Line Change, page 5
“Maybe. Come on, let’s go find your brother. I hear there’s a beer pong table set up outside and I need to win back my title from him.”
Adam takes my hand and walks toward the back door, pulling me gently behind him. I turn around to grab my drink and notice a dark shadow lurking in the corner leaning against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets, and a scowl etched deeply on his face. Kyler has his walls back up and I know it’ll take a lot more for me to start breaking them down again.
six
Kyler
When Jude told me about the party for Thea, I thought he was out of his mind. Who needs a party welcoming them to college? It’s college for fuck’s sake—there are parties every weekend, and most of them are themed just for freshman and transfers. I digress though, it’s an excuse to hang out with her, even though I should steer clear of her. I pick up my phone and open my photos. Like a stalker, I stole one of the pictures Jude has posted on his social media, cropped him out, and added it to her contact page on my phone. I’m ashamed to admit, it’s a picture from over the summer when he went home for a couple of weeks, and they were at the beach. A very beautiful, tanned, bikini-wearing Thea stares at me—well the camera—but sometimes a guy has to pretend to boost his ego. I clear the photo away, open my texting app, and type her name in. My thumb hovers over the keyboard while my mind races for what to say. I want to tell her I think she’s pretty, and I’m happy she’s living here. I want to remind her to watch out for dirtbag guys, like myself, and to always be aware of her surroundings. All things I should’ve said to my sister when she started coming home late at night. Most of all, I want to tell Thea how much it means to me that she leaves me dinner. I know my mom and sister care about me, but not the way Thea seems to.
I close the app, set my phone aside and cover my eyes with my arm. I need to get this—whatever the hell it is—out of my system because Thea is off limits. Jude is one of my best friends and I would never cross this line with him. There’s an unspoken agreement among friends—you don’t fuck around with their baby sisters. Even the older ones are off limits.
But I can’t help but think about her at night when I’m lying here and she’s one floor above me. I don’t think she realizes her room is directly above mine and I can hear every sound she makes. I know when she’s up and walking around because she can’t sleep at night. I hear her open her window and I imagine she’s leaning out and looking at the stars. I know her alarm goes off at six in the morning and when she comes down the first flight of stairs, she pauses at my door. A time or two since she’s moved in, I’ve heard her tap on my door and call my name. I pretend I’m sleeping, even though I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since the first night I ran into her in the kitchen. I’ve done everything I can to avoid her because of the way she makes me feel. I’ve never felt such an urge to push someone up against a wall and make them mine. I get why women enjoy vampire novels so much. The animalistic nature is addicting.
Right now, the object of my desires is in her room with her friend Millie. They’re giggling and having a good time. I’ve seen Millie around campus. She went to a few games last year and we had a class together where she referred to me as an enigma. I don’t get it. I like to be alone and do my own thing. Being quiet doesn’t make me a mystery. If I thought she was worthy of my time, I’d give it to her, and right now I’d like to give some to Thea. Although, she doesn’t fit into my world, and I wouldn’t want to subject her to the life I live outside of this house.
I look at the time on my phone and sigh. I regret not going to work tonight, but the idea of having a party, where Thea is going to front and present, was too appealing to pass up. I’ll be the guy in the back, lurking. The one making sure her drink is safe, and no one takes advantage of her. Some dumb-ass guy is going to forget about her brother and then I’ll step in. No one wants to mess with me.
There’s a banging on my door. Jude hollers, “Can you tap the keg?”
“I’ll be right down,” I tell him. The benefit of living with a bartender: I can tap a keg, mix drinks, and break up any fights. I don’t mind if the guys depend on me. This way, they know it’s done right and some guy who thinks he knows everything won’t fuck shit up. Before I head downstairs, I think about changing out of my black shirt, but decide to keep it on. I got the impression the other night Thea likes me in black. I adjust the sleeves of my T-shirt, rolling them over my biceps. I run my hand through my unruly hair and glance at the tattoo on my bicep. It’s somewhat new, from over the summer, and something I couldn’t afford. When I went into my friend’s shop, I told him I needed something mean and he drew a massive lion’s head with a full mane, and when I flex, his mouth opens. It’s a bad-ass piece of art and mixes well with my shoulder piece.
