Amber was nice. A little more…dark than I was, but after getting to know Kye and the crew, I realized that made me instantly like her more. So far, I had been right not to judge her because she was nice, honest, and blunt enough to be exactly who I wanted to share a room with.

“No. No, you don’t,” I finally replied.

I went back in, unpacking a few more things as I scolded myself. Kye had been nothing but nice and sweet and there for me. Every time I reached out to him, he responded, but somehow I was still treating him like he was less than.

It wasn’t on purpose, but even with everything he confessed to me, it was hard to believe. He was so good at kissing me, touching me, and even giving me orgasms, that it felt stupid of me to believe he was as inexperienced as he said.

But it wasn’t like he had ever done anything to make me think he was lying. And even besides playing fake boyfriend, he had come to get me after the boat incident, took me out with his friends, and now helped me move. None of that was in our agreement.

I really was the asshole.

Daisy

I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean it like that.

I waited two hours, clicking my phone on but seeing no new notifications. It was the first time that he hadn’t responded to me, and each minute that passed was more upsetting.

“Trouble in bad boy paradise?” Amber asked.

“Yeah, I think so. I said something and I think it pissed him off. No, wait, I know that it pissed him off, and for good reason.”

“Well, you know guys like that. They get all hotheaded and probably just need to go burn it off.”

“What does that mean? Like, go for a run? I couldn’t really picture him putting on running shoes just because he was mad at me. Driving at horrific speeds around town maybe, but running? No,” I said with a laugh.

“Ompf, my naïve little roommate. Is this your first guy like that?”

“Like what?” Her eyebrows went even higher. “Can you just spit this all out? Because I am already upset.”

“Like, not a popular athlete? A guy that looks like that goes into bad boy categories and those types of guys burn off their frustrations in non-athletic ways. I mean, I guess the jocks do, too, so I’m not sure where your confusion comes in.”

I shook my hands, needing her to explain more and faster.

“Oh, wow. Um, Daisy, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but guys like that don’t usually do the exclusive thing. I’ve had my fair share of them and even as boyfriends, they usually are with other girls. I mean, girls throw themselves at that type, knowing they are getting sex with no strings. You can’t really believe he walks around on this campus and doesn’t get ten phone numbers from here to his car, do you?”

“No, why would I think that? We are dating!” I nearly yelled. Even if it was a lie, he wouldn’t really be coming here to collect numbers, would he? Looking back, I could see Dean doing that, but Kye? Somehow my views of him changed, and it didn’t cross my mind he would do anything like that. Then again, I might have said that about Dean before.

“Listen, if you hadn’t been standing there and telling me he was with you, I would have been all over that. Literally. If he didn’t have my number by the end of the conversation, it would be because we were behind the building doing other things. I am not the only woman here with those thoughts either. We are all here to have a good time. I did not realize you were this…new to this.”

I groaned. “Things in the sorority are different. Everything is conniving, personal. The girls didn’t hit on my boyfriends outright. They were planned attacks and sabotage. I was never thinking that someone would just go up to him and hit on him.”

“I mean, you saw people hit on Dean, though,” she said. “Those athletes can be the same way.”

“Well, Dean did cheat on me, so I can’t say that you are wrong. I don’t know what to think now.”

“I would double check with your boy what exclusivity means to him and don’t get your hopes up for much. Most of the guys I know like that have a girlfriend, so they don’t have to be alone if the side chicks don’t pick up. I’m not saying your guy is like that for sure, but like I said, at least ten numbers each time.”

“Dammit. Dammit,” I said, changing into a lighter dress. I had no right to care, no right to go talk to him, but I suddenly wanted to know exactly what was happening.

We weren’t sleeping together, so I had to assume he was sleeping with other people, but he said he didn’t sleep with anyone. Would a guy really go months to years without sex? I knew that he didn’t like the touch, but he never said if that had changed with other people now because it definitely wasn’t the case with me. There was no reason that I was special enough to him to be able to touch him and other people wouldn’t be able to. Maybe it had changed for all women and he liked it now.

I pulled out my phone, ordering an Uber and waiting impatiently for it to get closer.

“Just don’t get your heart broken,” Amber said. “Guys like that aren’t usually worth the mess.”

I nodded. “Thank you. Seriously, thank you for making me think this through.”

“Of course. What are friends for?”

I waved, heading down, and waited quietly as the car brought me up to his building. The towering brick building looked more ominous than it had before. I remembered Kye ran into the side door, so that’s where I went. I didn’t see any buzzer, and the door was locked.

Great, now I was out in the dark and would have to wait for another car unless someone showed up.

I knocked, wondering if there was anyone that could hear, but nothing happened.

“Can I help you?” a girl’s voice came from the speaker on the door, making me jump. I grabbed my chest, trying to slow my breathing.

“Um, I was trying to find Kye?”

“Daisy?”

“Yeah,” I said back. It sounded like Ash, but I wasn’t sure, and the thought of a random girl being here was making my stomach churn. “He didn’t know I was coming, but I need to talk to him.”

I could hear laughing now. “Amazing. Come on up.”

The door clicked, and I pulled it open, stepping into the well-lit hallway with stairs right in front of me.

“Come on,” she said, waving. “Hurry up.” 

I walked up the first flight of stairs, coming face-to-face with Ash.

“Hey,” she said with a smirk.

I tried to smile back, but I was still too nervous. “Hey. Thanks.”

“Oh, anytime. Do you have your phone?”

I held it up, and she grabbed it, typing in a number before calling it.

“That’s my number. If you need anything, of course call me, but please—I mean a huge please—text me tomorrow and tell me everything. Or you know, just come down here for coffee,” she said, winking as I laughed and nodded.

“I’ll see what I can do. Let’s just hope I even make it into the apartment.”

“Ehh. Kye’s tough but a big softy for people he likes. You got this. Good luck.”

I nodded, taking a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“Sometimes we need a pep talk with guys like this.”