“Leo! You’re going to make me pee my pants!”
He pressed harder, my throat burned, and my voice sounded hoarse.
“You have five seconds to apologize for hitting me in the face.”
“With a pillow!”
“Four seconds, or I’ll really have no mercy on you at all. “Three… two…”
I fought harder and laughed louder.
“One…”
“I’m sorry!” I screamed out, trying to catch my breath, and he finally stopped.
I breathed heavily, in and out, my chest rising and falling with my heart pounding out of my skin. My body warm all over with sweat forming at my temples. I swallowed the saliva that had pooled in my mouth.
With the back of his fingers, he swept the hair away from my eyes.
“You’re still horrible.”
“And you still love me.”
“I don’t know why.”
“Because I still push you on the swings.”
I giggled, feeling the weight of him on me. “You’re squishing me.”
“But I’m so comfortable.”
“You’re such an asshole in so many languages.”
“Feisty words for someone who just lost our battle.”
“I always lose the battle.”
“And yet you still try me every chance you get.”
“I can’t help that you’re a bully in your heart and soul, Leo Hawkins.”
“Well, Mila Love Lawrence, I guess that makes you my prey.”
“You know… this is probably why Cain thinks there is something more than friendship going on between us.”
He lowered his eyebrows and sat up. “Cain?”
“Yeah.” I followed his lead, adjusting my top that he wrinkled. “He said something to me about it.”
“What? When?”
“On the catamaran in Cancun.”
“What did he say?”
“He asked me if I ever get jealous of you and your flavors of the week.”
“Huh.” He jerked back.
“What?”
“He asked me that too.”
“When?”
“When you were with your douchebag.”
I asked without thinking, “What did you say?”
“I said you don’t usually sleep with them and we’re just best friends.”
“Good.” I nodded, looking for the remote. “So, how about that movie?”
“Mila.”
Our eyes locked again, his demeanor quickly changed to someone I didn’t recognize.
“What did you say?”
“That we’re just best friends and that we love each other but we aren’t in love with each other.”
We stared at one another for a few seconds without saying a word. I bit my lower lip, suddenly feeling nervous.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
He shook it off. “I guess I just find it odd he’s asking you such personal questions. You guys aren’t exactly friendly like that, he’s sticking his nose in shit that isn’t his business.”
“Whoa. What’s with the tone? He’s your friend. He cares about you.”
“Right. He’s my friend, like you’re my friend. Not his.”
“Leo—”
He abruptly stood up. “Throw on whatever you want to watch. I’m going to jump in the shower.”
I don’t know why but for some reason, I announced, “You’re still my best friend. No matter what, you’ll always be my best friend, Leo.”
He snapped back around, took one look at me, and declared, “Yeah, make sure to keep it that way.”
I sat there while he showered, staring aimlessly at the television. We didn’t watch a movie that night.
Both of us lost…
In our own thoughts.
Chapter 7
—Mila—
“As we discussed at the beginning of the semester. Your dual thesis will count as fifty percent of your final grade for this class,” Mr. Berry announced, standing in the front of the auditorium of my psychology class.
Cain raised his hand. He was sitting on the other end of the wide-open space that was filled with seats for students.
“Yes,” our professor called on him. “Mr. Roberts.”
“What do you mean by dual thesis?”
“I mean you and your partner will present a dual thesis on the laws of attraction. It will be good practice for those of you who will be going onto graduate school.”
“So, what you’re saying is my final grade will rely on someone else?”
“Yes, choose wisely.”
Great.
Our professor proceeded to hand out directions for our final assignment while I contemplated who would be my partner. I didn’t exactly make any friends or acquaintances in this class over the last semester. I kept to myself, I was there for one reason and one reason only.
To learn.
Not sure how long I sat there, thinking about it, when out of nowhere I heard Cain’s voice hovering above me, “What do you say?”
I peered up at him. “To what?”
He cocked his head to the side before sitting in the empty seat beside me. “Partners?”
“You’re joking, right?”
“Never been so serious in all my life.”
“You think I’m going to rely on you for passing or failing this class? Right before graduation?”
“So not only do you think I’m a man whore, you also think I’m stupid?”
“I don’t think.” I nodded. “I know.”
“Mila, I have a three point nine GPA. I’m graduating Summa Cum Laude.”
“You’re full of shit.”
He reached into his backpack. “Read ‘em and weep, darlin’.”
I grabbed his transcripts out of his hand. Right there in big, bold letters, Cumulative GPA: 3.9
“Wow,” I breathed out. Shocked was an understatement.
“I know, pretty impressive, right?”
“I mean yes but that’s not what I was thinking.”
“Care to elaborate?”
I lifted my eyes to him. “You actually carry around your transcripts?”
He shrugged. “Helps me get laid.”
“Ugh!” I smacked the papers on his chest.
“Ow. Rude.”
“At least I was right about my first assumption. I stand corrected. You’re smarter than you look.”
“I was kidding. I just left the dean’s office and he gave them to me.”
“Dean’s office?”
“Yeah, he wanted to congratulate me on making his list every year since we started college.”
I sat there, my mind blown. “How did I not know this?”
“There’s a lot that you don’t know about me, Mila. This is just one of them.”
“I guess so.”
“So what do you say? Partners?”
“I think I’d be the stupid one if I said no.”
“Damn. You sure know how to give a compliment.”
I chuckled. “I’d be honored to be your partner on this assignment. Will you please accept my profound apology for judging your dumbass face?”