Downstairs, the music is thumping. Devon and Nolan are in the kitchen stacking slices of pizza and Solo cups. The keg and makeshift bar are in the corner with a sign saying, “Don’t fucking break anything.” The message will fall on deaf ears, but the effort is nice. As soon as I’m done tapping the keg, my phone chimes. I pull it from my pocket and see a text from my sister:
Ally Rose
Can you take Lacey tonight?
Why?
Ally Rose
I want to go out
No
Ally Rose
WTF, Ky???? Are you serious?
Yes, I’m serious. The house is having a party and I’m busy. Ask mom or get a babysitter. Whatever the fuck you do, do not leave Lacey home by herself!
Ally Rose
As if I would
Hmm . . .
Lovely, now the rest of the night I’ll sit here and wonder if my niece is home by herself. Ally’s done this once before and I threatened to have Lacey taken away from her. I get being a single parent is hard, but Ally needs to be smarter and put her daughter first. Most of the time she does, but her friends manipulate the shit out of her and they’re a bad influence. They’re all single and living the life Ally wanted, and they make sure she knows it.
I pour myself a beer and head into the other room to have a look around. Anything breakable has been put in a box and stuffed into the closet and there’s a sheet over the television. I hate having parties here. We get asked all the time because the house is big, but it’s always a hassle. Undoubtedly, I’ll find some drunk ass trying to get into my bedroom so he can get laid. After making another round, I head into the kitchen and out to the back yard where more people are gathering.
“Ky, you stoned-ass motherfucker. How the hell are you?” Josh Perring grabs my hand and pulls me into a bro hug. He graduated last year and was a second and third string center for four years. He hated backing me up, but I’m better and everyone knows it. He prides himself on being a bash brother and couldn’t wait to get out of college so he could kick someone’s ass in the minors.
“You do know I don’t smoke pot, right?”
“Yeah, man,” he says, jabbing me in the ribs. “You just always look stoned.”
“No, he always looks pissed off.” This red head saddles up next to me and places her arm around my waist. “I think he needs a good and proper—”
“Blow job,” Josh yells.
“I can assure you,” I say as I pull her arm away, “it wouldn’t remove the scowl from my face.”
“We’ll see about that later.” She licks her lips as if she’s going to entice me to drop my shorts to my ankles and let her suck me off.
“That’s a challenge, Ky!” Josh seems overly happy about this, and I don’t understand why.
“One I’m going to win. See ya around, Josh.” It doesn’t take much to remind myself why I keep to myself. I head back into the kitchen and recognize Thea immediately. She doesn’t know I’m behind her, watching as she mixes a drink. I chuckle at the thought of her preaching to me about being healthy when she’s about to down a sugary-sweet drink full of juice and coconut rum.
I step up to her and inhale her sweet perfume. Fuck! My dick jumps to ready. He’s willing and able, as am I, but Thea and I can never happen. Every thought I have about her is pure torture and as much as I hate it, I enjoy it just the same. I step back before she can sense me.
“So, you don’t drink hot chocolate, but sweet and sickly fruit punch is okay?” I ask, alerting her to my presence.
Thea turns, her cheeks flush, and her mouth widens into a grin. Damn, she’s beautiful. “Hey, I may eat healthy, but I’m not a saint. I’m surprised to see you here.”
I shrug as if it’s no big deal that I made an appearance. “I may be a loner, but I don’t lack all social skills. Besides, Jude said this party was your housewarming, so here I am, welcoming you to the house.”
Thea smiles again and I soak all of her in, from her rich brown eyes to the shoes she has wrapped around her perfect toes. “Well, I appreciate it. Maybe you might even push the boat out and join us for dinner one day this week?”
