Waiting to Fall: Book Two of the Waiting Duet

by Alyson Reynolds

  “You can’t go back out there looking like that.”

  “Like how?” she asked.

  “Like I just made you have an amazing orgasm in my sister’s bathroom.”

  Cora flushed and I kissed her softly.

  “Aren’t you coming?”

  I looked down at my cock. Yeah, I wanted to. Her gaze followed mine and she choked back a laugh.

  “Sorry, bad wording. Um, are you going to finish your pumpkin?”

  I groaned. “I’ll be out there in a minute. Just tell Liv that I was cleaning up the blood and she won’t question it.”

  “Yes, sir. Maybe I’ll take care of that for you tonight since you bandaged me up.” She winked before walking out the door. I watched the sway of her ass as she walked back up the hallway. Great. Now I would be counting down the hours until it was time for me to drive Cora back to the dorms.

  Olivia and I made plans to hang out, but we hadn’t made it far into our day before we ran into Nate as we were leaving campus. He was playing basketball on one of the outdoor courts and saw us as we were walking towards my car to leave campus. I was positive they didn’t plan it on purpose, but some days I just needed Olivia without Nate. Today was one of those days. When Nate came into Olivia’s life, she had finally started healing from losing her boyfriend and her baby in the worst year of her life. The girl was tough as nails, but she’s had her fair share of bumps and bruises along the way. My best friend was absolutely amazing. If I didn’t feel guilty for sleeping with her brother, I might have talked to her about the hell going on in my head. And If Finn wouldn’t have killed me, I would have come clean a long time ago.

  I stared at the adorable couple kissing through the chain link fence that separated them. They want each other so much that they were willing to kiss through a freaking fence. If they weren’t so damn cute I would be annoyed. Instead, I’m green with envy. It’s ridiculous how jealous I am of my best friend and her boyfriend. She deserves every bit of her happiness, but I wish that someone would look at me once like Nate looks at her every day.

  Shoving my hands in my coat pockets, I turned so I wouldn’t have to see the happy couple anymore. We were supposed to be going to lunch, but at this rate, it would be dinner before we actually left campus. My phone buzzed in my pocket and I pulled it out, grateful that I had something to distract me.

  Finn: What are you doing?

  Me: Watching your sister suck face with her boyfriend.

  Finn: Gross. You could have been nice and not told me that. I really don’t need the visuals.

  Me: Nice is overrated.

  Me: Pissy mood. What’s up?

  Finn: I was checking to see if you wanted to hang out later. Ice cream maybe?

  Me: I need to study tonight, but that sounds fun. Peppermint?

  Finn: Always. Come to the house when you get done with Liv. We can study together. I bet I can make it fun.

  Oh goodness. I bet he could make it fun if he tried. It was a struggle to keep my head out of the gutter from all the ways I could think to make studying fun.

  Me: I’ll text you when I’m on my way.

  Finn: Sounds good Princess.

  I turned back to the two lovebirds and sighed.

  “Seriously? You guys live together.”

  Olivia started laughing.

  “I’m sorry, Cora. Let’s go.” She kissed Nate one last time through the chain link fence and I pretended to gag. Nate’s throaty laugh hit my ears and I grinned.

  “I’m not doing a very good job sharing our girl.” He pooched his lip out in an exaggerated pout and Olivia giggled. “You guys go get coffee and pedicures, do all the shopping, all that girly shit. I’ll see you later, Cupcake.”

  “Thanks Nate,” I said as I tugged her away. “I’ll bring her home safe and sound later.”

  Olivia looped her arm through mine as we started towards the little coffee shop that she loved. Nate had taken her there when she first started at SCU and she won’t go anywhere else for coffee. The fact that she couldn’t find anything else on campus might have something to do with that though; she had a horrible sense of direction. Seeing her back to her smiling self was amazing after the past few years of living with a pod person.

  “So when are we going to start planning this wedding of yours?”

