In front of us, Nolan and Destiny are cuddled close together and whispering. I can’t hear them, but I bet they’re planning on slipping away at some point. I don’t blame them. I want to get Roman alone, too. He smiles at me, throwing his hands up as we go around. He screams like a girl on purpose, eliciting a laugh out of me. I join him and put my hands up, letting my scream fill the air.
The air whizzes past us, creating a breeze that feels amazing on my sun-kissed skin. The lights blur together as we go. When the ride slows and then forces us to go backwards, we keep our hands up and the force of the ride makes my body slam into Roman. His arm comes around me to hold me close while I keep my hands up.
When the ride ends, I don’t even feel sick.
“Let’s do the coaster,” Nolan suggests, taking Destiny’s hand as we walk.
“Sounds good,” Roma agrees and then looks at me. “Wait, do you do roller coasters?”
“Not really. But you go. I’ll wait,” I say, expecting him not to leave me.
“I’ll stay with Hazel. I’m not big on coasters, either,” Destiny pipes up, letting go of Nolan’s hand and moving to stand beside me.
“That okay?” Roman asks, like he needs permission to go with his friend. He stares into my eyes and I nod. “You’re the best.” He kisses me soundly, a short but passionate kiss that leaves me breathless.
Nolan walks over to Destiny and kisses her cheek, whispering something in her ear that makes her smile. The guys leave us and I hear Destiny’s sigh.
“What’d he say?”
“He said he wants me to come to his dorm tonight,” she admits.
“What! That’s great. You two are so cute,” I exclaim.
“Yeah. I’m a little nervous.”
“Why?”
“Well, I’m a virgin,” she confesses.
“Oh.” I don’t really know what to say. I lost my virginity freshman year of high school; I barely remember it.
“I don’t need encouragement or anything. I haven’t gotten this far in life as a virgin without being propositioned. I just want to be in love, you know?”
I nod, even though I have no idea. Sex is fun, I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I might not have slept around in high school, but I had a couple partners during my four years there, and while I don’t exactly recall losing my virginity, I do remember how amazing sex is.
“Sex is like second nature to me,” I say as we walk toward one of the food stands. “I mean, it’s just always really been a part of my life.”
“Have you and Roman…?”
“Oh, God no! It’s only been a day. I’m not a total slut. I’m sure we will at some point. Our relationship has moved pretty fast, but I really like him, and I could see us together for a long time, so I’m sure I won’t be able to hold back too long.”
“That’s what I’m worried about, I guess. Nolan is hot and sweet, but he’s older than me, and I think he kind of expects me to put out pretty fast. I’m not sure that I want to yet.” She looks down as she speaks, ashamed of her words.
“Look, if you’re not ready, you’re not ready. If Nolan wants to be an ass about it, then he’s not worth your time. If he truly likes you, he’ll wait for you.” I try to sound sure of myself, even though I wonder if Roman would wait if I asked him to.
We haven’t talked about sex, but I have the distinct impression that last night he would have been happy to go all the way right there on the beach if we hadn’t been interrupted. And chances are, I would have let him. I want to keep him, not drive him away by refusing sex. So when he asks, I doubt I’ll say no.
“Thanks for being a good friend, Hazel. I was afraid I wouldn’t meet anyone I actually get along with here.”
“Not a problem. Where are you from, anyway? Your accent definitely isn’t southern,” I say after we order some food. I’m famished.
“Umm, from Rhode Island, so I guess my accent is almost like a Boston accent. We’re close enough that it kind rubs off on us.” She smiles.
Our order number is called and we each grab our trays, finding a couple seats at one of the metal picnic tables.
“What about you?”
I laugh. “I’m from Georgia. So it’s not too far away, but it’s the farthest my dad would allow. He tries to pretend like he’s a parent who cares, but the truth is, he’s just too busy in his job to pay much attention. So he hired a nanny while I was in high school. A nanny! Can you even imagine what that’s like? I never had friends over because I was so ashamed. And then he tried to convince me to go to school locally, so I could just live at home.”
