Page 26 of Revolve
The answer isn’t a grueling hike and a disappointing view—post-rain, muggy, and anticlimactic, just like you’d expect. There’s not much to see in Hartford.
The quiet of the hike only makes me replay yesterday morning when I went to the rink to find Kilner but saw Sierra frozen and stiff, in the center of the ice. She was having a panic attack. I only knew that because in freshman year when Kian found out his dad died, I found him in his bathroom gasping for air. When I took him to emergency, they told us it was a panic attack and taught us groundingtechniques. But while Kian needed space to breathe when he had his, Sierra didn’t want to let me go.
“Worth it?” I ask Summer, who’s busy snapping pictures of the dull view.
“Seeing you like this is always worth it.” She takes a picture of me and snickers, and I glance back over the edge, considering whether I should just hop over it to avoid another hour of misery.
Kilner:My office. Tomorrow.
Dylan:Can’t you just tell me what it’s about now? Suspense gives me hives.
Kilner:Good. Itch all night.
I’ve gotten this same text from him so many times, I’m considering having them embroidered on a pillow. When we got back from the hike this morning, I decided it was time to study. Now I’m sitting in the Fishbowl—the all-glass study area right by the quad—trying to do just that, when a pink-haired girl sits on the arm of my chair, distracting me from my Venture Capital and Private Equity notes.
“I thought that was you! It’s been a while.”
I search my memory for pink hair, and what looks like two nipple piercings straining against her T-shirt. I haven’t had sex in a long time—well, long for me—and my brain seems to be lagging. “Hey … Becca?”
Her smile doesn’t waver. “It’s Carly.”
“Right,” I say, leaning back in my chair.
“The football team’s having their week zero party, you coming? I’ll be there with my girlfriend from Harvard.”
Oh. Pink hair. Nipple Piercings.Threesome. That night I recall very well, and now she’s offering again, and the fact that I hesitate at all makes me want to reevaluate my whole life. But I don’t hook upwith anyone more than once. There’s too much risk of there becoming a dependence. I’ve kept those rules very clear, and I don’t move the goalpost for anyone.
“I’ll see if I can make it,” I say. Sampson texted me about it earlier, and I haven’t replied.
“If you change your mind, you know where to find us.” Carly leans in to pull me in for a hug, pressing her tits right up against me. “I’ll bring rope.”
“Donovan,” that smoky voice calls in a bored tone.
The pink-haired girl pulls away, sidestepping Sierra, who stands with her arms crossed, green eyes on me. She doesn’t even glance at … what was her name again? I’m really off my game.
Sierra’s dark hair is twisted in a clip, two loose strands framing her face like a soft halo. She’s got her pink skate bag on her arm, and she’s wearing a black skirt and full-sleeve sweater.
I blink innocently. “Me?”
“Don’t make this harder than it already is,” Sierra mutters, her voice tight. Someone still shushes her, and Sierra’s lips press together. “I came here to say—”
Another shush cuts her off, her attempt to whisper swallowed by the irritation in her voice. Suddenly, she grips my wrist and pulls me off the couch. My textbook hits the floor, but I let her drag me wherever she wants. It’s a thrill I haven’t felt since she yelled at me at that party.
Sierra tugs me between two shelves cluttered with charging laptops. Without skates, I’m reminded just how much shorter she is than me. We’re so close that if I leaned down an inch, I could catch the faint scent of cherry lip gloss.
Her green eyes are wider, almost electric, and her glossy bottom lip is caught between her teeth, as if she’s nervous. Almost guilty.
“Is claustrophobia your kink? It’s the second time you’ve dragged me into a tight space.”
“Look, I wasn’t in the best headspace on the ice yesterday, and I was harsh when you were only trying to help. My best friend seems to think I could’ve gotten hurt if it wasn’t for you. So I wanted to … apologize. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that when you were being nice.”
Damn, today is shaping up to be way better than I expected. “Go on.”
She blinks. “That’s it. I just came to apologize for being rude.”
I shake my head. “You suck at this, Romanova. But talk is cheap. I’ll forgive you on one condition.”
“You know, now that I think about it, I can live with this tiny stain on my conscience.” She tries to leave, but I block her exit. The space is barely wide enough to fit my shoulders.
