Page 13 of Cheater and the Saint
Leo walked into my room, a smile in place. His dark hair looked like he’d styled it by running his fingers through the short strands, and the way his gray shirt and jeans hugged his athletic build would put many male models to shame. He was too handsome, and it irked me that I’d started noticing.
Damn you, Chris.
“What’re you up to tonight?” he asked, leaning against the frame and crossing his arms.
His biceps drew my attention with the action, and I inwardly cursed myself. I’d seen he was attractive the first day I’d met him, but it was becoming clearer as the days passed. And knowing he was bisexual didn’t help any… because maybe I had a chance.
That thought was shut down fast. There was no way he’d be into me.
“Probably gonna read,” I answered, knowing how pathetic I sounded. Some people rarely understood the joy that came from relaxing with a good book. Bookworms like me were mocked for it and told our lives were boring, when really, we were living within the pages, going on adventures and escaping to fantastical worlds.
Leo surprised me.
“Oh yeah? Whatcha gonna read?” He remained standing there, leaning against the door frame and smiling. It was weird. I didn’t know why he was sticking around. “I’m not much of a reader, but I read the shit out of Harry Potter. Ihadto in order to get good grades in high school English for our reading requirement. But I liked them.”
Warning signs were going off in my brain. People like Leo were never nice to me without a reason, and most of the time, the reason was cruel.
“I’m about to start the third book in theGame of Thronesseries,” I answered. “I was bad and watched the show first, but now I’m going back and reading them.”
“Ah, good ol’ titties and dragons.” Leo nodded, and seeing my confusion, he said, “It’s my nickname for it.”
I snorted a laugh. “Of course, you’d call it that.”
Titties were always on his mind. And dicks.
His brown eyes narrowed, but the smile still lingered in the corner of his mouth. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I answered, playing innocent. Our dorm room should’ve had a revolving door with as many sex partners as he’d brought home. However, I kept that to myself. “So yeah. That’s my plan. What about you?”
The question was stupid, as I assumed he’d be doing what he did the previous weekend: drinking and whoring his way through the student population.
“Not sure,” he answered, uncrossing his arms and pushing from the frame. “I’m gonna let the night take me where it takes me.”
Yeah, probably right into someone’s bed.
“Leo! Let’s go,” one of his friends called from the living room.
“Sounds like the night has plans for you after all,” I said, suppressing an eye roll.
“Guess so.” Leo hesitated in the doorway. When I focused on him, his brow dipped and he looked like he was going to say something. His friend called again and whatever he was about to say was gone. “Have a good night, Saint.”
I nodded, not sure what just happened.
After he left, I sat there pondering it. Had he just wanted light conversation, or had there been more to it? I’d learned the hard way not to trust guys like him. I wouldn’t make that same mistake again, either.
Once I heard them leave and the dorm was quiet, I slipped out of my room and went to the kitchen for a soda. Outside the living room window, I heard people talking and laughing. We were on the third floor, otherwise it would’ve been even louder, but even from the height, I heard them and peeked through the blinds.
It was a group of guys and two girls. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but it looked like they were having fun, if the giggling and gentle shoulder shoves were anything to judge by. Slinking away from the window, their voices faded and I went farther into the quiet of the room.
My whole life was one of solitude, and although I typically preferred to be alone… there were times when the silence became lonely. Sure, I had online friends, but I missed physical human interaction.
“Damn, I sound like a freaking robot or something,” I muttered to myself.
Maybe, in a way, that’s exactly what I was. A robot that was programmed to avoid social gatherings. One who wanted an emotional connection, but didn’t know how to achieve it. There weren’t really many books for that.
Even in my classes, I rarely talked to other students, unless it was about an assignment. I was a walking, talking robot that wanted someone to love, but the desire didn’t compute.
Returning to my room, I grabbed my book and glasses before reclining on the bed. Many hours and several cans of soda later, my eyes refused to stay open. The time on my phone said it was nearly three in the morning. Leo still wasn’t home. No surprise there. I marked my page and took off my glasses before shutting off the lamp and rolling over.
