Page 15

“Shae, I’m just worried about you. This obsession with grades and perfection isn’t healthy. You need balance.”

Balance. There are too many things I’m trying to balance as it is—I don’t need to add on anything else.

I can’t afford any distractions.

I try to smile at her and push back any annoyance. “I am balanced, Yennifer.” I stand and pick up my supplies, trapping them to my chest like a shield.

“Girl, the only man in your life is Thurston Mills!” she practically yells.

I shake my head once, hard. “Who?”

“Thurston. Mills,” she repeats, but this time she points to the textbook I’ve bundled together with my piles of paper.

Advanced Macroeconomicsby Thurston J. Mills.

“Har-har,” I say, my voice flat.

Yenn whips around to Ezra. “Ezra, really! Please help me get through to her.”

Ez sighs and puts the bong back on the coffee table. Standing, he walks over to me and takes my books from my arms.

“I think what Yenn is trying to say is that we love and miss you. And we don’t want you to look up and see that your twenties are gone with nothing to show for it. These years are meant to be happy. Reckless. Wild. And you’re about as wild as dry toast right now.”

Storm Sandoval could definitely help in this department.

I suck in a sharp breath, and Yenn nods vigorously behind him before stepping up to me.

“I’m gonna hold your hand while I say this, Shae.” She actually grabs my hand. “You are going to work yourself into an early grave. Stress kills.”

I squeeze Yenn’s hand back. “I appreciate your concern, bestie. But I promise you, I’m okay.”

Yenn rolls her lips inward, thinking, before popping them out and pursing them. “Orgasms are excellent for your health, you know. And the vag is the portal to creation, quite literally. You wanna get into Harvard Biz? You need to come more.”

Ezra sighs and moves around us, heading for the kitchen.

“Yenn,” I drawl, giving her the biggest side-eye in history before moving toward my bedroom, ignoring her. She follows me anyway and takes up residence on the wall next to my bed. The exposed brick doesn’t bother her, even though it’s scratchy as all get out and I have to keep my bed a few inches from the surface to keep it from getting scuffed.

“Princess Yennifer King, please stop this. I beg.” Needing to get away from her, I pull sleep clothes out of my dresser and head to my ensuite to place them on the counter. I almost sprint out of the bathroom when my drawers start opening and closing.

“What the hell are you?—”

“You don’t even have a vibrator in here? What are you doing with your life, girlie!”

“Yenn-i-fer!” I groan, releasing all the breath in my body to extend the sound of her name. “What do I need to do to get you off my back about this?”

“Just one date. Just one! And the only reason why I’m on you about this is because I care about you. I love you like a sister, and you know that! So I really don’t want you to die!” Her lowerlip quivers, and I know her emotional response isn’t just because she’s a little high.

I sigh.

“Yenn…” Pinching the skin between my eyebrows, I spin through my already too-full to-do list. I think about all the tests and papers and work assignments I need to prepare for. I think about how I’m going to keep my damn grades up, and?—

“I can even set you up with someone if you want!” Yenn says, perking up.

“No,” I say, my voice low.

Shit. Maybe Yenn has a point. Thereisa lot I’m tackling this semester…so it might be a good thing for me to let off some steam.

A one-night stand might be just what I need to get me through the next few months.