Chapter 2

MILA

I havefour books open in front of me and the words have officially blurred all together.

Hands touch my shoulders.

Ward leans down and puts his cheek to mine. "Have you been studying all night again?"

His breath stinks of a bad night of sleep and alcohol.

I turn my head. "How bad is your hangover?"

"I don't get hangovers. Remember?"

"You look like you're hungover right now."

"Damn, didn't know you were going to pick a fight with me. I should have just stayed asleep."

Ward steps back. He points at the books. "That's a lot of words. No pictures?"

"No pictures in these books, Ward," I say. "This is intense stuff."

"Pre-med," he says. "My woman is a genius, huh?"

"I don't know about that. But thanks for saying it."

"Hey," Ward says with a smile. "Where are the good books at? The ones with the pictures. I miss those."

"Wow. Seeing another woman's clitoris excites you that much?"

"I only see it as a benefit for you," Ward says. "The more I understand of the female anatomy, the better."

I stare at him.

He starts to laugh.

He rubs his forehead and sighs.

Not hungover, huh?

"Shit, I need some coffee," Ward says. "What a night. You didn't drink at all?"

"I had a sip here and there."

"You're so tame. Sometimes I wonder how in the world we ended up together."

I laugh. A very nervous laugh.

Ward's phone begins to ring.

He rushes back to my bedroom and next thing I hear is him yelling, "Yo! Man! What the fuck was that last night?"

I look at my textbooks and my eyes go blurry.

I have to take a break.

I should grab a shower and get something to eat.

Pre-med is no joke. I can't even imagine what actual medical school will be like.

Everything in my life is riding on this.

From the second I was born, this has been my path.

"Dude, you're kidding me," Ward says as he walks out of the bedroom. "He fucked her? No way. He really went for it and she let him? That's nuts." Ward comes closer to me and points to himself and then to the door. He's got to go. "I hope he doesn't catch something. His dick will look like a shriveled-up hotdog." Ward then bursts out laughing. "Yo, mini hotdog! That's great!"

Ward leans down and kisses my cheek.

He turns and he's on the move.

"No, it's good," he says. "Mila is just being her normal nerd self. Studying these books with all words."

He shuts the door behind him.

I'm tired and grumpy and… you know what?

I lift both middle fingers and wave them at the door.

"What are you doing here?"Violet asks. "No offense. You need sleep. You look like hell."

"You look like hell spit you out," Ruby adds on.

"Hey, thanks to you both for that," I say. "Sorry I needed to get out of my dorm for a minute."

The smell of coffee and sugar lingers in the air.

We sit by the window at the cafe and I know, no matter how much coffee I consume I'm going to doze off soon. My body needs sleep. Even a nap.

"Did you actually go to that party last night?" Violet asks me.

I shrug my shoulders.

"Well, Ward was there," Ruby says.

Her tone pisses me off.

She really hates Ward. And I mean… she hates him.

Violet has told me a bunch of times it's because Ruby cares about me.

She's being protective.

I'm not sure what that means.

Ward might be a college jerk but he's harmless.

"I went out with my boyfriend," I say. "That an issue, Ruby?"

"Nope. I stayed in."

"I bet Gabriel was in too, huh?" Violet asks.

"Don't be weird about it," Ruby says.

"Hey," Violet says, lifting her coffee. "Cheers to us. We all got some action last night, right? It's about time we empower ourselves to enjoy pleasure."

I glance at Ruby. "Wasn't Violet a virgin like fourteen seconds ago? Now she's giving speeches on sex?"

Ruby snorts. "I mean… cheers…"

They touch cups.

I don't lift mine.

"Mila?" Violet whispers. "Nothing… going on there…?"

"Not last night," I say. "I practically had to carry Ward back to my dorm."

I try to laugh but I know how pathetic it sounds.

"He was drunk?" Ruby asks.

"Well, you know, college party and all," I say.

"Right," Violet says. "Well, it happens."

"Even if he was awake, he'd probably have whiskey dick," Ruby says.

"I wonder what you call it for a woman," Violet says.

"Instead of whiskey dick?" I asked. "Call it vodka clit."

Ruby throws her head back and laughs so loud everyone at the cafe looks at her.

I stand up. "Okay, I'm calling it quits. The coffee isn't doing a thing for me. It's officially sleep time for me."

"I like when you're groggy and horny," Ruby says.

"Who says I'm horny?" I ask.

"Um… you didn't have sex last night."

"I don't need it every night," I say.

"Then what's the point of having a boyfriend?"

"Ruby, that's enough," Violet says. "Deep breath."

"Always nice talking to you, Ruby," I say.

"Is that a nice way of you calling me a bitch?" Ruby asks.

I shrug and smile.

As I walk toward the door, I see a very familiar face.

Willow opens the door to enter the cafe and doesn't even see me.

She's looking down at her phone.

I whistle and she looks up and instantly grabs for me.

"Hey," I say.

"Mila," she says. "Is…"

Willow turns her head and her eyes widen at the sight of Violet and Ruby.

They look at her.

"Hey, Willow," Ruby says. "I was just singing your brother's praises."

"Ward?" Willow asks. "Really?"

"She's being a bitch," I say.

"Oh. Right." Willow laughs. A quick laugh. "Um… I need to talk to someone. Or the three of you. I need some advice. About someone."

"Sounds juicy," Violet says. "Take a seat. Are you having guy issues?"

"Something like that," Willow says. "I just got an email… I don't know if you know this but I've been kind of tutoring people for a while now. Just for fun. To get some credits. Just, you know, just existing. Well, guess who I'm tutoring next?"

I shake my head. "Who?"

"Jax… Archer…"

"Jax?" Violet asks.

"Jax… as in the hockey player…?" Ruby asks.

I mouth the name. Jax.

I swallow hard.

Willow is going to be tutoring Jax?

She's going to be alone with him? Studying with him? Helping him?

I blink fast.

I'm trying to keep myself composed.

For some odd reason… I feel a little jealous.