“I’m good, really. And I drink, sometimes, like last night. Just not very much or very often.”
I grab a water and lead her to the couch. It’s quiet for a change. Adam’s at Reagan and Dakota’s apartment across the breezeway, Ginny and Heath are in his room with the door shut, and Maverick is at his place. When I asked them not to bombard Sienna, I didn’t think they’d listen. I’m pleasantly surprised.
“Because of your heart condition or just not your thing?”
She nods. “Mostly because of my heart.”
“If you don’t mind my asking, what kind of heart condition do you have?”
“It’s called long QT syndrome. Basically, my heartbeat gets out of whack.”
“But it’s treatable?”
“I take medication, and I have an implant that monitors my heart, but no, not really. I just have to be careful and listen to my body.”
“Skating isn’t dangerous?”
“I have type one, which means both physical and emotional stress can trigger episodes. If I wanted to be completely safe, I’d have to avoid basically everything. Sometimes I can feel my heart get out of rhythm when I’m working out, other times I’m just sitting around doing nothing.”
“Freaky. What’s an episode like?”
“Usually it’s just a fluttering in my chest or a lightheaded feeling.” She shrugs and a small smile pulls at her lips. “I’ve gotten really good at listening to my body and knowing when to take breaks. I can do most things, in moderation. No roller coasters, though.” She sticks out her bottom lip. “I haven’t been to a carnival in forever. I miss cotton candy.” She angles her legs toward mine. “Did you mean what you said about not usually doing that type of thing?”
I chuckle at the topic change. “Yeah, of course.”
Her gaze narrows.
“You don't believe me?”
“Everything I know about you contradicts that. The day I met you, you hooked up with someone only hours before. Or tried to. Your phone was blowing up with different girls later that day.” She laughs softly. “Then last night...” Her voice trails off, and I’m accosted with hazy visions of Sienna in the bathroom of the basketball house.
“I guess if you’d only known me the past week, I could see where you might get the wrong idea, but that’s not me. I got out of a relationship recently, and last weekend was... well, it was the result of a lot of things, but that’s not something I do on the regular.” I’d certainly like to, though, with her. I leave that part out. “And last night—”
“You were really drunk. I get it.”
“Yes, but sober Rhett would have done the same thing. Minus drenching you in beer.”
An amused smirk plays on her lips.
“Okay, fine, that might have happened anyway.” I bump her knee. “Last night was fucking awesome. I’m only sorry we got interrupted.”
“Just as well. You’d probably have fallen asleep on me,” she teases, but her breathing changes, and tension hangs in the air between us.
“Not a chance.”
Her grin makes my cock twitch. Taking her to my bedroom after I just claimed to not be that kind of guy seems like a bad plan, so I pick up an Xbox controller. “Wanna play?”
She lets out a slow breath and nods. “What do you have?”
I show her the options, including all the other gaming systems. Between my roommates and me, we have pretty much every system and game out there. Sienna picks Mario Kart, and my dick finally gets the idea that we’re not getting any action today. He’s had to accept that a lot. I’m pretty sure he’s ready to remove himself from me and find a new host body.
I’m usually pretty competitive, but we’re firing questions back and forth as we play, getting to know one another.
“Only the one sister?” I ask. I pass her on the game and toss a banana over my shoulder.
She moves her whole body with the controller as she swerves out of the way. “Yeah. What about you?”
“Younger brother.”
“Are you close?”
“Nah. He’s five.”
“That’s quite a gap.”
“Yeah. No kidding. I was seventeen when Ryder was born, and I’ve basically been away for his entire life.”
“I bet he looks up to you.”
“Not really.” I shake my head and focus on staying just ahead of her on the game. I want to win, but I don’t want to blow her out of the water. “When he grows up, he wants to be Spider-Man.”
“It’s good that he’s keeping his expectations reasonable.” She glances over and catches my eye. It’s hard to look away from her when she’s smiling at me like that. She looks away first, but I keep staring.
“I win!” she shrieks.
I glance at the TV screen in time to see her cross the finish line. My dude has crashed into the wall going nowhere, and that feels pretty accurate for the scenario.
“It’s the best of four races,” I say.
I best her in the next three and manage to keep my undefeated record intact. We’re finishing up when Heath and Ginny come out of his room.
“Rauthruss, your phone’s been blowing up. Real mood killer,” Heath says. His gaze lands on Sienna, and he smiles awkwardly. “Hey, Sienna.”
“Hi.” She waves back.
Heath goes to the kitchen and opens the fridge, but Ginny joins us in the living room.
“It’s so good to see you again,” she says as she sits in the armchair across from us.
“Ginny, right?" Sienna asks.
“That’s right.” Ginny’s smile couldn’t possibly get any bigger. “What are you guys playing?”
“Mario Kart. Do you want to play?” Sienna offers.
“Yeah.” She reaches for the extra controllers. “Heath, you want in too?”
“Uhh...” My roommate looks to me. Since I don’t know how to politely communicate that I’d really rather not have them join us, I nod. “Sure.”
“I’m terrible,” Sienna says. “I only beat him on one race.”
