Don't Need You - Lilian Monroe Page 0,28

snap back to mine. “It’s cool. I…I got carried away.”

I rough my hand through my hair, not knowing what to say. Should I tell her how much I want her? It’s pretty obvious based on the wood in my pants.

“I should unpack,” she says. “Let’s just forget about the last thirty seconds, okay?”

“Okay,” I answer, even though I know there’s no forgetting about anything.

I walk to the bathroom, turn on the shower, and jerk myself off as I think of her. When thick, white ropes spurt out of me, I catch myself against the cool tile wall and gulp down air, squeezing my eyes shut and cursing my weakness.

10

Serena

I haven’t slept this well in years. Literal years. I wake up feeling like a new person. I don’t know if it’s the clean, fresh air in Woodvale or the feeling of complete freedom, but something is different.

I can hear Kit moving around in the kitchen, which makes my heart skip a beat. He shouldn’t make me feel this way, I know. We should be keeping it platonic.

But there’s something there. There’s a tug between us. A draw. An attraction.

I squeeze my eyes shut, shaking my head.

I’m on the rebound, is all. The best thing I can do for myself is stay far, far away from men for as long as possible—including Kit. I need to heal myself first, not fall into the arms of the first guy who asks me why I like teaching third grade.

Pulling on some clothes and throwing my unruly hair in a bun, I walk out of the spare bedroom and join Kit in the kitchen. He smiles at me, and my heart melts.

It just dissolves right there in my chest, and I’m pretty sure my ovaries squeal in happiness. Something about the sleepiness in his eyes and the genuine softness of his smile just makes everything go gooey.

Kit jerks his head to the coffee machine, and I help myself. We don’t speak much, which I appreciate. I’m not not a morning person, but I like comfortable silence. I take my coffee to the living room, tucking my feet underneath my body as I sit on the couch.

Then, the front door opens, and a girl with a buzzed head walks through. She’s got a slim, black choker around her neck—is it a shoelace?—and a cropped, baggy black T-shirt on. Her puffy jacket is open, and her jeans are ripped in a million different places. With eyes rimmed in thick, black eyeliner, she looks like she’s ready to take on the world. She’s short—I’d guess barely taller than five feet—but I still would think twice about taking her on in a fight. She’s carrying a dish covered in tin foil.

The girl doesn’t see me right away. As she kicks the door closed behind her with her big, black combat boots, she calls out into the house. “Kit! I have pie for you!”

Her eyes swing around the room, and she finally sees me. Her eyebrows jump up. “Oh. Hello.” She tilts her head. There’s no animosity in her face, just a sense of deep curiosity.

“Hi.” I clear my throat, standing up. “I’m Kit’s new roommate.”

Her eyebrows stretch even farther up her face as she gives me a slow nod, extending a hand for me to shake. “Roommate,” she repeats, her lip tugging at the corner. “Interesting. I’m Esme. Sister. Well, half-sister, technically.”

I’m not proud of this, but the knowledge that she’s Kit’s sister makes me relax. I never said I was perfect, and I never said I wanted to keep things friendly with Kit. I just said we should.

My lizard brain disagrees, obviously. The hidden, deep parts of my mind instantly back down at the knowledge that Esme’s not a threat. At least not in that way, anyway.

I search my mind for everything I know about Kit’s sister. I think Robbie told me she was sick?

“Kit’s sister,” I repeat, nodding. “You’re the one who—”

Had cancer.

I stop myself before I word-vomit all over the room.

Esme rolls her eyes as her lips tug up at the corners. “I’m the cancer chick. Is that what you were going to say? The little infirm who got her wings back.”

I bite my lip. “Not in those words, but yeah.”

Esme’s smile widens, and I like her instantly. There’s more to her than black eyeliner, obviously.

“Esme,” Kit says behind me, his eyes flicking from me to his sister and back again. “What are you doing here?”

“Nice to see you too, brother,” Esme quips. “I brought you