Destiny chuckles softly as I continue. “It was a nightmare. So we compromised about college. He gave me a four-hundred-mile radius to pick a school. I was going to go with Jacksonville, Florida, but the schools just didn’t seem that good. And I knew I wanted to be near the beach. So Myrtle Beach it was.”
“Wow. And he pays for everything?”
“Well, yeah. I have a weekly allowance, so long as I keep my grades up, and he pays tuition plus I have a couple credit cards for clothes and emergencies,” I tell her.
“Damn. I’m here on scholarship and my parents still have four kids at home, plus my older brother is at RISD, so they can’t really help out financially. After classes start tomorrow, I have to hit the pavement for a part-time job.”
It’s amazing to me that kids actually have to work while they’re in school. Dad’s always taken care of everything for me, so I can focus on academics. It’s so foreign to think about having to keep up a job and school. I suppose, though, if I had to, I would.
“That’s shitty. What classes are you taking?” I say to steer the direction of the conversation away from finances. I definitely don’t want to embarrass my new friend, and it’s more than a little awkward for me to talk about having all kinds of money in front of her.
In the middle of our discussion about class schedules, Roman and Nolan approach. Roman sits next to me, straddling the bench seat, and digs into my fries without permission. Across from me, I see Nolan has done the same to Destiny. Hey, at this rate, I won’t have to worry about the freshmen fifteen.
“You girls missed it. Roman is crazy!” Nolan announces and then shovels more fries into his mouth.
“What do you mean?” I ask, looking pointedly at Rome.
“It’s no big deal,” he says with a blush. My curiosity is piqued.
“Now you have to tell me,” I beg Nolan.
“Okay,” he says, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “So we’re on the ride, about to ascend that first big lift, and this guy stands up on the coaster. I don’t even know how he got out of the lap bar. Because it was already going, the guys running the thing couldn’t stop it, either.” He takes a second to suck a large amount of Destiny’s soda through the straw and then swallows. “So they’re all standing on the loading dock, or whatever you call it, and they’re yelling, screaming, at Rome to sit down properly. He ignores them and rides the thing almost all the way to the top standing up on his seat. He doesn't hold on, or anything. I swear, I thought he was going to die.
“Then, just as we’re cresting the top, he sinks back down into his seat, locks his lap bar in place, and throws his hands up, screaming the whole way down. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
I look at Roman to gauge how true this story is, but his head is down, staring at my fries. “You really did that, didn’t you?”
“It’s no big deal,” he mutters.
“No big deal? You’re a real thrill-seeker, aren’t you?” Destiny laughs.
“How exactly did you not get kicked out of the park?” I demand to know. In Atlanta, if someone did that, they’d be banned for life.
“The infamous Roman can’t be kicked out of this place, Hazel. Don’t you know who he is?” Nolan laughs at my confused look and as he opens his mouth to speak again, Roman kicks him under the table. Nolan grabs his shin. “Shit, man, chill out.”
Roman looks even more embarrassed a
nd I let it go, making a mental note to corner him later about it.
“I want you to win me something,” I declare, looking at Roman. He looks relieved that I’m not asking questions.
“I don’t want to disappoint,” he says, finishing off my fries and downing what’s left of my soda. He stands up, picks up the trash in one hand, and then reaches for my hand. “Come on.”
He drags me to the carnival section of the park after he tosses the trash. Behind us, Destiny and Nolan hold hands as they follow.
Chapter Nine
We play carnival games for hours, Destiny and I laughing at the effort Roman and Nolan put forth. They try to one-up the other all night and when the fireworks start, we all stand together to watch them. As the colors flood the darkened sky, I notice the rest of our group near us. They move closer and we all greet them, asking where they’ve been all night. The four of them seem to be extremely cozy, especially Audric and Cheyanne.