“Don’t push your luck.” I need to feel close to her again. It’s like my body craves her essence. I reach around her and take a bottle of water off the table. I’ve had enough to drink for the night. I want to keep my wits about me, especially if she’s drinking. I’ll happily spend the night protecting her if she needs it.
I’m about to suggest we go outside, but a guy steps up behind her. He puts his arm around her waist and pulls her toward him. “Hey babe, what’s taking you so long?”
Thea looks at me. I can’t maintain eye contact with her. My hand fists, and I find I want to pummel this fucker into the ground for touching what’s mine. No, she’s not mine. She never will be.
“Oh hey,” this guy says, “I’m Adam, and you are . . .?”
Thea steps forward slightly and says, “This is Kyler, my fourth roommate. Kyler’s also on the team with Jude and the others. Kyler, this is Adam, my boyfriend from back home.”
Boyfriend? Boyfriend! How could no one tell me this?
Because it’s none of your business.
My jaw clenches. It throbs. I nod in this kid’s direction. “Good to meet you. Excuse me, I’ve gotta go and make a call.” I turn and head toward the stairs, taking them two at a time until I’m at my door. I fumble the knob. Once I have it open, I slam it shut with such force the pictures on my dresser rattle. I shouldn’t let the fact Thea has a boyfriend bother me, but it does. Clearly, Jude doesn’t care, or he’d tell the little shit to take a hike, so why should I? I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t give a shit about her, about her boyfriend, or anything else going on with her. She’s a roommate and needs to be treated as such. And she’s an adult and can take care of herself. What I need to do is take care of myself. I open my dresser and move my socks until the bottle of vodka I use to numb the pain is in my hand. After the cap is off, the bottle is pressed to my lips and my head is tilted back. The burn is instant and welcoming. I swallow two, three, and four times before giving up and putting the cap back on. I put the bottle back and head downstairs with a completely different mindset.
As soon as I get downstairs, I spot Thea. We stare at each other for a long moment before I walk into the kitchen and head toward the liquor. I mix myself a drink, swallow it down, and refill.
“Hey, um, can you make me something to drink?” a young blonde asks. She looks too young to be at this party. I watch her out of the corner of my eye and mix her something with very little booze in it. She takes a sip. “Oh, this is delicious. Thank you.”
“Don’t take any drinks from anyone except for me, okay? My name’s Ky. Everyone knows me here. Find me when you want another.”
She smiles at me. “Thanks. I’m Cher.”
“Nice to meet you. Go mingle.” She nods and heads to the other room. I end up standing at the bar, mixing drinks for the next couple hours, telling each girl the same thing I told Cher. And with each girl, I flirt like crazy because every time I look up, I see Thea and her weaselly looking boyfriend, and each time she looks at me, I make sure to ignore her.
She means nothing to me.
Except, I have a feeling she’s going to mean everything.
seven
Thea
The next morning, I find myself creeping down the stairs to start making breakfast. Saturday is the only day the others can sleep in, so I also want to have a head start on clearing up the remnants from the night before. All in all, the party was good fun. I met more of the guys on the hockey team—some of which live a few doors down from us—and despite Kyler’s warning, they all seemed friendly enough. The irony is out of all of them, the only person currently giving me strange vibes is Kyler. One minute he’s relatively friendly, the next he’s as cold as ice. I can’t figure him out and quite honestly, it’s starting to feel a little exhausting trying to keep up with his mood swings. I asked Jude about it the other day, and while he said it wasn’t his story to tell, he did say Kyler has some personal stuff going on he has to deal with. I wonder if it’s family related, in which case I get it. Not everyone is lucky enough to come from a stable family background. Still, I know if I was in his position, I’d want to surround myself with as many friends as possible, if only as a method of escape from the drama I’m trying to hide.
