Page 91 of Locke

The smell of cologne hit me. I tensed, its familiarity causing flutters in my chest. Panicked, I sat up, wrinkling my nose as I looked around the hot room. It was exactly as I had left it: messy as hell.

And then I realized the smell was on me.

My shirt was saturated in Locke’s cologne and musk and come.

I slid out of bed, desperate to unclothe and get as far away from it as possible before my pussy did that flutter/throb bullshit again.

“Kali, you gonna need the shower, babe?” Sylvia suddenly called out, knocking on the door. “You usually rinse before work, but it’s almost 7, and I gotta get ready, too.”

Shit.

I’d massively slept in.

I had to be out the door in ten minutes to catch the bus.

I stumbled to the door, exhaustion plaguing me as I whipped it open. Sylvia grimaced at the sight of me. “What the fuck happened to you? Gross.”

I shook my head. “Nothing. I won’t have time to shower.”

She kept watching me though, scanning me head to toe, probably wondering why I was still in my come-saturated babysitter clothes. “You don’t look well, Kali.”

I tried to play it off. “A bit under the weather.”

She looked past me now, eyes widening. “What happened to your room?”

My head began to pound. I pressed a hand to it, shutting my eyes. “Uh, I haven’t cleaned it lately.”

“I’ll say.”

I turned away and stumbled to the pile of clothes on the floor. I hadn’t folded my clothes away since laundry day, and it was mixed in with some of my dirty stuff. I began searching for my jeans when she said, “Kali, what is going on with you lately?”

I really wasn’t in the mood to get grilled. I was too tired to lie. I just wanted to be left alone. “Nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” she pressed. “You’re always wrecked and twitchy. It’s been a little hard being roommates with you lately because I’m constantly cleaning up after you.”

I sighed, finding my jeans. “I’ll make more of an effort, I’m sorry.”

“You’ve been off like this since the shooting at the club—”

“I’m fine, Syl.”

“I think you need to talk to someone—”

“Stop it!” I cut in, frustrated beyond belief as I turned to look at her. “I get it, okay? I understand I’ve been off, but I need you to just give me some space.”

Sylvia’s brows came together, and she looked insulted. “I’m trying to help—”

“I don’t need help—”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” she retorted, gesturing to the room. “You’re living like an animal lately—you look like one, too. Something is up, and I’m trying to be a good friend, but you’re so fucking stubborn, you won’t let me in.”

“Because you don’t get it—”

“What the hell do I need to get? Just tell me!”

“I can’t!”

“I thought we were friends.”

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