“I’m going out to grab breakfast and coffees. Clean the rug before Margot kills you. She doesn’t know.”
Leaning up on my elbows, I look at him appalled. “You’re not going to help me?”
Arden leans in my doorway. “Not a chance, brat,” he chuckles before leaving the room, closing the door behind him.
With a grumble, I lay back down on the bed heavily. There’s no way I could feel any worse right now.
“DANIKA! GET YOUR DRUNK ASS OUT HERE AND CLEAN THIS RUG!”
Happy birthday to me.
Chapter Two
Danika
“Doyouthinkweshould join a club?” Sydney asks as we slam the car doors shut. After the long weekend, none of us were thrilled to be back on campus Monday morning, least of all me. At least Sydney and Margot get to take some of their classes together, I’m stuck with the pre-med nerds in all of mine.
Even though I’m pre-med too, I’d hardly classify myself as a nerd. At least not yet. I need to sow my wild oats before I chain myself to my textbooks in med school next year.
“Join a club? Sydney, it’s the last semester of our senior year. What would be the point of joining a club now?”
Margot laughs. “Yeah, and aren’t you busy enough with the newspaper?”
“I guess so. I just, I don’t know. I feel like all I do is go to class, work at the newspaper and go to the gym. Kind of boring,” Sydney sighs.
Wrapping my arm around her shoulder, I pull her into my side. “Don’t worry, Syd. I’ll make sure your last semester of college is the most fun you’ve ever had.”
We part ways and I head toward the campus coffee shop before my class. I still have thirty minutes until Biochemistry but I like to ride in early with the girls. Every day is one less day we’ll have to spend together so I try to take all the time I can with them.
After my coffee is ordered, I grab the steaming hot beverage and head to my favorite arm chair to nestle in and read for my next class. But when I turn the corner, I see that my favorite chair is filled. I sigh, it happens some times, nothing to be done about it. Before I turn to find a less comfortable seat, I squint my eyes to see if I know who the person is.
And I’ll be damned if it isn’t Margot’s older brother. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m stalking over to him.
“Why are you still here?”
Arden looks up from his phone. “Hey, brat,” he says nonchalantly.
“What are you even doing on campus? You don’t go here.”
He gestures around the cafe. “Coffee shop is a public place. I can be here if I want to.” He rests his phone on his lap, looking at me closer. “Why are you so bothered that I’m here?”
“You’re not a student,” I huff. “You shouldn't be here.”
“Well,” he starts and then stops, closing his mouth before he utters another word. Instead of speaking, he stands, looking at this phone before putting it in his back pocket. “I’ll see you later.”
He leaves without another word. “I’d rather you didn’t!” I yell after him, looking back and forth at all the people I startled with my uproar. I don’t know why Arden’s presence is affecting me so much. I’ve been around him more times than I can count but something about this time is different.
I really didn’t see much of him this summer. Margot spent a lot of her free time traveling with Alex so it wasn’t like I was going to spend time at her house without her there, which is where I would’ve seen Arden, if at all. Our paths briefly crossed on Margot’s birthday in the summer but even that was short. A hello and a goodbye.
This time, he’s sticking around for much longer. Who knows when he’s going to leave. It’s the not-knowing that’s pissing me off. Maybe I’ll just ask Margot when he’s planning to go and if it’s not soon, tell her that it should be. This is our last semester of college together, we deserve to spend our free time hanging out together, not with boyfriends or annoyingly attractive older brothers.
I plop in the chair, careful not to spill the hot coffee. The seat is warm from its previous owner, and I want to reject the warmth that spreads through me.He’s such an ass, but at least he’s a warm ass.
Just as I settle in with my textbook and my mug, another voice rings out above me.
“Hey, Dani.” The voice is familiar. One I’ve heard many times and one I’ve worked hard to forget.What is it, asshole day?
Without looking up, I respond, “Go away, Nico.”