Page 18 of Don’t Leave (Stay #2)

CASSIDY

I trudge through the dorm hallway and am about to slide my key in the lock when I hear shouting from the other side of the door. I lean a bit closer, trying to hear what’s going on because honestly, I’m not in the mood to stumble into some huge ass drama.

Just as I consider backing away, the door is ripped open, and I come face-to-face with Austin. With a scowl, he grunts something that might be a hey or hi before stalking past me. I watch him retreat down the hall before my wide gaze swings to Brooklyn, who wears a similar expression.

Kind of like his and hers matching sweater.

Except scowls.

Tentatively, I step inside the room. “Do I even want to know what that was all about?” My guess is that I don’t. I didn’t even know they were on speaking terms. Brooklyn has been icing Austin out for weeks now. I had assumed everything was still status quo in that department.

She shrugs before flopping onto her bed with a groan.

Without any preamble whatsoever, she says, “We sort of slept together.”

I’m in the process of unbuttoning my red wool coat when she throws out that little tidbit of information. It’s like a fishing lure I can’t resist swallowing down whole. With my fingers still hovering over a large, black button, my eyes widen. “ Sort of ?” There’s a pause. “You’re joking, right?”

Instead of meeting my inquisitive gaze, Brooklyn stares up at the ceiling as if it’s the most fascinating thing in the world. Which it’s not. Okay, maybe that’s not altogether true. She does have a huge poster of a practically naked guy taped up there.

“Do I look like I’m kidding? Would I joke about having sex with Austin?” Her voice drops. “ Again .”

I peel off my jacket and throw it over my desk chair before dropping down across from her on my bed and holding up a hand. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back this train up. What do you mean by again ?”

Very slowly, as if it’s painful, she turns her head until her gaze can collide with mine. “All you need to know is that each and every time it occurred was during moments of great weakness.”

“ All ?” My mouth tumbles open.

Her dark blonde brows pinch together as she grumbles, “Would you please stop looking at me like that. I had sex with someone. I didn’t murder a family of four in their sleep.”

It takes effort to smooth out my facial features. “So exactly how many moments of weakness have you experienced of late?”

Brooklyn ticks off the number on her fingers. When she needs to use her other hand to count, I think that incredulous look sneaks back onto my face again.

She doesn’t bat an eyelash in my direction before saying with enough heat to chastise, “You’re doing it again.”

“Sorry.” I shake my head. “I don’t understand why you’ve been sleeping with the guy who was practically stalking you after you broke up with him.

I’m not bent out of shape that you’re having sex…

just that you’re having sex with Austin.

” I lower my voice, trying to gentle my tone.

Even though I don’t particularly want to think about Dr. Thompson, I try to channel her for this conversation.

What kind of thought-provoking questions would she ask?

“So, ah, do you think that’s the best idea?”

Brooklyn gives me an exaggerated eye roll. “Of course not! In fact, it’s probably one of the stupider things I’ve done.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

This situation clearly has disaster written all over it. Can’t Brooklyn see that?

I mean…I just walked in on them shouting at one another.

Her face scrunches. “Remember those conversations we had about the rather impressive things he can do with his tongue?”

I wince, not wanting another visual to go along with that comment. It took a really long time to eradicate it from my brain the first time. “Umm, yes…I do.”

She gives me a penetrating look. “Need I say more?”

“I’m begging you not to.”

Her body deflates before she admits, “For some reason, that guy is my kryptonite. I wish he weren’t, but he is.” She stares glumly up at her hot guy poster, which is a first. He is, after all, sporting a rather impressive boner. It’s like her very own happy place.

“Kind of sounds like a mess.”

Inhaling a deep breath, she agrees softly, “You have no idea just what a clusterfuck it is.”

Unfortunately, I’m no stranger to the concept of a clusterfuck.

I’m living it right now. Instead of telling her about my own situation, I decide to keep it to myself.

I don’t want to turn the focus away from Brooklyn and the issues she’s struggling with.

There’ll be more than enough time for me to dump all my crap on her later.

Today is for Brooklyn.

And her big pile of crap.

“Are you thinking about getting back together with him?”

Why else would she be having sex with him…tongue thing excluded, of course. There have to be other reasons she keeps hooking up with him.

At least I hope there are.

“No. I don’t want to fall for him any harder than I already have.” There’s a pause as she squeezes her eyes closed. “I just wish I could get him out of my system. I don’t understand why he’s so different from the others.”

Even back in high school, Brooklyn was a serial dater. Austin is the first guy to ever pry his way into her heart. Even if she doesn’t necessarily want him there.

“Maybe the reason you can’t get over Austin is because you actually have feelings for him. Have you considered giving him another chance to prove that he can be the guy you need him to be?”

She stares at me like I just told her to drown a bag of kittens. “But that’s the problem. I don’t want to feel anything for him. Relationships are so much easier when emotions aren’t involved.”

“Isn’t it a little late for that?” I shake my head. “How are you going to kill the feelings you already have for him?”

With a straight face she asks, “Why do you think I’m trying to fuck him out of my system?”

I roll my eyes. “How’s that been working for you?”

“Not well.” A thoughtful expression crosses her face. “Is it possible we aren’t having enough sex?”

“Let me get this straight,” I say drily, “your plan is to screw around with him in hopes that you can lessen your feelings for him?”

Total.

Disaster.

And I certainly don’t want to be around when it backfires in her face.

Brooklyn snorts before throwing an arm over her eyes. “When you put it like that, it just sounds ridiculous.”

A burst of laughter escapes from me. “That’s because it is ridiculous.”

“Then tell me what to do,” she groans, “because I don’t want to keep thinking about him. I can’t keep hooking up with him in hopes that it’ll finally be enough.”

Understanding dawns, albeit a little late. “That’s why he was here, wasn’t it?”

She lifts the arm from her face before rolling onto her side and blinking the harsh sunlight filtering in through the window out of her eyes. “Yup. Booty call. In the middle of a Wednesday afternoon. So sad.”

“Why were you two yelling at each other if it’s just sex?”

“You heard that, huh?”

“Just the voices, not the actual words.”

“Believe it or not, he’s tired of hooking up and gave me an ultimatum.

We either make this legit and stop sneaking around or he’s moving on.

” Brooklyn plows both hands through her hair as if she might yank the strands out of her head.

“Riddle me this—if guys prefer no-strings arrangements, why is he pressuring me into a relationship? You’d think that what we’re doing would be an ideal situation. ”

I’m not a relationship expert, but I think Austin has developed feelings for Brooklyn and he’s not afraid to do something about it.

“So…what you’re telling me is that you don’t want to go out with him, and he won’t continue hooking up with you.”

“Yup, that just about sums up our situation. Do you have any words of wisdom to impart upon me?”

Oh.

Hell.

No.

I refuse to touch this problem with a ten-foot pole.

“Sorry, I don’t.”

I’m the last person who should be doling out relationship advice. This is the first time I’ve actually found myself in one and it’s turning out to be riddled with issues.

Ones I don’t know how to solve.

It occurs to me as I stare at my friend that I’m not alone.