Ragged✔|18+

SIXTEEN

CLYDE

Fucked doesn't even come close to describing the situation I'm in right now. I know I'm not supposed to, but I can't help it. Something about Reyna Morgan fucking gets to me.

Like right now, as she stands in the cafeteria line, chatting with some jock from the football team. He says something that makes her laugh, and damn if that doesn't make me want to punch him.

Fucking hell. I shouldn't be bothered, but I am.

"Tell us the truth, man," Andre's voice pulls me out of my thoughts. "What's your deal with pretty brown eyes over there?"

"Nothing." I shift in my seat. "We're just hanging out."

"Is it the PG version of hanging out or the R-rated one?" Andre asks.

I watch as he eagerly awaits my answer. Trey doesn't look up from his yogurt, but I know he's waiting for an answer too. Normally, I'd go with the latter, but since I'm doing the whole new me thing, I figure it's best if I go with PG. Even though half of the time my thoughts of her are downright R-rated.

"PG version," I say.

Both of them burst out laughing, and I'd be insulted if it wasn't for the fact that the irony is totally not lost to me.

"Holy shit. You're serious?" Andre wheezes when he notices I'm not joining in on the laughing.

"Why is that so surprising?" I ask him.

He makes a face. "Because it is surprising. There's no way you're just friends with that girl."

"You make it sound like I'm some insatiable manwhore," I say defensively. "Yes, I can be just friends with the opposite sex. Platonic relationships do work, you know?"

"Oh, I know platonic relationships work. Trey knows that too. But you. . ." He trails off, giving me a meaningful look.

"Fuck you," I say, but that just makes him laugh more. My eyes drift back to Reyna, who has a since detached from the line and is now scanning where she'll sit. Her eyes settle on our table and when she catches me looking, her entire face lights up with a smile. I'm really fucked in the head if I think this friendship shit is going to work, 'cause goddammit, I really want to be the one who keeps that smile on her face for eternity.

I wave Reyna over, taking gratification in the way Andre widens his eyes in realization.

"Oh, shit. She's coming over, isn't she?" Andre asks, the panic in his voice imminent.

I don't have the time to answer the question because Reyna arrives within seconds, her tray sliding next to mine on the table. I'm immediately engulfed in the scent of crushed rose my senses and it takes a lot of willpower not to run my eyes up and down her body.

My throat goes dry as I look up at her. "Hi." For fuck's sake, I need to get my shit together. She's just a very attractive girl I happen to be infatuated with. I just need to concentrate on my breathing. My hard, labored breathing that's about to escalate to hyperventilating.

She frowns, obviously taken aback by my lack of usual banter. "Hi, too?"

"Come. Sit down, sit down." Andre makes room for her, clearly over his momentary lapse of panic. "I'm Andre." He sticks his hand out to her, which I know he's just doing as an excuse to touch her.

Reyna sends me an alarmed glance, probably wondering why the fuck my friend is being way too over-friendly but nevertheless, she shakes his hand. "Reyna."

Because he wants to fuck you, that's why, I want to tell her. Andre's a horndog. Plain and simple. He's never hidden that fact and I know he's not about to start now. With his brown skin and a body he claims to "make any female weak in the knees"—quote on quote—he'll be all over Reyna like white on rice.