Next Man Up (Making the Score #2) - Tawdra Kandle Page 0,14
a good fit anymore.” My lips twitched, although even now, the situation wasn’t funny. There was still a small pang of hurt when I thought about that weekend.
My new roommate was trying to decide how to tactfully ask me for clarification. I could almost see her mind working, and I noticed that she was careful not to look at her friend, whose own expression was much less charitable. I’d call it downright suspicious, in fact.
“Uh, did you, um . . . disagree?”
Disagree. I wanted to snort, roll my eyes and act like a sarcastic bitch. Instead, I lifted one foot and examined the polish on the toes. “You might say that. I fucked her boyfriend, and she disagreed with my rationale for doing it.”
The air in the room was electric, fairly crackling with tension. I heard Gia’s sharp intake of breath as Quinn’s mouth sagged open. “Oh.”
It was a single syllable filled with shock, but I didn’t hear judgement. Then again, maybe she just hadn’t gotten there yet.
But on the off-chance that I could still salvage this fledging roommate relationship, I decided to focus on the lack of criticism. Sighing, I pressed my lips together.
“Here’s the thing that you need to know about me. I like men. I like sex. And I don’t do relationships.” Without meaning to, I reached for the small silver charm that hung from a whisper-fine chain on my neck. “The girl I was supposed to room with lives up in Trenton. She invited me to come visit for a weekend, so we could get to know each other and make plans for the room—you know, shop for towels and posters and that kind of shit.”
“Didn’t you get along?” Quinn bent her knees, folding her legs up and wrapping her arms around them. She looked incredibly young to me, although I knew we were probably the same age.
“She was okay, until she caught me riding her boyfriend’s cock in his Jeep, parked in her driveway.”
“Holy God,” muttered Gia. I didn’t even glance her way.
“Listen.” I leaned forward, my eyes on Quinn. “I just told you that the thing you have to know about me is that I like men, and I like sex. It’s true. But I’m not a poacher. I don’t steal boyfriends. That guy—the would-be roommate’s boyfriend—he came onto me. He was flirting and touching me from the minute I got there. He made the first move. Did I say no?” I hesitated, remembering that weekend and the decision I’d made, which had been based more on disappointment and wounded pride than on a desire to have sex. “I didn’t. Maybe I should have. But I wasn’t the first girl he’d cheated with, and if they stayed together—which I highly doubt—I can promise you I wasn’t the last. I’m just the one he got caught fucking.”
Quinn’s brow knit together, and in her green eyes I saw worry and unease. “And that makes you . . . what? The hero of the story?”
“No.” I shook my head. “I never claimed I was. But I’m hardly the villain, either. All I did was fail to say no.” I watched Quinn’s gaze wander to the tile floor, and I heard Gia’s soft sigh. Taking a deep breath, I stood up from the bed.
“By the look on your face, I’m guessing you have a serious boyfriend, and now you’re wondering if he’s safe from me.”
“I do have a boyfriend, and yes, we’re very serious. But he doesn’t screw around on me. I know that for sure.” She paused, and I could see her throat work as she swallowed. “I trust him, and as far as trusting you—as long as you don’t give me a reason to think otherwise, I will. You were honest about what happened with the girl who was supposed to be your roommate, and you didn’t have to say anything. That counts.”
Quinn lifted her eyes to me. She was being honest, too, and I appreciated that. A fissure of relief ran down my spine. I hadn’t dared to hope that my roommate and I were going to be best friends forever. As a rule, I didn’t have many friends who were straight women. Most girls disliked or distrusted me on sight. The idea that Quinn and I could speak frankly and co-exist peacefully was more than I’d expected . . . and quite possibly, more than I deserved.
Although Quinn and Gia both seemed to be likable, easy-going girls, I was more than a little surprised