Ceaseless(27)

I wasn’t sure if Jay and I should step out of the room or if Miranda would want me there. So, I just stayed put by the door.

“It doesn’t matter, I’m over it.” That didn’t even begin to sound convincing.

A doorknob across the hall started to turn and I grabbed Jay’s arm and pulled him inside and closed the door quickly before we got caught with boys in our room. I wanted Nathan to get to say what he came here to say.

Both Nathan and Miranda looked back at us now standing in the room in front of the door. I shrugged, “The girls across the room are waking up.” I explained.

Nathan nodded his head toward the bathroom, “Can y’all go in there and give us a little privacy?

“Sure,” I replied grabbing Jay’s hand and tugging him along behind me. I wanted this matter settled and Miranda wasn’t going to be easy to convince. We’d spent two full days eating ice cream and watching Damon to get her over this guy.

Once we were safely tucked away in the bathroom, I let go of Jay’s hand and put some distance between us. In reality this mess was his fault.

“What happened with them?” Jay asked as I pressed my back up against the door to Gee’s room.

“You don’t know?” I asked. Really he was that busy with his female friends that he hadn’t asked Nathan what happened?

“Nathan doesn’t really know either. From what you told him at the door the night he tried to get in Victoria had shown up and shared his sexual habits with Miranda and she wasn’t interested in being a part of that.”

I hadn’t been very clear but I’d thought he would figure it out if he was in fact screwing that girl on a regular basis. “Victoria showed up to warn me off you. Miranda was being defensive and trying to stand between the two of us. Then Victoria informed Miranda that Nathan was screwing some girl named Siera on a regular basis. She was his and I quote, “fuck buddy” and that Miranda needed to step back.”

Jay’s eyes went wide and he shook his head, “That shit ain’t true. Nathan and Siera had a very short fling about two months ago. It was just the sex. He didn’t even like her very much. I think they may have had sex a few times since then but only because he drank too much at a party at the frat house and she threw herself at him.”

I nodded, “I kinda figured that. Hopefully that is all getting cleared up in there.”

Jay took a step toward me, “What about you? What did Victoria say to you?”

“Oh, that you and her did it like rabbits and I needed to forget about you. You weren’t interested in me. I was just a flavor of the week.”

Jay scowled and slammed his palm down on the counter. “I’m so f**king sick of her shit. I’ve told her no. I’ve pushed her away but she is still convinced I want her.”

“Are you trying to tell me y’all didn’t do it like they do it on the discovery channel?” I asked in an amused tone.

Jay frowned, “Sure, we’ve had sex a few times. She is one of the easier lays on campus. But I don’t have any feelings for her. She was just handy. Now she’s got it in her head that I want something more.”

Nice. He was all about respecting the females these days. “Hmmm it seems to me that maybe you should be more careful where you stick it.”

Jay sighed and leaned a hip against the sink. “This has ruined any small chance I might have had to get another date with you, hasn’t it?”

I nodded, “Yep, pretty much. Although, if it makes you feel better, I was anti-the-dating-you thing after you asked someone else out on our last date.”

Jay ran both hands through his hair and cursed under his breath. “I wasn’t expecting you to walk back into my life, Pagan. I thought about you all the time but I had been telling myself for over a year that you were gone. I’d never see you again. I didn’t get serious with anyone because I always compared them to you. No one ever measures up. Yes, I’ve screwed around and dated a lot of girls but it was my way of coping. If I’d known you’d be walking back into my life again, I’d have done things so much differently.”

Well that was nice. Didn’t change how I felt, but it was still nice to hear.

The door opened and Miranda stuck her head in, “Could y’all maybe leave?”

“Uh, yeah could I have clothes first?” I asked, studying her very pleased expression.

“Yeah, hold on. Don’t come out, though,” she said slamming the door in our faces.

“I’m thinking my man might have smoothed things over,” Jay said with a small laugh.

“Yeah, I’m thinking you’re right.”

The door inched open and a pair of cut-off blue jean shorts and a Rolling Stones tee shirt that was entirely too tight, which Miranda well knew, was shoved through the door before it closed again. The lock clicked and I looked over at Jay.

“You’re gonna have to leave through Gee’s door before I get dressed.”