Page 103 of Burn Bright

He laughs. “Clever girl.”

I almost choke on my Twizzler. My face burns, and I’m thankful he can’t see the flush.Get it together, Harriet, he didn’t call you a sexy vixen. I disagree with my brain. Somehow what he said was even better. New turn-on unlocked.

Not that I should be turned on by my friend. And after he found out I almost gave head to his brother, I think that’s where I’ll firmly remain. Even if there was a small, microscopic chance we could be something more, I blew it up in one explosive chemical reaction called The Charlie Cobalt Blow Job Combustion.

I return to the topic at hand before I destroy this even more. “I’m just dreading having to take the P.E. requirement—which should really be banned in college. Running the death mile every week in high school was bad enough.” I blow out a stressed breath. “It would’ve been easier doing it with you.”

“Then you’ll do it with me. I’ll sign up for whatever P.E. course you want next semester.”

I chew on the candy slowly. “That’s a repeat of a credit you don’t need.”

“Ah, you don’t know that, Fisher,” he says. “I’m still Undeclared, remember? I could go into Kinesiology and then I’d be right on track.”

“Or I could be unintentionally tanking you,” I mutter and narrow my eyes at his schedule. “Wait, how are you getting from Marine Biology to World Civilizations in twenty minutes? Those are on opposite sides of the campus.”

“I have long legs.”

I gape, the Twizzler falling out of my mouth. “You’rerunning?”

“I think we should direct this energy toward the fact that your science lab only gives you one credit hour, but it takes up three hours of your time. That feels way fucking wrong.”

I’m about to agree with him when the door lock jangles. “Hold on,” I tell Ben and sit up to make sure it’s just my roommate.

The door bangs open with a fit of giggles, and I relax when I see Eden kick off her heels. Behind her, a tall Black guy with a strikingly chiseled jawline slips into the apartment and fingers the strap to her tank top. She swats his hand away when she sees me staring. “Oh, Harriet.”

Austin gives me a friendly wave and takes a gentlemanly sidestep away from his girlfriend. “Hey, Harriet. How’s pre-med stuff?”

“It’s going well so far,” I say into a nod.

Eden rocks on her feet. “I thought you were volunteering at the Urology department tonight.”

“Nephrology,” I correct her. “And that’s on Monday nights.” It’s not an adrenaline-fueled position. I mostly just restock gloves and emesis bags in patient rooms and then wait in the nurses’ station for any other basic tasks an undergrad can fulfill. At least the nurses are nice enough to make small talk with me when they could so easily just pretend I’m wallpaper.

Eden winces and whispers something into Austin’s ear. His gaze slides down the length of her in a slow, propositioning onceover that makes me look away.Good for Eden.At least one of us is getting dicked down in this apartment.

“So Harriet.” Eden walks to the front of the couch while Austin disappears into her bedroom. “I have a teensy, tiny favor to ask.”

I’m already grabbing my backpack off the ground. “I can give you the apartment for the night.”

“Really?” Her brows hike in surprise. Maybe she thought I’d put up a stink or something.

I tuck my Twizzlers under my armpit and sling my backpack over my shoulder. “Yeah, no problem.”

“You are the best.Thank you.” She almost goes in for a hug but stops about a foot short and then slides her hands down her skirt to cover the slip up.Shit. It must be my face. I’m scowling, or else why would she abandon a hug midway through committing?

An awkwardness flits between us. “I’ll just…go.”

She nods. “Thanks again.”

I want to tell her to have fun, but maybe that’s too forward for our roommate relationship. So I just grab my bed pillow out of the closet and leave.

“You’re not sleeping at your apartment?” Ben’s voice causes me to jump.

“Fuck,” I curse, totally forgetting he’s still on the phone with me through my earbuds. “You scared the shit out of me.”

“Sorry,” he says. “Where are you headed?”

“Harold,” I say the name of my Honda.