  I waggled my eyebrows and she laughed.

  “Soon I guess. I’m just trying to make it through this year. Senioritis has kicked in and I’m so ready to be done.”

  “Has Nate started applying to medical schools yet?”

  “Yeah, but he’s being indecisive about it, which is weird. It’s really unlike him.”

  I bumped her shoulder with mine. “Do you think it has something to do with the fact that it’s not just him that he has to factor in anymore?”

  She sighed. “Maybe, but I’ve told him I’ll go wherever he wants.”

  “He wants what’s best for both of you,” I said softly. Seriously, why couldn’t I find a guy like that? “You just need to talk it out. He probably wants your input.”

  She nodded and then shook her head as if to clear it. “Enough of this, let’s go get coffee and then go shopping.”

  “Sounds good to me. It’s been too long since we’ve had a girls’ day.”

  We spent the afternoon squealing over taffeta and silk when we impulsively decided to go into a bridal store. Olivia found a dress that was absolutely perfect for her and the beautiful fall wedding she was planning for next year. She picked out a stunning black form fitting, long sleeve dress for me. I loved everything about it and in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but wonder what Finn would think when he saw me in it.

  We stopped back by a little bakery on our way back to campus. Neither one of us had been there before, but we sat down and each had a cupcake, red velvet and carrot cake. I ended up going back and ordering a second cupcake to take back to Finn. Olivia looked at me questioningly.

  “What are your plans for tonight?”

  “I’m supposed to hang out with your brother.” I could feel a slight flush running up my cheeks. “We’re going to study, then he said something about getting ice cream.”

  “Finn and his sweet tooth,” she said, shaking her head.

  “That’s why I got him the cupcake. I knew he would appreciate it.”

  Olivia cocked her head. “You guys have been hanging out a lot lately. Honestly I think you’ve spent more time with him than I have in the past six months.”

  “Is that a bad thing?”

  “No, not at all. You help keep him from taking himself too seriously. So nothing ever came from the kiss—”

  I looked down at my phone. “Didn’t you say you and Nate had reservations for dinner tonight? We should probably get going.”

  She checked the time on her own phone and stood up. Thank goodness. Finn and I weren’t ready to tell Olivia that we were sleeping together, but I wouldn’t lie to her. Her questions were going down a dangerous route. I grabbed the little box, put my jacket on and let out a sigh of relief as Olivia chattered about the restaurant Nate was taking her to.

  ____

  Finn’s door was open when I walked upstairs to his room. He was sitting on his bed, shirtless with his books spread all around him. Earbuds were shoved in his ears and he had on those sexy glasses that I loved so much. I bit my lip and leaned against his doorframe staring at him for a few seconds. It didn’t take long for him to realize I was there. The smile he shot me was breathtaking. Somehow I had to manage to keep my panties on because I really did have a lot of studying to do.

  “I got started early.”

  I walked over and sat down at the foot of his bed. “I see that.”

  He watched intently as I pulled books from my backpack and settled across from him.

  “So how’s the world of English lit?”

  “Same as always,” I laughed.

  He grinned. “Lots of dead guys?”

  “Some women too,” I said, smiling back at him. “You do
n’t have to keep your earbuds in. I’ll be okay.”

  “You like it quiet when you study though. In fact,” he climbed from the bed and closed his door. “That’ll help even more. This place gets loud sometimes.”

  “I’ve noticed. Thank you, but seriously it’s your room. You can listen to music if you want. It won’t bother me.”

  “It’s no big deal, Cora.”

  When did Finn get so considerate?

  He settled back in his spot against the headboard. We sat facing each other, our legs crossed underneath us. It was going to be hard to focus with his muscles on display in front of me. He had to choose today to go without a shirt, although when I considered it, Finn didn’t wear a shirt unless he absolutely had to. I looked away quickly, so he didn’t see me staring, and pulled a book into my lap. Finn put his earbuds back in and draped an arm over his book while he read.