To my surprise I find the kitchen is spotless. It’s obvious my roommates had the foresight to clean up before going to bed and I’m thankful. During the week we have an unwritten rule, I cook, and they clean, which works well for us, but I wouldn’t have thought it applied to last night given we had a huge party. I’m not complaining though, and I start making enough pancake batter to feed us all. Even if it’s only me and Adam at breakfast, I’m confident the others know how a frying pan works and can fend for themselves.
After breakfast, I take Adam on a quick tour of the campus. He’s already been to the hockey rink, having made a few visits with me last year to watch Jude play. I point out the dietetics block, the sports center, tennis courts, baseball field, and the dining hall and the outside of the dorms. Even though living on campus wasn’t an option for me, some of the accommodation onsite is pretty sweet, and there’s a block of townhouses nestled in their own little street toward the back of the campus. By comparison, the campus at Silver Lake is tiny and not for the first time, I thank my lucky stars I took the chance and changed my course. Adam doesn’t comment much on the grounds—in fact, he’s been pretty quiet all morning, which is unusual for him.
After the campus tour, we head to the Boardwalk to have some lunch. This is a popular area of Northport and it is bustling with tourists and residents here to spend a day at the beach. There are a few surf and souvenir shops. Best of all, there are a number of small independent restaurants and bars at one end, which makes a nice change from the usual chain restaurants you find in the town center. I decide to take Adam to Northport’s infamous crab shack, which is renowned for its clam chowder and crab buckets. Living in a small town like Silver Lake means not having the ability of eating at a place like this, so I’m hoping he’ll really enjoy the food.
We take a seat outside with a good view of the beach and place our order. On Millie’s recommendation, I opt for a sampler dish which has scampi, crab, and a range of dips, and Adam goes for the chowder. We order some sodas and fries and wait for our food to arrive.
“Did you have a good time last night?” I ask Adam.
“Yeah, I did. Millie’s quite the character,” he replies.
“Yes, she is. She has no filter, but I like the fact she says it like it is. You know where you stand with her, that’s for sure.”
“Your roommates seem like decent guys, especially Devon and Nolan, but Kyler on the other hand . . .” Adam trails off without finishing his sentence, but I can tell there’s something he wants to say and is holding back.
“Kyler on the other hand, what?” I prompt.
“I just don’t like the guy, Thea. There’s something about him. He sets me on edge.”
“He’s just quiet is all, and tends to stay by himself.” I don’t know why I have an urge to start defending Kyler, but I can’t stop myself. Adam doesn’t know him so isn’t in any position to judge.
“It’s not just that. You didn’t see him last night, standing in corners, just staring at you all the freaking time. Like, wherever you were, he was there, watching you like a hawk. I don’t know T, it just screams stalker or something,” Adam says with a shake of the head.
Our waitress brings our food, so I wait until she sets it all on the table before continuing the conversation.
“I think you’re overthinking it, babe. Ky’s not like that at all.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like the guy, and I think you should keep your distance from him.”
I put down my fork, slightly taken aback, and stare at Adam. Surely, he did not just tell me to stay away from one of my roommates. He’s never been bothered by any of my friends or classmates before.
“Adam, you’re not seriously telling me to stay away from Kyler. We share a house, it’s not like I can avoid him. You’re fine with me living with Devon and Nolan.”
“Yeah, because Devon and Nolan don’t look at you like they want to either attack you or pin you against the wall. I’m not stupid, Thea, I’m a man, I can recognize a possessive, lust-filled guy when I see him and Kyler? His intentions toward you, whatever they are, are not the best-friends-look-out-for-each-other type. I’m asking you, as my girlfriend, to please stay away from him.”
I’m momentarily speechless. In our four years together, Adam has never been the jealous type at all. To see him react like this is completely out of the ordinary. And, out of character.
“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on with you, and so I’m going to put this down to tiredness or whatever, but Adam, we don’t do this. We don’t tell each other who we can and can’t have as friends.”