“You beat him?” Ginny asks, her brown eyes widen with disbelief. “No one ever beats Rhett.”
I avoid Sienna’s stare and shrug. “I’m having an off day.”
The four of us play a handful of games before Sienna calls it. “I can’t take any more defeat. You guys keep playing. I’ll watch.”
“Same,” Ginny says. “You boys can have it. I want a chance to talk to Sienna anyway.” She moves over to the couch on the other side of Sienna, forcing Sienna to move closer to me. Her leg brushes against mine. I have no idea how such little contact can send so much adrenaline rushing through my veins.
Not having sex today. Not having sex today.
That’s a fucking mantra I hope to never repeat.
“Call of Duty?" Heath asks.
“Yeah. One game,” I say. Ginny’s latched onto Sienna and is already peppering her with questions.
I relax my leg next to hers. She briefly looks over, hits me with a smile, and turns back to Ginny.
Listening in on their conversation as I play, I learn that Sienna is from Wisconsin. A town about six hours from where my family lives in Minnesota—something I interject into the conversation and then get killed by Heath.
“Fuck yeah. Finally.” Heath holds the controller over his head in victory. I’ll get him later. Right now, video games are a distraction to what I really want to be doing.
“Thanks for the game,” I say.
“Need a rematch?”
He knows me well. “Later. I’m gonna hang with Sienna.”
“Right.” He stands. “Baby doll?”
“What?” Ginny asks, briefly looking up at him. Guess I’m not the only one enamored by Sienna.
He motions with his head toward his room.
“Ooooh. Okay.” Ginny squeezes Sienna’s hand. “Rhett is the greatest. I’m so glad you two are hanging out. Really, the best. He’s—”
“That’s enough,” I cut her off. “Please don’t embarrass me.”
/>
“So modest. Another great attribute,” she says as she gets to her feet. “I’ll see you later?” Ginny asks Sienna.
“Yeah, maybe.”
“Hope so!” Ginny bounces to Heath and jumps on his back before they disappear down the hallway.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s fine. They seem nice.”
“Wanna watch a movie or something?” I’ve never invited a girl over to the apartment to hang out. Well, unless you count Carrie and the two times she visited. But that was different. We were already together.
“Sure.”
While I flip through the channels, she leans back on the couch until her shoulder rests against my chest. I sink farther behind her, taking advantage of the position and getting closer.
We decide on Aquaman and settle in just as the front door opens. Mav walks through with his dog Charli in one arm, a bag of groceries in the other.
“Hey-o!” he calls, shutting the door behind him with a foot. “Sienna! What’s up?”
“Just hanging out. You live here too?”
“Nah, downstairs.”
The door opens again, this time Dakota steps through it. “All I have is apple cider vinegar,” she says to Mav. Then she looks at the room and waves to Sienna and me.
“She and Reagan live across the breezeway,” I explain, then ask them, “What are you guys doing here?”
“We’re grilling,” Mav says with a duh expression.
“Well, can you do it quieter? We’re watching a movie.”
“Oooh.” Dakota’s eyes light up. “I love this movie.” She sets the vinegar on the kitchen counter and sits with us. “Rhett, that shirt looks great on you.” Her gaze rakes over me which is super weird. I legit don’t think Dakota has ever complimented me before.
“Uhh….” I glance down at my plain black T-shirt. “Thanks, I guess.”
“It really brings out the gray in your eyes.”
“You do have great eyes,” Mav calls from the kitchen.
What the hell is going on? I realize now why my roommates spend so much time in their bedrooms when their girlfriends are over. It’s like a bus station in here with people coming and going, interrupting and acting fucking weird.
Mav stacks plates, meat, and seasoning into his arms. “Food will be ready in about forty minutes. Are you staying, Sienna?”
She looks to me.
“Maverick is a pretty good cook,” I tell her.
“Pretty good?” He scoffs. Charli barks at his feet.
“I guess now I have to stay to find out.”
Dakota stands and flips her red hair over one shoulder. “I better go supervise.”
“Worried about me?” Mav asks her.
“Worried that you’ll burn the place down and take my apartment with it.”
The sliding glass door opens and closes, and their voices trail off.
Unfortunately, we only get about ten minutes further into the movie when Adam and Reagan arrive. Everyone’s here now, so at least I can stop waiting for the damn door to open.
I love these guys, girls, too, but they keep smiling at me like I’m their little brother who’s going out on a date for the first time. Fuck that noise. I’m the only one of the group that’s had any semblance of a serious relationship. Ginny and Heath have been together the longest, but even that relationship is new compared to how long I was with Carrie.
I give up trying to keep her to myself, and Sienna doesn’t seem to mind when we all go outside to eat dinner together. The guys keep bringing up random shit—an assist I had last game, that time I stepped in front of a chick about to get run over by a cyclist on campus—that fucking hurt. Adam somehow even remembers when I helped a girl in our freshmen dorm find her lost emotional support gerbil.
What exactly is it about me that screams desperation so loudly my friends feel like they need to sell me on Sienna? Okay, I know why but I’m not some sad case. I’m not them, and I definitely don’t need them to convince some chick I’m good enough.