  I was halfway through my assigned reading when he intertwined his fingers with mine. My eyes darted up to his in surprise, but he just continued to stare at his book, not giving any indication to what he’d just done. I stared down at our hands for a few seconds, a soft smile pulling at my lips. Eventually I went back to reading. Almost imperceptibly I heard a soft sigh.

  We sat that way for almost another hour, our fingers laced together while we worked. Finn finally squeezed my fingers and let go.

  “I’m at a stopping point. What about you?”

  I glanced down at my notes. “Actually yeah. That was good timing.”

  “Onto the hanging out portion of the evening, what do you think about ice cream?”

  “I think it’s a very delicious dairy based product that I enjoy immensely.” I smiled sweetly and he shook his head.

  “Smart ass. Let’s try this again. Would you like to go get ice cream?”

  I smiled. Peppermint ice cream had always been our favorite. When we were kids, we practically spent the whole year waiting for the seasonal flavor to come out. Without fail, we would always go and get it together a few times during winter.

  “Sure. Can I borrow a hoodie if we walk though? I only brought my jacket and I didn’t realize another cold front was coming through. I’ll freeze to death out there.”

  He stood up and raised his arms over his head, stretching after all that time on his bed. My eyes trailed up his well defined abs and chest, landing on the smirk covering his perfect mouth.

  “Don’t say a fucking word,” I mumbled.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  The grin on his face indicated that he had a lot he wanted to say though. Instead of giving me shit like he normally would, he held his hands out to help me off the bed. It was my turn to give him a show. I stretched my arms over my head, causing the fabric of my shirt to pull tight across my breasts. His eyes flickered down and I laughed.

  “You’re nothing but trouble, Cora Donovan.”

  “I know, but you like it.”

  He grabbed a shirt off his dresser and tugged it over his head, hiding all those delicious muscles. When he handed me his sweatshirt I had to stop myself from sniffing it to see if it smelled like his spicy cologne.

  I hadn’t dressed up for our evening. In fact, it was quite the opposite. My hair was thrown up in a messy bun and I had on yoga pants paired with a long sleeved t-shirt. Finn had seen me at my worst. I’d never felt the need to impress him and I didn’t see that changing anytime soon.

  “Are you sure you’ll be warm enough?” he asked, concern filling his voice.

  Finn had always been hot natured while I tended to be cold. I looked at him in his hoodie, basketball shorts and flip flops. It was only mid-October, but the evenings were starting to turn chilly.

  I snorted. “I’ll be fine.”

  He grinned. “I can keep you warm if you get cold.”

  He smacked my butt making a loud clap ring throughout the room. I started walking, but I shot him a look over my shoulder. Finn and I had always been flirty, but as we got older it seemed to get more intense. Things were always being taken to another level and you could drown in the sexual tension between us. Hannah hadn’t been the first person to assume we were a couple. We were in unchartered territory now though. Sleeping together had changed things, even if we hadn’t planned on it.

  I made myself stop staring at Cora’s ass as we made our way down the stairs. If I didn’t, there was going to be a situation that I didn’t want anyone catching on to. We’d both needed to study and if she noticed a certain part of my anatomy, that wouldn’t have happened. I still couldn’t figure out what made me reach out and grab her hand while we studied. It just felt right.

  As we walked in the crisp night air, my head started to clear. I kept casting glances over at Cora, praying she didn’t notice. I was still baffled that the girl I’d known forever was the insane sex goddess I’d had in my bed for the last month. She was this new creature to me and I didn’t want to startle her away.

  “Quit staring.”

  Busted.

  “What do you want to do this weekend? It feels like we should celebrate,” she said, as she walked one foot directly in front of the other on the curb like she was walking on a balance beam.

  I shrugged. “Celebrate what? The fact that I haven’t failed out of school yet? I’m in if you promise that I get laid.”

  She pushed me away playfully, leaving me oddly bereft behind her. She walked backwards a few steps with a sexy grin on her face. “You always think with your cock, Crawford?”