Adam takes my hand and walks toward the back door, pulling me gently behind him. I turn around to grab my drink and notice a dark shadow lurking in the corner leaning against the wall, hands stuffed in his pockets, and a scowl etched deeply on his face. Kyler has his walls back up and I know it’ll take a lot more for me to start breaking them down again.
six
Kyler
When Jude told me about the party for Thea, I thought he was out of his mind. Who needs a party welcoming them to college? It’s college for fuck’s sake—there are parties every weekend, and most of them are themed just for freshman and transfers. I digress though, it’s an excuse to hang out with her, even though I should steer clear of her. I pick up my phone and open my photos. Like a stalker, I stole one of the pictures Jude has posted on his social media, cropped him out, and added it to her contact page on my phone. I’m ashamed to admit, it’s a picture from over the summer when he went home for a couple of weeks, and they were at the beach. A very beautiful, tanned, bikini-wearing Thea stares at me—well the camera—but sometimes a guy has to pretend to boost his ego. I clear the photo away, open my texting app, and type her name in. My thumb hovers over the keyboard while my mind races for what to say. I want to tell her I think she’s pretty, and I’m happy she’s living here. I want to remind her to watch out for dirtbag guys, like myself, and to always be aware of her surroundings. All things I should’ve said to my sister when she started coming home late at night. Most of all, I want to tell Thea how much it means to me that she leaves me dinner. I know my mom and sister care about me, but not the way Thea seems to.
I close the app, set my phone aside and cover my eyes with my arm. I need to get this—whatever the hell it is—out of my system because Thea is off limits. Jude is one of my best friends and I would never cross this line with him. There’s an unspoken agreement among friends—you don’t fuck around with their baby sisters. Even the older ones are off limits.
But I can’t help but think about her at night when I’m lying here and she’s one floor above me. I don’t think she realizes her room is directly above mine and I can hear every sound she makes. I know when she’s up and walking around because she can’t sleep at night. I hear her open her window and I imagine she’s leaning out and looking at the stars. I know her alarm goes off at six in the morning and when she comes down the first flight of stairs, she pauses at my door. A time or two since she’s moved in, I’ve heard her tap on my door and call my name. I pretend I’m sleeping, even though I haven’t had a full night’s sleep since the first night I ran into her in the kitchen. I’ve done everything I can to avoid her because of the way she makes me feel. I’ve never felt such an urge to push someone up against a wall and make them mine. I get why women enjoy vampire novels so much. The animalistic nature is addicting.
Right now, the object of my desires is in her room with her friend Millie. They’re giggling and having a good time. I’ve seen Millie around campus. She went to a few games last year and we had a class together where she referred to me as an enigma. I don’t get it. I like to be alone and do my own thing. Being quiet doesn’t make me a mystery. If I thought she was worthy of my time, I’d give it to her, and right now I’d like to give some to Thea. Although, she doesn’t fit into my world, and I wouldn’t want to subject her to the life I live outside of this house.
I look at the time on my phone and sigh. I regret not going to work tonight, but the idea of having a party, where Thea is going to front and present, was too appealing to pass up. I’ll be the guy in the back, lurking. The one making sure her drink is safe, and no one takes advantage of her. Some dumb-ass guy is going to forget about her brother and then I’ll step in. No one wants to mess with me.
There’s a banging on my door. Jude hollers, “Can you tap the keg?”
“I’ll be right down,” I tell him. The benefit of living with a bartender: I can tap a keg, mix drinks, and break up any fights. I don’t mind if the guys depend on me. This way, they know it’s done right and some guy who thinks he knows everything won’t fuck shit up. Before I head downstairs, I think about changing out of my black shirt, but decide to keep it on. I got the impression the other night Thea likes me in black. I adjust the sleeves of my T-shirt, rolling them over my biceps. I run my hand through my unruly hair and glance at the tattoo on my bicep. It’s somewhat new, from over the summer, and something I couldn’t afford. When I went into my friend’s shop, I told him I needed something mean and he drew a massive lion’s head with a full mane, and when I flex, his mouth opens. It’s a bad-ass piece of art and mixes well with my shoulder piece.
