Page 2 of Tempt

“Hey, Angel,” I croon. He perks up, sniffing delicately. “I get it. You’re not a sweet Angel. You’re a badass Angel, but misunderstood. Like Criss Angel. Or Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”

He tenses, but lets me scoop him up.

“Usually, he won’t let us hold him,” the woman says, impressed. “He likes you.”

“I’m good with boys. Just a matter of understanding what they want.” I scratch the bunny’s fluffy ear and he leans into my hand, snuggling as if it’s his mission in life. “I might bring a guy home, but I never keep him. You know what Angel? You might be my exception.”

She reaches into a folder under one arm and produces a sheet of paper. “Adoption application. Just in case.”

“Bye, handsome.” I give my future best guy one last ear scratch before handing him to the other woman.

I tuck the application into my bag, pick up my box and carry on across the street.

Elmwood has Big Fall Energy. The leaves are teasing they’re about to turn gold and red. While the days are still hot, everyone cups their coffee to warm their hands on brisk mornings.

My final year at Russell U will be a victory lap. Graduation’s a given, but what really matters is having the time of my life with my roommates and best friends.

I wouldn’t have survived without them, and tonight, we’re celebrating.

The dance academy occupies an old house, renovated top to bottom. I wind my way through half a dozen dance moms in the hallway to reach the first-floor studio.

Inside, Liv holds court, her dark hair twisted up into a bun on her head and her black bodysuit skimming curves that ended her dream of becoming a professional dancer. Now, she’s one of the top engineering students at Russell U—and queen amongst the cute eight-year-olds she teaches ballet to in the evenings.

“See you all next week!” she choruses, and the children start for the door in a tiny mob.

“Hey!” Liv embraces me at the studio doorway. “Cute glasses. This a new prescription?”

I push them up my nose. “You know it’s first week of classes. Which means—”

“First impressions,” she says at the same time I do.

Since we came to Russell and ran into one another on one fateful night freshman year, Jules, Liv and I have been bonded.

Now, it’s our final year of rooming together. Our final year to enjoy the campus, the parties, the friends, even the classes. Basically, all the things we’ve taken for granted since we arrived as wide-eyed teens.

The one wrinkle is that Liv just moved in with her boyfriend. She comes by all the time, but I’m still working out how to convince her it was a big mistake.

“What’s that?” Liv nods to the box.

“A surprise. But first, I have news. A new roommate. Better than you or Jules.” I reach for the adoption application in my bag.

Liv grabs my arm before I can get it. “Really? That’s great. Jules thought you might be upset about her leaving.”

The air evaporates from the room. “What?”

“Jules is moving in with Tess.”

I’ve been hit in the side of the head. The floor tilts under my feet.

“You didn’t know.” Liv covers her mouth with a hand. “Shit.”

I tug at the neckline of my shirt, popping open another button. “But…They’ve broken up twice already this year.”

Ditching the best roommates you’ve ever had for some epic romance, like Liv did, is hard enough to take. Nothing against Jules’ girl, but their relationship is off-again as frequently as on-again.

“You’ll get new roommates,” she says, twisting the knife in my stomach deeper.

I think of the horror stories from Jules first year before we decided to room together—her first roommate didn’t shower or do dishes.

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