Then, I stepped back, pushing off the wall, and padded in my sock-clad feet over to my bed. I didn’t bother changing into pajamas—just crashed onto my mattress and tugged my blankets around me to dream of a reality in which Mila was mine.
All. Fucking. Mine.
Three
Mila
Over the next couple of days, I did a pretty good job of avoiding Coralie. I tried to be up before she was awake, and I tried to be asleep by the time she came back to the dorm at night. Usually, I sat around in the library or outside on a blanket just chilling with Brittany instead of being in the dorm room, but it was raining today, and I had no interest in being outdoors, even if I did it just to go to another building.
And Coralie? Apparently, she had the same feelings about the rain. And I was also pretty sure she was hell-bent on driving me up the fucking wall. I couldn’t focus on the book I was reading—Sew Into You by Amity Malcom—because Coralie thought it was appropriate to play whatever action movie she was watching at full fucking volume.
I was a hairsbreadth away from losing my shit.
When yet another explosion sounded throughout the room, I slammed my book closed and glared at her. “Can you fucking not?” I snapped.
After hitting pause on her movie, she looked up, arching a perfect brow at me. Fuck, why did she have to be so damn beautiful? It made hating her so much harder.
“Can I not… what?” she asked as if she didn’t already fucking know.
“Your goddamn movie,” I seethed. “Do you not own headphones? A headset? I can’t read because your stupid movie is too damn loud to focus.”
She cocked her head to the side the slightest bit. Then, she rolled her eyes and hit play on her laptop again. I gritted my teeth. “Coralie!” I barked.
She sighed heavily, like I was an annoying bug she couldn’t get rid of. I wanted to slap her. “Cry me a river, Mila.”
I fucking hated her. She’d already ripped so much from me—my clean record, my fucking family, my goddamn sanity. Did she have to take this away from me, too?
Snarling, I jumped off my bed, leaving my book on my pillow, and stomped to my closet. After shoving my feet into a pair of Converse, I yanked my phone off the charger, shoved my wallet in my back pocket, and stormed out of our room, slamming the door shut behind me.
Brittany answered on the first ring. “What’s up, sunshine?”
“You feel like getting drunk with me?” I asked as I bypassed the elevator and headed for the stairs. “I have fucking had it with Coralie, and I need a drink.” I was on probation and wasn’t supposed to be drinking, but what my probation officer didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.
Brittany sighed. “Same, girl. Fucking same. Jessica is a grade-A bitch.”
Yeah… that was a horrible development. Jessica, my ex-friend and Coralie’s current best friend, was Brittany’s roommate. Brittany was honestly super sweet, and the fact that she and Jessica already hated each other spoke volumes. I really didn’t think there was a mean, vindictive bone in Brittany’s body, but if anyone could bring it out of her, it would be Jessica.
That girl could bring out the worst in anyone.
“I’ll grab my car and meet you in front of your dorm,” I told her.
“No need,” she assured me. “I’ve been sitting in my car for the past thirty minutes just to get away from Jessica. I’ll be there in five.”
I stumbled to the bathroom, slamming my hand against the rough brick wall to hold myself upright. I was so fucking drunk. The world was spinning, and I was pretty sure I was going to vomit any second now. My stomach sloshed uncomfortably as I pushed into the bathroom. I barely managed to drop to my knees before I spewed, the acrid taste of vomit stinging my tastebuds.
“Fuck, Mila,” Brittany said, dropping into a crouch beside me. She quickly worked my hair into a messy ponytail so it was out of my way. “Why did you drink so much?”
I just groaned in answer, mostly because I couldn’t think through the burning in my throat and the twisting and turning of my stomach. She stood and left me in the stall, but a moment later, she came back with a wet paper towel, turning my head to face her. I made a small whining sound as she began to clean my face, her brows furrowed in concentration. When she stood again, I pulled my phone from my pocket, fumbling with the slick device before I managed to click on Coralie’s name.
“What are you—no,” Brittany snapped just as Coralie answered the phone. “Goddammit, Mila.”
“Mila?” Coralie asked in surprise.
“I hate you,” I slurred, leaning my head on the stall wall and closing my eyes. “I hate you sooooo much. You ruined my entire life.”
“I… what?” she asked incredulously. “Mila, are you drunk? Jesus fucking Christ. Where are you?”
“Noneyabusiness,” I mumbled, my limbs feeling heavy. My eyes slid shut. I was so sleepy. And it was hard to hold my head up.