"I'm gonna be a doctor. I'm gonna protect everybody."
"But what about me?"
"I'll save you first, Jellybean."
· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·
F O X
Blood trickles down my face as I stalk out of the elevator, feeling every damn drop slip down over my chin. Cameron got me good. Not just a hit—no, he split my fucking eyebrow open.
I stand outside our unit, head throbbing, and make a fist. Med school starts in the fall. I can't have shaking hands. Not with the precision I'll need.
I open the door—
And pause.
Chris and Cam mill around the kitchen, unpacking paper bags of groceries, laughing like they've been friends since birth. Chris is wearing a pink skirt that falls to her knees and a baby blue sweater. She looks like cotton candy. Just as soft and twice as sweet.
Cam notices me first.
"Aw, poor Freckles got a boo-boo. Didn't know sparring with Cameron meant you wanted to look like him too." She throws me a bag of frozen peas.
I catch it mid-air, jaw tight.
Chris glances up, and her whole face falls. She drops a box of cereal and rushes around the island, reaching out like she's going to fix me.
I step back, blinking. "What are you doing."
She freezes. "Oh. Sorry."
Cam barks, "Be nice to New Roommate! She's worried!"
"I don't need worry." I press the bag of peas to my brow, wincing at the cold shock. "I need a nap."
"Then go take one, you baby!"
Chris lowers her head and shuffles back to the island, picking up a box of Cheerios to read the label.
"Where's Noah?" I ask.
"Editing references at the library before the deadline tomorrow. I'm hanging with Chris. She's much nicer than you."
I tighten my grip on the frozen peas until the bag crinkles under my fingers. Yeah, I know I'm not nice. Didn't think it mattered.
The phone rings. It makes Chris jump.
Cam groans, stomping over to the wall receiver. "Hello? Yeah. No, get Xavier. What about Michael? Fine!" She slams the phone down.
"What's wrong?" Chris asks, fiddling with her fingers.
"I've got to cover a shift at Skyfall. Jess called in sick, and apparently, I'm the only one who can close tonight. Sorry, Chris."
Chris smiles. "It's okay."
"I just—I was really looking forward to hanging out."
"We can just watch it later, right?"
Cam exhales, "I guess."
Didn't realize how much this mattered to Cam.
Cam grabs her gym bag, stuffing in a shaker bottle, and heads out.
Chris clears her throat, tugging on her ear. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, it's just, well, you're bleeding—"
I drop my gym bag by the door. My shoes hit the floor next with a dull thud. "I'm fine."
YOU ARE READING
Beside
Romansa''Tell me how it feels,'' he whispers. "Good," I gasp, my entire body trembling. Deeper. Harder. Perfect. Like we've been doing this for years. His hand finds my jaw, fingers firm as he tilts my head up, making me look at him. And that's it. Waves...
