Dearest Series Boxed Set (8 page)

T
he corner convenience
store is crammed with students hustling to get to class.

“I’ll have a cinnamon raisin bagel, light cream cheese and small coffee,” Jenna says, handing the guy behind the counter a ten.

“A banana and coffee.” I drop the piece of fruit into my messenger bag and hand over some cash.

“I hate Mondays,” I grumble, tired from spending half the night revising the copy on my website. Gagging in the aftermath of the sorority girls who walk by, I wave my hand in front of my face and whisper to Jenna, “And biatches who wear too much perfume.”

Jenna elbows me in agreement. “And girls who over-pluck their eyebrows so they always look surprised.”

Laughing, I link my arm through hers, and we make our way out onto the sidewalk and wait for the light to change.

I scrunch my face in disgust. “I hate sauerkraut and yappy dogs.”

“Yes! And thong wedgies because even though that scrap of fabric is supposed to be up there, it ain’t supposed to be
up there.
”

I try not to choke on my coffee as she lowers her voice and cocks an eyebrow.

“And I hate used condoms. The way they sit there all deflated and judgmental, like little reminders of the dirty sex you had the night before.”

I snort before I get a chance to cover my face. “Jesus, Jenna.”

We trudge across Commonwealth Avenue with the hordes of other students, and we’re about to make our way to the Liberal Arts Building when I hear a familiar voice in the distance. Before I realize what I’m doing, I yank Jenna behind a thick row of hedges. She squeals as her knees sink into the moist dirt, and her coffee tumbles to the ground.

“Shhh!” I put my finger over her lips as we huddle like escaped criminals behind a bush.

Over the shrubbery, I hear their steps. The girl’s giggle precedes her high-pitched voice. “Thank God you liked my submission. I was so worried it sucked.”

“It is simply breathtaking, love. I’m confident you’ll be able to publish it, but we can talk about it more after class, perhaps over lunch.” His voice wraps around me like a python constricting. I close my eyes as I try to catch my breath.

I wait several minutes so I can be sure they’re gone, and then, like a little gopher in one of those arcade games, I pop my head up over the shrubbery to survey the scene.

Satisfied the coast is clear, I inhale several times in relief before I extend my hand down to my roommate who has a
What the fuck was that?
expression on her face.

“I’m so sorry, Jenna! I heard Wheeler’s voice and reacted. I didn’t mean to shove you into the mud.”

She pats me on the back. “You haven’t seen him yet?”

“Not face to face, and I’m wondering if I can go the whole year without any meet-and-greets. I already had a close call at the bookstore. Do you think I stand a chance of avoiding him until graduation?”

Her mouth twists as she contemplates my question. She shakes her head. “That dog doesn’t hunt.”

I stare at her and blink. I
think
she means no.

There’s nothing like Jenna’s Southern wisdom, but that wasn’t the answer I was looking for.

* * *

W
hen the week
starts with leaping behind shrubbery, I know I’m in trouble. I fumble through the next few days, sleeping through my morning alarms and running late to classes and work. No matter how much coffee I drink or attempts I make to plan my schedule, I can’t seem to get my act together. Wheeler’s presence anchors me like lead, and I find myself always looking behind me, worrying if I’m going to see him again.

So all I can mumble as I stare at the red scribble in the margins of my assignment is, “It figures.”

A C? Marceaux gave me a C?

“I got a better grade on this than you?” Jenna snatches my submission for our romance-writing class, and the delight on her face is unmistakable. I shoot her a dirty look, and she sticks out her bottom lip like she’s sad, which I know is complete bullshit.

“Yeah, it’s official now. I’m a loser.” I knew this wasn’t right when I wrote it.

After flipping through the pages, Jenna sighs. “Her comments are pretty intense.”

Harper, who has been half listening to our conversation, shuffles out of her room and drops onto the couch. “What did Marceaux tell you?”

“That my writing feels stilted and repressed. That I need to loosen up.” I could have told her that. “But she’s not half as tough as our critique groups will be.”

Harper frowns. “That sucks.”

“I’m just not feeling it.”

Jenna jumps up and bolts into her room, calling out, “I have a great idea!” She returns with her phone, and a second later my cell buzzes.

I glance down at my screen. “Jenna, why are you texting me when you’re three feet away?”

She smirks. “We’re going to play Out-Skank.”

“I’m sorry. What?”

“We’re gonna help you talk about sex. The point of the game is to see who can out-skank the other. Harper and I are going to send you dirty texts, and you have to write us back.”

“Where do you come up with this?” I’m shaking my head as I read her text out loud:
I want you to touch my man-slinky.

Man-slinky?

I look up at Jenna and Harper, and the three of us crack up.

“You have to write me back. Or else.” Jenna waves her phone at me with a grin.

I roll my eyes.

I’ve never sexted, so I don’t know where to begin. Jenna has probably had tons of practice with Ryan.
Gross.

Finally, I return the message.

Jenna reads it out loud:
I would touch your man-slinky, but I don’t like jangly parts.

She looks up at me and laughs. “What?”

“Jangly. Penises are jangly,” I say as though this should be obvious. “They jingle and jangle. I mean, unless they’re erect. Ew. There’s a lovely word for you. Erect.”

“Hey, don’t knock it,” Jenna says. “Speaking of jingle and jangle, at Christmas I should sell mistletoe for the peen. Bet I’d make a killing.”