As much as I despise Cheyanne, I’m glad she seems to be moving on from Roman. He’s pretty much mine now, and I don’t want her causing any problems between us. Audric is so cute with how awkward he is, barely touching Cheyanne, even though I can tell he wants to. At one point, Cheyanne grabs his hand and holds it in hers. So adorable. Not!
The park doesn’t close until midnight, but at eleven, I’m so exhausted, I nearly collapse. Roman agree to take me back to the dorms while everyone else stays at the park.
“Sorry you had to leave early,” I say, although I’ve been looking for an excuse to get him alone all night.
“That’s okay. I’m more used to early nights and even earlier mornings. You ready for classes to start tomorrow?”
“Yeah, I guess. I kind of wish it was still summertime for us, though,” I say, reaching for his hand. His fingers intertwine with mine and I lean back against the plush leather of the seat. His car is really nice.
“Me too. Fall means football for me,” he says. “I’ve got practice almost every night this week, so chances are, I won’t get to see you much,” he explains.
My heart falls. I want to spend every night with him. But, it’s not like I have a choice. “Oh, sure,” I say with more enthusiasm than I feel. “That just means I’ll get to point you out to everyone at all the games.”
“Yeah. You’ll say, ‘that’s my boyfriend, number sixty-nine.’”
Whoa. Did he just refer to himself as my boyfriend? My heart soars but I manage not to make too much of a big deal about it.
“Exactly.” His hand squeezes mine in agreement.
At my dorm room, I’m surprised he doesn’t invite himself in, or invite me to his room. “Good night, Hazel.” He kisses me gently, something that melts my heart and further. When he lifts his head, he smiles at me and then walks away.
In my room, I close the door and lean against it, thoroughly infatuated with Roman. Not only does he have a rockin’ body and a great personality, but he likes me. Me! I take off my makeup, then strip out of my clothes and crawl into bed wearing just my panties and a tank top. Looks like this is going to be the best year of my life.
* * * * * * * * * * The next morning, I’m up fairly early, desperate for coffee. Cheyanne, I notice, is still sound asleep, the covers pulled up over her head. I get dressed, run a brush through my hair, and apply my usual makeup, then run to the bathroom to brush my teeth and grab my bag for class. I sling the strap over my shoulder, moving the bulk of the bag to my back and head out.
I check my cell. I have half an hour before class starts and coffee is first on the list. I stop at the student lounge to grab a cup. As I’m adding my sugar and cream, Miranda comes up next to me.
“Hey! Early class, huh?” I nod, still not fully awake. I lift my cup to check the sweetness and it’s perfect. I moan into my cup.
“Yeah, me too. I’ve got Intro to Lit.”
“Oh? Me too,” I say, still uncertain how I feel about her. Miranda and Cheyanne were acting pretty chummy last night, so I don’t want to trust her too much, in case something I say gets back to Cheyanne.
“Awesome! Want to walk to class together?” This girl is way too peppy. Even if she weren’t friends with my new enemy, I still wouldn’t like her.
But I don’t want to be rude. “Sure.”
We walk and Miranda has no trouble filling the silence with words. It seems as though she never shuts up. I hide my frustration at her incessant chatter and once we’re in class, I ignore her completely so I can focus on the lecture. She writes me a few notes and although I read them, I’m appalled. Are we still in high school? It’s so sad. Maybe she and Cheyanne are made to be best friends.
She finally gets the picture when I refuse to write back and she stops dropping the paper in front of my notes. I jot down as much as I can while our instructor goes through the syllabus. It’s not going to be a heavy load, which makes me grateful, because my next class is General Calculus, since I tested out of the basic math courses. I’m looking forward to the class, but I know it’ll push me, academically. And with only ten minutes to spare between Lit and Calculus, I’ll have to hustle across campus to get there on time.
When Lit finally ends, Miranda picks up right where she left off, talking away while I pack up my stuff. Once I have everything, I turn to her.