  “About ninety-nine percent of the time,” I said laughing.

  “I guess it doesn’t matter. Maybe we should make Nate and Olivia have a party so we can go get drunk and have sex on their bed. They did it to me and fair’s fair.”

  “They had sex on your bed?” I asked, slightly disgusted and impressed. I didn’t want to think about my sister’s sex life though.

  She turned around and I jogged a few steps to catch up with her. When she took off running towards the ice cream shop, I laughed and chased after her. We walked into the small shop laughing. Her cheeks were red from the cold and I had this insane need to kiss her. Before I could act on it, someone called out our names. Chance was standing inside the ice cream parlor, with a few of my other fraternity brothers, staring at Cora like she was a piece of meat. My jaw clenched and it took a moment for me to calm myself. Ironically enough, those other brothers of mine were staring at Cora too. Apparently I needed to bubble wrap her if we were going to leave my room, even in yoga pants and my hoodie they wanted her.

  “Hey guys, what are you doing here?” Chance asked, smiling at her.

  I really wanted to punch him. He was stealing my time with Cora.

  Stealing my time with Cora? What the hell was wrong with me?

  “Same thing as you guys from the looks of it,” Cora said, smiling back at the douchebag.

  Chance moved closer to her and Cora didn’t back away. Why was she still grinning at him? I seethed as they continued to talk about nothing in particular. He kept moving closer to her, making my temper spike. I didn’t want to admit to even myself why I was acting this way, like a jealous fucking boyfriend. She reached out to touch his arm and laughed at something he said.

  Everything went red.

  “You know what? I don’t think I want ice cream anymore. I’m going to head back to the house. Cora, why don’t you just stay here with the guys?”

  I turned before she could answer and went outside into the cold air, hoping it could help calm my temper. I ran my hands down my face and counted back from ten. What the hell was wrong with me?

  “Finn!” She called out. I walked faster, but it didn’t matter. I flinched when I felt her hand on my arm. “What the fuck was that?”

  I closed my eyes.

  “I don’t know.”

  “If you didn’t want to hang out tonight, you could have just told me. You didn’t have to pawn me off on your friends.”

  “It’s not that, Cora.”

  “Then what is it?” she demanded.r />
  “I don’t fucking know! Okay?” I snapped.

  Hurt filled her eyes, and I immediately felt like an asshole. It wasn’t her fault that everything was so messed up in my head. God, I was so possessive of her and I didn’t have any right to be. We weren’t in a relationship. Yes, we’d decided to only screw each other, but I wasn’t her boyfriend.

  She stared at me incredulously. Her expression changed quickly. Anger marred her beautiful face and it made me feel like an even bigger asshole. I reached for her, but she stepped away quickly, shaking her head.

  “Call me when you figure it out.”

  “Cora.”

  She took two steps back and held up her hands.

  “No, Finn. I let it go last time, but I’m not putting up with your bullshit this time. Let me know when you figure out what you want because you’re giving me whiplash with the back and forth. Decide what the hell you want and let me know because as of right now, I’m done.”

  “What do you mean you’re done?”

  “I’m done trying to figure you out. Half the time you act like you want more than just sex, the other half you act like I’m just a buddy to you, just one of the boys. I told you I wasn’t ready for a relationship and that hasn’t changed, but if you’ve changed your mind you need to let me know.”

  I watched her retreating back and wanted nothing more than to chase her down and make her listen to me. She was what I wanted, but that was confusing enough. We had been friends our entire lives. If we tried whatever this was and it went south, I would lose her forever. Fucking her blind was supposed to be easy, but now the situation was getting more complicated by the second. Maybe it was time to cut our losses. The idea hurt more than I thought possible, but if we kept going, we were both going to end up hurt.

  ____

  Nate stared in shock as I walked into the gym fifteen minutes late the next morning. It had been late when I’d finally fallen asleep, which caused me to miss my alarm.