In the Air (The City Book 1) - By Crystal Serowka Page 0,36

not the first time I've heard that," she said, a tight-lipped smile spreading from one ear to another. "Don't be such a grouch. I figured you would be in a good mood this morning, considering you hung out with Pretty Boy all night. Give me details. And seriously, get out of bed." Her tone was firm. She was a very bossy roommate.

"There are no details to tell. We went to the concert, got food, and then went our separate ways." There was absolutely no need to divulge how the night had ended.

"You're an awful liar." Kingsley's somber face stared back at me. "This is me trying to be a good roommate, but you're acting like a little shit. So, never mind."

She walked over to her side of the room, carelessly throwing her heeled boots onto the floor. She continued undressing, not being the least bit shy about getting naked in front of me. I wasn't surprised, though. I'd known the girl for such a short time and I'd already walked in on her giving someone a blow job.

I was surprised, however, that Kingsley cared about the fine points of my night. She'd really never been that curious to get to know any details of my life since I'd been living with her, but I think what flagged her interest was that my night could have possibly been scandalous. Kingsley loved scandal. I think it made her feel better about her own mess.

When I tried to ask Kingsley about her life, she would give me generic answers. Only child. Had one serious boyfriend. Never knew her real parents. The one thing she did fully open up about was her adoption. A few nights ago, Kingsley stumbled into our room and shook me awake.

"I need to talk to you," she whispered.

"Is everything okay? What time is it?" I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, trying to focus on her face. She looked as if she had been crying.

"Everything is ... fine. I just," she stammered over her words. "Can I tell you something?"

"Of course." I sat up in my bed, eager to hear what she wanted to confess. Kingsley wasn't the type to reveal anything about herself, so at that moment, I wanted to make sure she knew I was listening.

"My past was fucked up. Not just, 'oh, I didn't make the cheerleading squad' or 'boo-hoo kids make fun of me all of the time.'" She bit her lip and stayed quiet before continuing. "No, it was a disaster until Trish adopted me." Her eyes shot up as she finished.

"You were adopted?"

"You thought Trish was my real mom?" Kingsley asked.

"I obviously noticed that you two looked nothing alike, but I wasn't going to jump to conclusions. That's your thing."

She lightly laughed at my answer and explained. "Trish adopted me two years ago. I was fifteen years old and I'd just been thrown out of yet another foster home. I never thought I'd be adopted again. She saved me." Kingsley's face lit up when she talked about Trish. It was the only time she showed any emotion.

Other than that middle-of-the-night conversation about Kingsley's past, I hadn't learned anything else. As much as I would love to know all about her life, I knew it would take her time to open up.

"We kissed." I didn't plan on admitting that information, and it snuck out before I could bite my tongue. I waited for the shit to hit fan and bit the inside of my cheek.

Just as Kingsley was about to take off the last piece of clothing, her underwear, she stopped and swung her body around. She glared down at me and for a moment, I was terrified she was going to pounce.

"We should still get you checked out. You could have herpes forming." Kingsley walked to her closet, throwing on the first thing her hand touched.

I started laughing, reading the text on her black T-shirt. In large pink font, it informed the world that she wasn't wearing any underwear. "Don't you think that's a little inappropriate? I'm sure people look at you and already assume you're not wearing any underwear. And anyway," I pointed to her half-naked body, "you're making a liar out of your shirt."

Kingsley began laughing as if knowing something I didn't. "In two seconds," she hooked her fingers through her leopard-print thong, "I won't be."

I immediately turned to face the wall. Of all things I never wanted to see, Kingsley's parts were number one on that list.

"Do you feel any