I’d appreciate it if you could find somewhere else to stay for now.”
The thought of having to find a new roommate makes me uneasy, but I decide not to fight her on it, wiping my tears and nodding silently. I don’t know where I’m going to stay, my friendship with Holden being questionable at this point. I wonder if my mom is still in town. Maybe I could convince her to extend her reservation at the Hilton so I can stay there.
I take out my phone and send a text to Holden, asking him if I can come over to talk. For a minute, I consider the possibility of him still being asleep, but thankfully he answers - letting me know he’s on his way to pick me up. I’m grateful I don’t have to walk, knowing it’s probably freezing outside.
The wait for him to get here is an uncomfortable one; the tension in the room is overwhelming. Saying Bree is angry would be the understatement of the century. I’m sad, because her and I were what I considered to be good friends, and now I’ve lost that. I don’t know if she will ever forgive me.
A text pulls me from my thoughts, knowing that Holden can’t possibly be here already.
Dawson: Movie tonight? I get off at 3.
A smile makes its way upon my face. I had nearly forgotten about the new barista friend I made during my twelve hour stay at the coffee house. I don’t know how, being as his ridiculously direct personality is so different from everyone else I’ve met on campus. If I’m honest, it’s refreshing to talk to someone who’s so blunt.
Me: Sounds great. ☺
A few minutes later, Holden lets me know he’s outside. I mumble another apology to Bree just before I walk out the door, but it goes unanswered. As soon as I get outside, I’m even more grateful for the ride. Walking in this would have been brutal. It’s so cold I can see my breath. I rush towards the car, jumping in as soon as I get to it and embracing the heat.
“Thank you.” I say to Holden, completely forgetting our argument for a moment.
He turns up the heat as he sees me shiver, and pulls out onto the road. It’s not uncomfortable, per say. Holden hits his steering wheel to the beat of the song, mouthing along the words to She’s Kinda Hot by 5 Seconds of Summer. I’m kind of glad for the lack of talking, because if we start arguing again in his car, I’m trapped. I’d rather wait until we get back to the frat house.
As we pull up, the pledges are once again cleaning a mess from the night before. Cups are scattered throughout the yard, and for some reason the living room couch is on the front lawn.
“Do you guys ever take a night off from partying?” I ask.
“Nope.” He answers, popping the p. “Well, not on weekends at least.”
The two of us get out of the car and I follow Holden into the house. I expect him to go up the stairs and straight to his room, but he doesn’t. Instead, he nods toward the kitchen. I shrug, but follow him anyway. There are a few guys in there. One I recognize as Jason, but I don’t remember any other names. Regardless, they smile warmly at me.
“Want something to drink?” Holden questions.
“Sure. Thank you.”
I don’t know why I feel the need to be so proper and polite. This is Holden, not some new guy I’ve never been around. He’s seen me naked, more than once. It must be the way things between us are questionable right now.
He takes two water bottles out of the fridge, and then rummages through a cabinet before pulling out a small Lipton bottle. He opens both waters and squeezes a little of the liquid into each, putting the caps back on and shaking them up.
“Peach Iced Tea.” He says, handing one of the bottles to me.
I open it and take a sip. It’s really good, but at what cost? I subtly reach over and take the Lipton bottle, flipping it over and looking at the calorie content.
Zero Calories.
I look up at Holden and he winks at me as he takes a rather large gulp. I roll my eyes playfully and put the bottle back on the counter. Just as we’re leaving the kitchen, Caleb comes in.
“Ah, Holden. Did you take Hailey home yet?”
“Who?” Holden asks, seeming to tense up.
Caleb gapes, looking at him as if he’s lost his mind. “The girl who spent the night in your room.”
My stomach drops along with my smile and good mood. A girl spent the night in Holden’s room last night? I shouldn’t be surprised. He cheated on Bree, and him and I aren’t even dating.
“She left last night.” He answers coldly.
Caleb nods, then his eyes fall on me. “Oh, hey Kayleigh, I didn’t see you there.”
He grins deviously at Holden, knowing exactly what he just did. If I hadn’t made eye contact with him before he said anything, I may have believed his innocent act.
Holden reaches back and grabs my wrist, pulling me along with him. I don’t answer Caleb, still trying to figure out if he did that for my benefit or to try to hurt Holden. Regardless, there were better ways to go about it.
We get upstairs and into his room rather quickly. I sit down on the bed while he closes the door and locks it.
“Fucking asshole.” He says angrily, shaking his head.