Downstairs, the music is thumping. Devon and Nolan are in the kitchen stacking slices of pizza and Solo cups. The keg and makeshift bar are in the corner with a sign saying, “Don’t fucking break anything.” The message will fall on deaf ears, but the effort is nice. As soon as I’m done tapping the keg, my phone chimes. I pull it from my pocket and see a text from my sister:
Ally Rose
Can you take Lacey tonight?
Why?
Ally Rose
I want to go out
No
Ally Rose
WTF, Ky???? Are you serious?
Yes, I’m serious. The house is having a party and I’m busy. Ask mom or get a babysitter. Whatever the fuck you do, do not leave Lacey home by herself!
Ally Rose
As if I would
Hmm . . .
Lovely, now the rest of the night I’ll sit here and wonder if my niece is home by herself. Ally’s done this once before and I threatened to have Lacey taken away from her. I get being a single parent is hard, but Ally needs to be smarter and put her daughter first. Most of the time she does, but her friends manipulate the shit out of her and they’re a bad influence. They’re all single and living the life Ally wanted, and they make sure she knows it.
I pour myself a beer and head into the other room to have a look around. Anything breakable has been put in a box and stuffed into the closet and there’s a sheet over the television. I hate having parties here. We get asked all the time because the house is big, but it’s always a hassle. Undoubtedly, I’ll find some drunk ass trying to get into my bedroom so he can get laid. After making another round, I head into the kitchen and out to the back yard where more people are gathering.
“Ky, you stoned-ass motherfucker. How the hell are you?” Josh Perring grabs my hand and pulls me into a bro hug. He graduated last year and was a second and third string center for four years. He hated backing me up, but I’m better and everyone knows it. He prides himself on being a bash brother and couldn’t wait to get out of college so he could kick someone’s ass in the minors.
“You do know I don’t smoke pot, right?”
“Yeah, man,” he says, jabbing me in the ribs. “You just always look stoned.”
“No, he always looks pissed off.” This red head saddles up next to me and places her arm around my waist. “I think he needs a good and proper—”
“Blow job,” Josh yells.
“I can assure you,” I say as I pull her arm away, “it wouldn’t remove the scowl from my face.”
“We’ll see about that later.” She licks her lips as if she’s going to entice me to drop my shorts to my ankles and let her suck me off.
“That’s a challenge, Ky!” Josh seems overly happy about this, and I don’t understand why.
“One I’m going to win. See ya around, Josh.” It doesn’t take much to remind myself why I keep to myself. I head back into the kitchen and recognize Thea immediately. She doesn’t know I’m behind her, watching as she mixes a drink. I chuckle at the thought of her preaching to me about being healthy when she’s about to down a sugary-sweet drink full of juice and coconut rum.
I step up to her and inhale her sweet perfume. Fuck! My dick jumps to ready. He’s willing and able, as am I, but Thea and I can never happen. Every thought I have about her is pure torture and as much as I hate it, I enjoy it just the same. I step back before she can sense me.
“So, you don’t drink hot chocolate, but sweet and sickly fruit punch is okay?” I ask, alerting her to my presence.
Thea turns, her cheeks flush, and her mouth widens into a grin. Damn, she’s beautiful. “Hey, I may eat healthy, but I’m not a saint. I’m surprised to see you here.”
I shrug as if it’s no big deal that I made an appearance. “I may be a loner, but I don’t lack all social skills. Besides, Jude said this party was your housewarming, so here I am, welcoming you to the house.”
Thea smiles again and I soak all of her in, from her rich brown eyes to the shoes she has wrapped around her perfect toes. “Well, I appreciate it. Maybe you might even push the boat out and join us for dinner one day this week?”