“I’m not trying to be rude, but I have to go. My next class starts in a few minutes on the other side of campus,” I say. I don’t give her a chance to reply. I just walk away. Hopefully she doesn’t think I’m rude, but honestly, I don’t care. She still acts like a kid, and I doubt we’ll ever be friends.
I make it to Calculus with ninety seconds to spare. The only seat available is one next to Nolan. He grins as I sit down and I’m thankful for a friendly face.
“How did you get in this class? I thought it was upperclassmen only,” he whispers as the professor begins his lesson.
There is no introduction to the class or going over the syllabus. Professor James is a nononsense guy who starts us off with some hard equations. He doesn’t explain how to do them, either. He just puts the equations on the board and says we have until the end of the class to turn in our answers.
“Anyone who finishes early can leave my class early,” he explains, sitting down at the desk and pulling out his laptop.
If he weren’t hot, I’d think he was a total douche. But he’s so much younger than most college professors, so much more attractive. I guess he’s in his late twenties, with sandy blond hair and jade-colored eyes. He’s built, too, a sure sign that his muscles are firm underneath his suit coat.
A note slides in front of me. Seriously? I sigh audibly but unfold the paper and read Nolan’s note.
Stop staring at the professor or I’ll tell Rome. Do you know the answer to #2? I got the first one, but the second one is a pain in the ass. Holy shit! He’s already finished with the first equation… I need to get to work. I scribble a quick no in reply and shove the paper back at him, getting my thoughts together so I can actually keep up. When Nolan tries to put the note in front of me again, I block him and shake my head. I spend the rest of class trying to figure out the equations, making sure to check my textbook for what I don’t already know.
Chapter Ten
After my first day of classes, I’m beat. Nolan invites me to his and Roman’s football practice, but I decline, texting Destiny to find out if she wants to meet up for dinner. Yes! I need to get the hell away from my roommate! she replies. I laugh and send her a text to meet me at my dorm room.
I just want to lay down on my bed and sleep when I get to my room, but instead, I toss my bag on my bed and flip open my laptop. I check all my social media sites while I wait for Destiny. Lucky for me, Cheyanne is nowhere to be found. To my surprise, I have an instant message from Roman waiting for me on Facebook.
H – Somehow, I ended up without your number. Not sure how that’s even possible, but I checked my phone and I don’t have it. Audric is off somewhere, so I can’t ask him. Call me when you get this. 843-857-1234 – R
I realize that we’ve never actually exchanged numbers. Odd. Without waiting, I punch his number into my phone and press send. I wait through four rings and figure I’ll have to leave him a message when he picks up.
“Hello?” He’s out of breath, like he was running to answer.
“Hey, it’s Hazel,” I say.
“Hey, gorgeous. Listen, I’m about to start practice, and this coach is a pain in the ass. I’ll
text you later tonight, okay?” Before I even have a second to reply, he hangs up, just as a knock lands on my door. I laugh, tossing my phone on my bed before answering. Destiny stands there, a pissy look on her face.
“What’s up?” I ask, letting her in.
“Oh my God! My roommate is the biggest idiot on the planet!” She throws her hands up as she enters.
“What happened?” I ask, trying to hold in my laughter.
“Well, first she set her alarm this morning for five a.m., so she could ‘go for a run,’” she says, putting up air quotes. “Then she proceeds to hit the snooze button eight times, and when she finally gets out of bed, she complains she doesn’t have enough time to run before her first class. Then she gets back from her class, which is some basics for dummies class that most of us test out of, and she complains that it’s too hard and she goes on and on about how much she misses her high school boyfriend. I can’t stand her!”
I raise my brow. “Is that all?”
“It’s not funny,” she moans, dropping on to my bed. “I need a new roommate like right now. Do you think Nolan could get me switched to this building?” She looks hopeful.
I doubt it. “Maybe. He does have some pull. I’d like to get rid of my roommate, too.” Of course, I’d like my roommate to drop off the face of the earth, but I don’t say that.
Liar, Liar (The Best Friends Forever Series #1) Page 4