The girls seem particularly attached to Sienna, and she has to promise them they’ll hang out again before I can steal her away after dinner.
I shut the door in my room and run a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry about that. That was painful. My friends were trying to sell me on you.”
She laughs. “Well, they sold me on them anyway. They’re great.”
“Yeah, most of the time,” I agree.
We sit on top of the comforter on my bed, backs against the headboard. I slide my hand over hers and intertwine our fingers.
“What are you doing after graduation?” I ask. “Going back to Wisconsin?”
She shrugs. “I haven’t figured it out yet. I have an interview tomorrow, actually. Do you have a job yet?”
I nod. “Yeah, my family owns and operates a rink. We do skating lessons, camps, rentals. I’m going to help run it, expand the hockey side of it. Plus, I’ll be closer to my brother as he grows up.”
“Admit it. You want to be his hero instead of Spider-Man.” She leans her shoulder against mine.
“I just want to know him, you know?”
“Yeah.” She sighs. “I definitely get that. Allison, my sister, will be heading off to college in a couple of years, and then who knows where she’ll end up. I miss seeing her, but we text and talk on the phone. My family does these super corny Zoom calls every Monday night.”
“Sounds nice.”
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
I rub my thumb over hers. A simple movement that makes my cock press against the zipper of my jeans.
She tilts her arm, moving mine with it, to look at her watch.
“Do you need to be back at a certain time tonight? I thought we could watch a movie without my roommates interrupting us every two minutes or something else chill. The bus leaves tomorrow at six.”
“No, I was checking my heart rate.” She lets her arm fall slack. “I’m fine,” she adds. “Sometimes, when I’m with you, my chest feels tight like I’ve been pushing my body too hard.”
“Hanging out with me causes you physical pain. Got it.”
Her laughter fills my room, and I lean forward to capture her lips.
My chest feels tight too. Shit. My entire body feels tight.
“Is kissing considered a chill activity?” The breathy words are spoken into my mouth.
Instead of answering, I cup the back of her head and deepen the kiss. Her hand reaches up and rests on my chest. She lightly fists the material in her palm.
Nah, there’s absolutely nothing chill about kissing Sienna.
10
Sienna
We’ve been kissing for the better part of an hour. Just kissing and OMG just kissing Rhett is so not just kissing. He toys with a strand of hair at my neck while he nips at my bottom lip.
“I should probably go,” I say. Leaving is the last thing I want to do, but the longer we keep at this, the harder it’s going to be to go. And I have to go. I’ll hate myself tomorrow if I hook up with him and that turns out to be all he wanted from me.
“Okay.” His hand slides back to lightly grasp my neck and he pulls me in for another scorching hot kiss.
So quickly I’m caught up in him again, and tossing good intentions out the window to keep sucking face. He’s really, really good at it.
He pulls back before I do with a little groan deep in his throat. “Do you need a ride back to the dorm?”
“No, I borrowed Josie’s car.”
“Let me walk you out.” He stands and pulls me with him. The apartment has quieted and none of his friendly roommates or their girlfriends are in the living room as we walk through.
The night is clear and there’s a breeze that whips my hair around my shoulders and into my face.
“Can I see you again?” he asks, swinging our joined hands between us.
“Umm...” I start watching the ground in front of me. I know I’m going to say yes, but I need a few seconds to let all of my fears bounce ar
ound in my brain. “When?”
“Whenever you’re free,” he says so casually like he’s willing to rearrange his whole schedule to see me again.
“Great. How about tomorrow night?” I bite back a smile as I glance at him.
He rubs at his jaw. “I’ve got a small conflict tomorrow night.”
We both laugh.
“Are you nervous about the game?” I stop next to the driver’s side door of Josie’s car.
“Yes,” he admits, then changes the topic back. “Go out with me Tuesday night?”
I’m hesitant to make plans with him. I like spending time together. I really like kissing him, but I’m still not sure I truly believe he isn’t a player. Plus, there are only two months of school left. Where can this possibly go? It feels like spending more time with him is the equivalent of signing myself up for a mini life course in dating disasters.
“Text me when you get back to Valley.” I lean forward and press my lips to his, then shift to open the car door before I attack his mouth and say screw the consequences.
He holds on to the top of the door while I get situated in the seat, then shuts me in.
I roll down the window and put it in reverse. “Good luck tomorrow night.”
“Good luck at your interview.”
“You remembered.”
“I know it seems like my brain doesn’t work when you’re around, but I do remember the things you say.”
He steps back and I ease off the brake, letting the car slowly roll backward. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun.”
“Me too.” He grins and stays in the same spot, watching as I pull away from the apartment.
And despite all my reservations, I smile like a fool the entire drive back to the dorms.
* * *
Monday afternoon, I reserve a private room at the library for my video call interview with Dalton Technologies. Kelsie, the HR woman conducting the interview, smiles brightly at me when I join the call.
“Hi, Sienna!”
“Hello.” I wave and fidget with the collared dress shirt. I’m not nervous, but I really hate interviews. Does anyone like them? Kelsie sure seems like she does.
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