Page 45 of Keep Me Still
Though I have my suspicions. Several girls stop their conversations to check him out as we exit the building. I’m not an idiot—he’s kind of a catch. If you like tall, muscular, dark, and broody. Which, who I am kidding, I obviously do. But whatever. If he wants to play this little game, I’m in.
“Skylar, seriously, thanks for the caffeine,” I say, slowing so I’m closer to him than Landen. “Our AC went out last night and we were like, nearly naked and still sweating. I barely got a wink of sleep. Did you ever cool off, Corin?”
“Hell no, and we are definitely going to get a fan today.” If she’s onto my reason for mentioning the sauna that was our room last night, she doesn’t seem to care. Skylar’s eyes are bulging nearly out of his head, and I try not to be too concerned that he’s picturing me and Corin half naked. And possibly in bed together.
“Almost took you up on your offer to come sleep in your room,” I say sweetly to Landen, nudging him gently with my shoulder.
“Yeah, we had workouts and I passed out right after I texted you,” he says without looking at me, making a big show of nodding at a girl coming towards us in a yellow tank top and tiny jean skirt. She gives him a sly flirty smile and I almost expect her to run into his arms and kiss him like hisfrienddid once before. But I shake it off and she walks right on past, giving Skylar the exact same smile.Slut.
Ugh, I suck for thinking that. What is this boy doing to me?
“Hey, O’Brien, can we borrow your truck?” Corin asks, catching us all off guard.
“What?” He looks at her like she just asked him to donate a kidney. “I mean, what for? And how’d you know I have a truck?”
She nods towards Skylar because it’s obvious how she knows. “So we can go buy a fan,hello. The Campus Transport goes to the shopping center where Target is, but can you see me and Georgia here lugging a huge-ass fan onto the bus? Come on, we’ll be careful with your baby.”
Landen rubs the back of his neck and looks at Skylar, who shrugs. “I have English now and then we have practice and conditioning from noon till three. I can take you after.” So much for not knowing his schedule.
“You don’t trust us?” Corin pouts.
Landen rolls his eyes.
“We’ll all go, grab some dinner, and maybe watch a movie or something,” Skylar chimes in, glancing at Corin to check her response.
And in a quirky little twist, I realize she’s making an effort to avoid him. I have no idea what’s going on with everyone today, but I would like to go get a fan and spend some time with Landen away from campus so I can figure out what his deal is.
“Sounds great,” I say with a smile. At the very least, maybe Skylar and I can be pathetic together.
“Whyare you avoiding Skylar?” I ask Corin once the guys have branched off away from us. She and I have Psych 101 together, so at least I can get answers from her.
“What do you mean?” She twists a curl around her finger but doesn’t look at me.
“I’m just trying to figure out why Skylar and I, who barely know each other, were maintaining most of the conversation this morning, while you and Landen tried to pretend we didn’t exist.”
Huffing out a huge breath, she lets go of her hair and shifts her bag on her shoulder. Her face is scrunching, and I almost want to tell her she doesn’t have to explain anything to me. When she speaks, her voice is low as if she thinks someone nearby is eavesdropping. “Layla, you and I are pretty much opposites in every way. You’re a virgin and back in the day, I was…not. Like, pretty much any guy who looked at me twice got lucky. I was a sure thing, you know?”
No, I didn’t know. Shame practically radiated off her. “Oh,” was all I could manage.
“Sorry for the TMI, but I’m past that now. I’ve been through a lot of shit—shit no one should ever have to go through alone. And coming here, I told myself I wouldn’t just jump in bed with the first guy who paid attention to me. Because I can tell you, a one-night stand is not, in fact, the start of a healthy relationship. So I’m closed for business…indefinitely.”
She seems embarrassed and a little lost, not a look I’m used to seeing on her, so I link my arm through hers and lean in close. “You’re closed for business and I’m trying to get laid. Who’d have guessed?”
Corin cracks up, and several people turn to look as we file into Baker Hall.
“Seriously, Corin, I think that’s awesome. You do what you have to do for you, okay? And if Skylar pressures you, I’ll find that hitman app on my phone and have him taken out.” I wink and she smiles.
“I’m afraid once he knows he’ll blow me off, and he’s kind of fun to hang with. Guess I’m not ready to send him running for the hills yet.”
“Can I ask a question?” I ask, lowering myself into the seat next to her.
“Shoot.”
“If you’re celibate, why all the condoms?”
She smiles a sad smile that makes me feel helpless. “A gift from my mom, in case I fall off the wagon, or mattress I guess. She doesn’t have a whole lot of faith in me.”
“I have faith in you, Corin,” I tell her. As the lecture begins and we open up our blank notebooks to copy words from the PowerPoint presentation a balding man is giving, I can’t help but wonder if Landen and Corin aren’t all that different. But then I remember his nod at that girl on the sidewalk this morning. A heated wave of insecurity seeps into my skin. Maybe he isn’t turning over a leaf. Maybe he’s still sleeping with anyone he wants to. Maybe he just doesn’t want to with me.
