The Sophomore (College Years #2) - Monica Murphy Page 0,62

The sly look she sends my way has my mind going blank. She’s watching me as if she knows all of my secrets.

But what could she know?

“I’m good,” I say carefully as I enter the living room, clutching the strap of my backpack. “It’s a Wednesday, you know? Closer to the weekend.”

Which I still have to work, so a weekend doesn’t equate days off for me. I do have Sunday off though. Friday and Saturday night are both going to be busy, though not as much as usual since the football team is playing an away game.

“Yes. Right. The weekend. I’m guessing you’ll be spending it with your boyfriend?” The pointed look she sends me, along with her words, makes me realize that she probably saw Jackson.

But when? Not when we arrived. The house was quiet. They were asleep.

Maybe this morning when he left?

“Um, I don’t really have a boyfriend,” I admit.

“That’s not what he said.” Her tone is knowing and when I continue to stare at her helplessly, she throws her hands up. “Girl, you’ve been keeping secrets! That boy is gorgeous.”

“Oh. Uh, yeah.”

“Having middle of the night hookups with a complete hottie.” Alaina shakes her head. “I must’ve seen him around campus before. He’s really familiar. And really hot, too. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“What do you mean, had it in me?” Now I’m vaguely offended.

“That you could snatch up a guy like that. Whew.” She fans herself. “I about died when I saw him sneaking out of the house this morning.”

And there’s my confirmation. “What time was that at exactly?”

“Little after five. I like to get up early and go running, remember.” Alaina is a running freak. She owns so many pairs of running shoes, it’s borderline obsessive. She showed us her collection when she first moved in, and even admitted she didn’t bring half of it.

What she did bring seemed pretty excessive.

“He was about to leave when he glanced over at me standing in the kitchen, eating a banana. I about swallowed my tongue when I saw him.” She’s staring at me in amazement. “Please tell me you two hooked up.”

What I really want to tell her is that what Jackson and I did is none of her business, but I don’t have it in me to be that rude. I just smile and nod, trying to look mysterious, not saying a word, but she won’t let me get away with it.

“Come on,” she says. “You have to tell me.”

I don’t have to tell her anything. “He’s an old friend,” I finally say. “We’ve known each other since high school. He’s a year older though.”

“He said he was your boyfriend,” Alaina says.

I frown. “Really?” I find that hard to believe.

She nods. “Well, I asked him if he was your boyfriend, and he said yes. Maybe you two need to have a little talk. Define what you guys are doing.”

Alaina grins. I scowl. I don’t understand where she’s going with this. Or why she cares so much. Maybe she just likes to gossip. Or maybe she’s digging for info on Jackson because she’s interested in him too.

I look at her—as in, I really take note of her features. Long brown hair. Pretty face—not outrageously gorgeous or anything, but she’s really cute. Slender figure. Tall. Extremely fit. Eats well, a vegetarian who’s considering going full vegan. She’s probably Jackson’s type.

But does he even have a type? To me, he seems to appreciate all females, which is so freaking frustrating.

I’m selfish. I want him to only appreciate me.

“Like I said, we’re just friends,” I tell her, deciding to remain honest. “Maybe there’s potential for more, maybe not. We’ll see.”

“I love your attitude, Ellie. I wish I could be more like you. When I meet a guy I like, I go all in—and somehow, I always mess it up.” Her compliment makes me feel bad for judging her earlier and looking at her as competition. “I wish I was more casual with my feelings like you. I’d give anything to be able to keep an open mind and not fall so hard for someone that I can’t even see straight.”

I mull over what Alaina said to me as I get ready for work. She thinks I’m super casual over this situation with Jackson, when that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I’m not casual at all. I am in love with stupid Jackson Rivers and I have been for over a year. I’ve let him keep stringing