“Don’t push your luck.” I need to feel close to her again. It’s like my body craves her essence. I reach around her and take a bottle of water off the table. I’ve had enough to drink for the night. I want to keep my wits about me, especially if she’s drinking. I’ll happily spend the night protecting her if she needs it.
I’m about to suggest we go outside, but a guy steps up behind her. He puts his arm around her waist and pulls her toward him. “Hey babe, what’s taking you so long?”
Thea looks at me. I can’t maintain eye contact with her. My hand fists, and I find I want to pummel this fucker into the ground for touching what’s mine. No, she’s not mine. She never will be.
“Oh hey,” this guy says, “I’m Adam, and you are . . .?”
Thea steps forward slightly and says, “This is Kyler, my fourth roommate. Kyler’s also on the team with Jude and the others. Kyler, this is Adam, my boyfriend from back home.”
Boyfriend? Boyfriend! How could no one tell me this?
Because it’s none of your business.
My jaw clenches. It throbs. I nod in this kid’s direction. “Good to meet you. Excuse me, I’ve gotta go and make a call.” I turn and head toward the stairs, taking them two at a time until I’m at my door. I fumble the knob. Once I have it open, I slam it shut with such force the pictures on my dresser rattle. I shouldn’t let the fact Thea has a boyfriend bother me, but it does. Clearly, Jude doesn’t care, or he’d tell the little shit to take a hike, so why should I? I shouldn’t. I shouldn’t give a shit about her, about her boyfriend, or anything else going on with her. She’s a roommate and needs to be treated as such. And she’s an adult and can take care of herself. What I need to do is take care of myself. I open my dresser and move my socks until the bottle of vodka I use to numb the pain is in my hand. After the cap is off, the bottle is pressed to my lips and my head is tilted back. The burn is instant and welcoming. I swallow two, three, and four times before giving up and putting the cap back on. I put the bottle back and head downstairs with a completely different mindset.
As soon as I get downstairs, I spot Thea. We stare at each other for a long moment before I walk into the kitchen and head toward the liquor. I mix myself a drink, swallow it down, and refill.
“Hey, um, can you make me something to drink?” a young blonde asks. She looks too young to be at this party. I watch her out of the corner of my eye and mix her something with very little booze in it. She takes a sip. “Oh, this is delicious. Thank you.”
“Don’t take any drinks from anyone except for me, okay? My name’s Ky. Everyone knows me here. Find me when you want another.”
She smiles at me. “Thanks. I’m Cher.”
“Nice to meet you. Go mingle.” She nods and heads to the other room. I end up standing at the bar, mixing drinks for the next couple hours, telling each girl the same thing I told Cher. And with each girl, I flirt like crazy because every time I look up, I see Thea and her weaselly looking boyfriend, and each time she looks at me, I make sure to ignore her.
She means nothing to me.
Except, I have a feeling she’s going to mean everything.
seven
Thea
The next morning, I find myself creeping down the stairs to start making breakfast. Saturday is the only day the others can sleep in, so I also want to have a head start on clearing up the remnants from the night before. All in all, the party was good fun. I met more of the guys on the hockey team—some of which live a few doors down from us—and despite Kyler’s warning, they all seemed friendly enough. The irony is out of all of them, the only person currently giving me strange vibes is Kyler. One minute he’s relatively friendly, the next he’s as cold as ice. I can’t figure him out and quite honestly, it’s starting to feel a little exhausting trying to keep up with his mood swings. I asked Jude about it the other day, and while he said it wasn’t his story to tell, he did say Kyler has some personal stuff going on he has to deal with. I wonder if it’s family related, in which case I get it. Not everyone is lucky enough to come from a stable family background. Still, I know if I was in his position, I’d want to surround myself with as many friends as possible, if only as a method of escape from the drama I’m trying to hide.