I hum, not really knowing what to say. Holden takes one last sip of his drink, then places it onto the desk. He climbs onto the bed and leans against the wall, taking out his phone and typing something out before putting it down.
“I’m sorry.” The two of us say in unison, chuckling after.
“What are you apologizing for?” He asks, confounded.
“Our argument yesterday. It was wrong of me to put the blame ent
irely on you.”
“You think?” He quips. I roll my eyes yet can’t help but smile.
“Wait, what were you apologizing for?”
His playful attitude dissipates. “Caleb.”
Again, my stomach drops and I start to wonder if I should have come here at all. In the few minutes that I’ve had to process this information, I still haven’t figured out how I feel about it – how I’m allowed to feel about it.
“I take it you hooked up with her?” I question, not entirely sure if I want to know the answer.
He looks down at his hands and nods slightly. “I was mad. I got drunk, and you weren’t answering me, and it just kind of happened.”
It doesn’t feel great, that’s for sure. And a part of me wonders if this is my karma for what I did to Bree. However, him and I aren’t dating, and we certainly aren’t exclusive. We’re friends with benefits. Technically, that means either of us are free to do whatever we want. Still, the thought of Holden with another girl makes me uneasy.
“Please say something.” He pleads.
I exhale a long breath, willing myself not to get upset. “What do you want me to say, Holden? That I’m ok with you hooking up with some bimbo? Because I’m not. But you and I aren’t together, so it’s not really up to me what you do.”
He opens and closes his mouth, trying to figure out what to say. “I’m sorry.”
“Do you like her?”
He shakes his head immediately. “No. It was just sex. Honestly, I closed my eyes and pretended it was you.”
A bark of laughter leaves my mouth. “That poor girl.”
He shrugs. “I don’t think she really cared.”
“You told her?!”
“Kind of.” He laughs. “I told her to stop talking because it was making it hard to imagine she was someone else.”
I shake my head, finding it insane what some girls will deal with to sleep with this guy. Who cares about being disrespected, as long as they can say they’ve slept with Holden Rivers.
“So, is that what I am? Just sex?” I ask.
He ponders it for a second and then smiles. “No. You’re my best friend, and I mean that in the least platonic way possible.”
“Some would call that a girlfriend.” I quip, taking a sip of my drink.
He smirks. “Is that what you want to be called?”
I shake my head. “No. Like I told you, I don’t want to be the next girl you end up cheating on, and last night proves exactly what I meant by that.”
“Touché.”
He reaches forward and kisses me briefly. Still though, the idea of him kissing someone else doesn’t sit well with me.
I narrow my eyes curiously. “Can we come to an agreement?”
He raises one eyebrow. “Uh oh.”
“No” I laugh. “Just… if we hook up with anyone else, can we not kiss the person? It seems intimate.”
That irritating smirk shows up again. “I kiss you.”
I wave him off dismissively. “That’s different. Like you said, I’m your best friend.” I stick my tongue out.
Holden ponders it for a second before nodding. “Okay, no kissing other people. That’s fine.”
I smile triumphantly and move so I’m laying with my head in his lap. He runs his fingers through my hair and I lean into his touch, loving the way it feels.
“So, Bree is requesting a new roommate. She wants me to stay elsewhere until we get new rooms.”
Holden frowns, knowing how upset this makes me. “Well, if you want you can stay here. Mi casa es tu casa.”
I giggle as I roll my eyes. “Your casa is also like twenty other guys’ casa.”
“Tomato Potato.”
I face palm, shaking my head at his idiocy. “It’s toe-may-toe toe-mah-toe.”
His grin is so wide a dimple appears in his left cheek. “I know, but I made you laugh.”
He leans forward and kisses me. At first, it’s intended to be innocent and quick, but as I pull him closer to me, it becomes heated. I tug gently on his hair, knowing how much he loves it, and as he gasps our tongues collide.
Once our small make out session dies down, he pulls away. “Please tell me you’re mine for the rest of the day.”
I shake my head. “I’m going to the movies with a friend.”
“What friend?”
“His name’s Dawson. I met him at the coffee house yesterday. He’s cool, you’d like him.”
Holden eyes me suspiciously. “So, you have a date?”
“Not a date.” I say, sitting up and facing him. “He has a girlfriend.”
“Means nothing.” He replies immediately.
“Maybe not to you.” I’m half joking, but it gets my point across. “He doesn’t get out of work until three though, so I’m yours until then.”
He raises his eyebrows suggestively, and I push him playfully. “Will you come back here after?”