“You have a serious problem. I think you’re obsessed with your man’s junk.”

Jenna laughs before turning a serious shade of red. “Not as obsessed as he is with my girl parts. That boy is great at oral.”

Harper and I groan. I’m too embarrassed to say I’ve neither given nor received in the oral department. I am admittedly out of my league here.

“Maybe he could give Jonathan a few lessons,” Harper says under her breath.

At least I’m not the only one with issues tonight.

* * *

A
fter the climbing
wall on Friday—where I don’t tumble to my death, offering some hope that perhaps I’ve broken my streak of bad luck—Gavin and I grab some Thai and head back to his dorm room to work. We’re having a conversation about his journalism class, but all I can think about is how his t-shirt kept riding up while he was climbing, showing off that sexy-as-hell six-pack. And that little treasure trail leading south…

“You listening?” he asks as we reach his room.

“Oh, sorry, I was thinking about this horrible grade I got.” Lie. Lie. Lie. But I
have
been obsessing about that stupid assignment for the last twenty-four hours, so that might absolve me from being a total lunatic.

When we reach his room, I lament about my professor’s comments.

“Can I read it?” he asks, holding the door open for me. Shit. I never let anyone read my drafts except under extreme duress, like threats from professors or overly nosey roommates. He lifts his chin. “C’mon. I’m a writer. Maybe I can help.”

“I don’t know.” I raise an eyebrow. “You’re not in my circle of trust yet.”

Gavin pretends to be in pain as he clutches his chest. “Ouch. And after we’ve slept together? Clementine, you’re hurting my feelings.”

“Shut up.” I smack him in the shoulder.

He tilts his head down, staring at me through those dark lashes, and makes sad puppy-dog eyes. Oh, hell. Who can say no to that face? I stick my finger in his chin dimple and sigh.

“Fine. Here.” I reach into my bag toss it to him before I can reconsider. “But I’m warning you. You can’t laugh at me. I’ve already told you I don’t write this stuff.”

I grab some paper plates and serve our dinner as he sits at his desk and reads. I hand him his food and sit on the bed across from him.

During his silence, the axis of the planet shifts and then realigns as I watch him go through my draft. I don’t know why letting people read my writing makes me so anxious. And a little nauseous. Okay, a whole lot nauseous.

“This isn’t bad,” he says finally, “but can I make a suggestion?”

“I’m thinking about dropping the class, so go for it.”

“Okay, if this is a relationship between an RA and a girl on his floor, this makeout scene would never happen in the common room because it’s too out in the open. You need to make it happen somewhere more secluded.”

My eyebrows lift. “Make out with girls on your floor much?”

He laughs. “No, none, but you lived in Warren. Kids run in and out of the common room twenty-four seven. No RA who wants to keep his job is going to make out with anyone there.”

“I only lived in Warren for a semester. I don’t remember hanging out that much in the common room. It’s just where I got the idea to turn some dumb diary entries into a book. I wanted to get something constructive out of the hell I went through.”

He runs his tongue over his bottom lip. “So your stuff is autobiographical?”

Shrugging, I nod. “Loosely. I change the characters’ names and the settings and twist around a few details, but I get inspired by what I go through.”

He cocks his head and breaks out into one of those brilliant smiles.

“You, uh, you ever gonna let me read this mysterious novel?” He bats those eyelashes again, but even his nuclear level of sexiness can’t combat the nausea I get from the idea of Gavin reading my book.
Gavin reading about how Daren cheated on me? With my best friend?
My stomach flips.

“I’m thinking no.” I try not to look affected by his overt attempts to charm me.

His eyes narrow briefly before he whispers, “We’ll see about that.”

He grins, and I sense the wheels turning in his head.
He likes the challenge.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I try to keep a straight face. We watch each other in a standoff, but then that devilish grin is back.

“Let’s go find somewhere more intimate for your scene.”

He grabs a basket of folded towels and reaches for my hand, pulling me out into the hall. I laugh as I get dragged because he’s acting like a crazy person.
We zip down two flights of stairs and down another hall.

The laundry room is dark when we walk in, so he flips on the lights. A row of washers and dryers line both sides of the small room. He opens up a washer and dumps in his basket of clothes.

“Gavin, why are you washing clean laundry?” I can’t help the laugh that escapes.

He drops in a few quarters and starts the machine before he turns to me, grinning.

“I’m helping you get
in the zone
. Come here.” He wraps his hands around my waist, and I let out a surprised squeak when he lifts me up onto a washer.
I can’t believe he just picked me up.
Okay, that’s a stupid thought. He did carry me home two weeks ago.

His grip is firm on either side of me as he ducks down to look into my eyes. Even though I lean back, I can feel his minty breath on my face.

“Clementine, I want to warn you.” His voice is husky and deep. “I’m going to kiss you, and you’re going to like it. A lot. But I want to be clear that I’m not going to sleep with you, because I want you to respect me in the morning.” His mouth lifts up in a wry smile. “This is simply one
friend
helping out another. Okay?”

Wait. Is he serious?

He must sense my apprehension because he rubs his thumb softly across my cheek. “It’s just an exercise, to get you into your story. I promise.”

I laugh, embarrassed, intrigued, and a whole lot turned on by the idea. He smiles again, but this time it’s different. His eyes darken as his hands glide over my hips. My breath catches in my chest.