“No, I told you, like, a thousand times that my dad is making me do his damn Dean’s Club thing, so I’m here until five-thirty.” Well, there was the answer to that question, at least. Kai was here by force, not will. “I don’t know, probably. He already got super amped up about hearing about my first day. He’s probably gonna drag me out to dinner or something afterward.”
I glanced up at Kai to see his expression, and he seemed annoyed. When he caught me looking, he rolled his eyes at me and tapped his fingers and thumb together in a blah-blah-blah motion. “I know, but he’s my dad, so I don’t know what you expect from me. We’ll just get dinner tomorrow night. Fine. Love you, too. Bye.”
Kai set his phone down on the table and ran a hand through his hair. He looked at me and scoffed. “Women, am I right?”
“Is she your girlfriend?” I asked.
Kai rolled his eyes and nodded. “Yeah, although half the time, it feels like she keeps me around just for the sake of it. We’ve been together since junior year of high school, though, so I must be doing something right.”
I nodded. “Must be.”
“Do you have a girlfriend?” Kai asked.
I shook my head, briefly imagining my lukewarm and generally uninteresting romantic history. “Nah. College is best when you’re single, anyway.”
“You got that right. I’m jealous,” Kai quipped back, showing me that he probably leaned more toward being a player. “She’s held me down, though, so it’s not like I can just dump her so that I can have fun times in college. She picked this school to be here with me.”
That confused me. For a minute, it sounded like his girlfriend may not be interested in him much at all, but now he’s saying she picked Presper just to be with him? Maybe Kai just didn’t understand women. “Sounds like she’s in it for the long haul, then.”
Kai shrugged. “I guess.”
For the second time in the span of about fifteen minutes, I was jealous of Kai. Due to my wanting to honor Henry’s wish to set my life on the right path and keep my grades in check, I didn’t have much time for a girlfriend. I’d dated a few women here and there, but many of them were like him, not wanting a serious relationship so that they could just enjoy college for what it was. It wasn’t until I saw Henry and Sydney together that I started to think that I might like to have something more serious. Knowing someone loved me enough to commit themselves for four years to a college just to be with me—that sounded exciting. Maybe the old saying was true. The grass does always seem greener on the other side.
I thought of Nina briefly and couldn’t stop the thoughts from seeping into my head. Kai was lucky to have a girl like her pining after him. The kiss that we’d shared, only to stave off Nina and Sydney’s nosy resident advisory, popped into my mind. For the fact that Nina was supposed to be inexperienced, the kiss was enjoyable. It lingered on my lips in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I found myself partially wishing it wasn’t just for show.
I forced the thoughts away. I wasn’t interested in Nina, but the kiss and my desire for a more serious relationship were muddling my mind. Nina wanted Kai, and I’d made it my mission to bring them together.
“My best advice?” I said to Kai. “If there’s something else you’re interested in, I say go for it. You have your whole life to tie yourself down, so don’t miss out on something amazing while chasing around something that’s sub-par.”
Kai snickered. “Sounds like you’re speaking from experience.”
I shook my head. “That’s just my best advice.”
Kai’s smile grew a little bit, and whether it was because of Nina or not, I couldn’t tell, but I could clearly see he’d conjured up a specific image at my words. “Might be some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten.”
I grinned and looked back down at my notebooks. There you go, Nina. Take it and run.
9
Nina
“You can’t get uppity every time we have to switch,” Sydney argued.
It was time for Devon and Sydney to swap rooms, and Sydney and I were right in the middle of studying when the time arrived. If she was living in our room as she was supposed to, it wouldn’t be an issue, but thanks to the room switch debacle, we had to stop right in the middle. My dedication was to my schoolwork, not to Sydney’s relationship, so I was annoyed. It was the end of the first week of school, and I was excited to be studying with my friend, but suddenly, it was over.
“I’m fine,” I said. “Just go. I’ll finish on my own.”
Sydney crossed her arms. “Nina.”
“Sydney, just go,” Devon cut in. “She’ll be okay.” I glared at Devon for inserting himself into the conversation, but the fact that Sydney picked up her stuff and walked out left me with relief. “How long are you gonna hold this against her?” Devon asked.
“I can tell by the disdain in your voice that you’re looking for an answer other than, ‘Every time it inconveniences me.’” I rolled my eyes. “I just won’t put myself in this situation anymore.”
Devon sat down on his-slash-Sydney’s bed. “Meaning what? You’re not ever gonna study with your best friend again because you’re gonna catch an attitude when she has to leave?”
“Well, I wouldn’t have said it like I’m the one who’s doing something wrong, but pretty much, yes.” I slid my notebook into my textbook to serve as a bookmark and set the textbook on my desk. “It’s a win-win for her. She gets to come and play besties with me and then run upstairs and snuggle up with Henry. Meanwhile, I’m out a friend and roommate. I get absolutely no benefits from that relationship.”
“Hey,” Devon responded. “You get me, and I am a treat.”
I leered over at him. “Are you being serious?”
He laughed but said, “Kind of. I’m helping you with Kai, aren’t I? You said it’s working.”
I couldn’t deny that Devon’s advice did seem to be tipping the needle a touch, but it wasn’t like I needed that. I accepted it in exchange for keeping my mouth shut. “It’s not the same. Kai still has a girlfriend. Who even knows if it’s going to go anywhere. I could just be wasting my time. All I’m saying is that what I’m getting from this fucked-up deal is a lot less than what she’s getting.”
“What about the fact that you’re helping a friend get to spend some time with a guy she’s really into?”
“Look, I don’t know that I will ever understand why you’re so dedicated to Henry’s happiness, but I like to focus on myself some, too. I can’t be as selfless as you.” I went and sat down on my bed. “You’re telling me that it doesn’t bother you, even a little bit, that Henry’s getting some while you’re being lectured by an enraged nerd?”
“I happen to find the enraged nerd’s rants endearing, and Henry has spent his whole life worrying about other people. So yeah, if he’s getting some, I’m happy for him.” I growled at his Miss-America perfect answer, and he laughed. “Wanna hear something else you’re not gonna like?”