I nod, not exactly hating the idea of staying with Holden for a few days. He smiles happily and before I know it, he’s kissing me passionately and laying me back onto the bed.
Yeah, I definitely don’t hate the idea of staying with him.
Chapter Fourteen
I toss popcorn into the air, Dawson catching it in his mouth easily. It’s things like this that I’ve missed - the carefree feeling of letting loose. I feel it when I’m with Holden, but there is always that little part of me that feels like I need to impress him. With Dawson, there is none of that. Maybe because he has a girlfriend or because neither of us are attracted to each other. It’s just a friendship – a completely platonic friendship.
“Come on, please? We would have so much fun together. You have to! I’m going to die of boredom if you don’t.” Dawson pouts, sliding the application toward me.
I sigh, knowing that I’d rather do anything than work in a coffee house. It’s not that I don’t want to work, it’s just that my anxiety makes it difficult. But, I guess getting paid to spend time with someone who’s quickly becoming my best friend, wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
“Ugh, fine. Pen?”
And that’s how I ended up standing behind the counter at Dolce, taking the orders of my fellow students and passing them to Dawson to make. Training was easy, and only took us a matter of half a day before he could leave me on my own. I must admit, when we aren’t busy, we have a lot of fun together.
One person who hasn’t been a big fan of my new job, however, is Holden. He’s convinced that Dawson has ulterior motives and working together is a way for him to get more time with me. I may have believed him, had I not spent a full six hours listening to Dawson gush about how much he loves and misses his girlfriend. Needless to say, his assumptions are wrong.
“Seriously, this job is going to make me hate coffee forever. I hope you’re happy.” I tell Dawson.
“Oh good. That’ll make two of us.” He replies, throwing the towel down on the counter.
The place has been packed since we got here ten minutes ago, and the two girls on the shift before us practically ran out as soon as we walked in. Since then, it has been constant chaos. If I wasn’t getting college credits for this, I would highly consider quitting.
Dawson groans as he hears the bell of the door opening, and makes his way back to his station while I laugh and finish typing out a text to Holden.
“How can I help you?” I ask, still looking down at my phone.
“Well, you could start with your phone number.”
I know that voice. Holden.
I lift my head and sure enough, he’s standing there looking as gorgeous as ever in his Hollister hoodie and jeans, with his hair styled into a quiff. He even went as far as wearing more cologne than usual.
“Mmm, you’re not my type, sorry.” I sass.
Holden’s eyes widen. “Oh? And what is your type?”
Dawson and I share a look, but I see realization on his face when he sees who it is. So, instead of coming to my rescue, he just laughs and shakes his h
ead, leaning against the counter and typing on his phone.
If he wants to play this game, I’ll play. “Hockey players, frat boys, you know.”
He mocks surprise. “Well, lucky for you I’m both of those.”
“You don’t say.” I chuckle.
Holden leans on the counter, clearly unfazed by the large number of people around. I take a step back, not really wanting to go public with the benefits part of our friendship. Yeah, we’ve started kissing during parties recently, but that’s long after everyone is too drunk to even know their own names, let alone gossip about who kissed who. Plus, Taylor hasn’t been allowed back since she went running to Bree the first chance she got.
“So, where’s your new beau?” He questions, stretching over the counter to peek behind it.
I roll my eyes and turn towards Dawson. “Daws, please tell him your interests do not involve getting in my pants.”
Holden’s jaw drops while Dawson just laughs, already being used to my keen choice of words. Now that I think about it, I don’t know why Holden is surprised. He should be more used to this than Dawson is, but I guess the benefits of our friendship include censorship. I should probably stop that.
Dawson pockets his phone and comes over to us. “Hey. Holden, right?” He greets him, holding his hand out.
“Yeah, and you are?” Holden shakes his hand and I laugh as he feigns ignorance.
“Dawson, but you already knew that.”
Holden laughs and nods. “Yeah, I did. It’s so nice of you to get Kayleigh a job here. Funny, because she doesn’t even need a job.”
“Holden.” I warn, but Dawson smirks.
“Well, you know what they say. Misery loves company.”
Holden narrows his eyes on him. “Apparently. And you two work the same shift? That’s awesome.”
“Careful bro, your jealousy is showing.” Holden may be all but threatening him, but Dawson isn’t backing down.
“Okay, can you two not? Please?” I beg.
They both turn to me, and all the tension from Dawson dissipates. He takes his phone from his pocket and messes with it for a few seconds before handing it to Holden. I just barely catch a glimpse of his Instagram feed on the screen.
Sleepless November (Sleepless November Saga Book 1) Page 9