To my surprise I find the kitchen is spotless. It’s obvious my roommates had the foresight to clean up before going to bed and I’m thankful. During the week we have an unwritten rule, I cook, and they clean, which works well for us, but I wouldn’t have thought it applied to last night given we had a huge party. I’m not complaining though, and I start making enough pancake batter to feed us all. Even if it’s only me and Adam at breakfast, I’m confident the others know how a frying pan works and can fend for themselves.
After breakfast, I take Adam on a quick tour of the campus. He’s already been to the hockey rink, having made a few visits with me last year to watch Jude play. I point out the dietetics block, the sports center, tennis courts, baseball field, and the dining hall and the outside of the dorms. Even though living on campus wasn’t an option for me, some of the accommodation onsite is pretty sweet, and there’s a block of townhouses nestled in their own little street toward the back of the campus. By comparison, the campus at Silver Lake is tiny and not for the first time, I thank my lucky stars I took the chance and changed my course. Adam doesn’t comment much on the grounds—in fact, he’s been pretty quiet all morning, which is unusual for him.
After the campus tour, we head to the Boardwalk to have some lunch. This is a popular area of Northport and it is bustling with tourists and residents here to spend a day at the beach. There are a few surf and souvenir shops. Best of all, there are a number of small independent restaurants and bars at one end, which makes a nice change from the usual chain restaurants you find in the town center. I decide to take Adam to Northport’s infamous crab shack, which is renowned for its clam chowder and crab buckets. Living in a small town like Silver Lake means not having the ability of eating at a place like this, so I’m hoping he’ll really enjoy the food.
We take a seat outside with a good view of the beach and place our order. On Millie’s recommendation, I opt for a sampler dish which has scampi, crab, and a range of dips, and Adam goes for the chowder. We order some sodas and fries and wait for our food to arrive.
“Did you have a good time last night?” I ask Adam.
“Yeah, I did. Millie’s quite the character,” he replies.
“Yes, she is. She has no filter, but I like the fact she says it like it is. You know where you stand with her, that’s for sure.”
“Your roommates seem like decent guys, especially Devon and Nolan, but Kyler on the other hand . . .” Adam trails off without finishing his sentence, but I can tell there’s something he wants to say and is holding back.
“Kyler on the other hand, what?” I prompt.
“I just don’t like the guy, Thea. There’s something about him. He sets me on edge.”
“He’s just quiet is all, and tends to stay by himself.” I don’t know why I have an urge to start defending Kyler, but I can’t stop myself. Adam doesn’t know him so isn’t in any position to judge.
“It’s not just that. You didn’t see him last night, standing in corners, just staring at you all the freaking time. Like, wherever you were, he was there, watching you like a hawk. I don’t know T, it just screams stalker or something,” Adam says with a shake of the head.
Our waitress brings our food, so I wait until she sets it all on the table before continuing the conversation.
“I think you’re overthinking it, babe. Ky’s not like that at all.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t like the guy, and I think you should keep your distance from him.”
I put down my fork, slightly taken aback, and stare at Adam. Surely, he did not just tell me to stay away from one of my roommates. He’s never been bothered by any of my friends or classmates before.
“Adam, you’re not seriously telling me to stay away from Kyler. We share a house, it’s not like I can avoid him. You’re fine with me living with Devon and Nolan.”
“Yeah, because Devon and Nolan don’t look at you like they want to either attack you or pin you against the wall. I’m not stupid, Thea, I’m a man, I can recognize a possessive, lust-filled guy when I see him and Kyler? His intentions toward you, whatever they are, are not the best-friends-look-out-for-each-other type. I’m asking you, as my girlfriend, to please stay away from him.”
I’m momentarily speechless. In our four years together, Adam has never been the jealous type at all. To see him react like this is completely out of the ordinary. And, out of character.
“Okay, I don’t know what’s going on with you, and so I’m going to put this down to tiredness or whatever, but Adam, we don’t do this. We don’t tell each other who we can and can’t have as friends.”
