Page 63 of Surviving Slater

"Relax," Levi whispered in my ear, and I nodded, trying to obey. But with every step closer to the door, I could feel the nervous knots inside me tighten.

I knocked and waited, feeling more nervous with every second that passed.

"Hey," Sin said when he opened the door. His eyes narrowed on Levi but he recovered and stepped back, inviting us in.

I probably should have told Taylor beforehand that I was bringing someone else. I shrugged the thought off. It was too late now.

"Sin, this is Levi," I said, introducing them just before Taylor joined us. Sin shook hands with Levi.

"The new roommate?" he asked, and I nodded.

Taylor was also taken by the sight of Levi.

"Hi," she greeted him, her usual friendly self. I couldn't say the same for Sin. He was watching him with a reserved look.

"Taylor, this is Levi," I told her.

"It's nice to meet you," she said. Levi gave her a smile.

"Come in," she said. Just as he passed her, she gave me a questioning look. The moment she got a chance she was going to be asking why I had brought him.

I had expected to see Slater, but nothing prepared me for the sight of him sitting on the sofa with another girl. It hit me straight in the chest and I faltered for a moment. And then I had my defenses up.

Breathe, I told myself.One breath in and then exhale.

At my momentary lapse, Sin introduced Levi to Slater and the girl who was sitting beside him. I caught her name as Sin introduced me to her. Cathy. She was beautiful, with long dark hair and the longest natural eyelashes I had ever seen bringing out her hazel eyes.

"Hi," I said, trying to keep my voice calm, unlike the disaster I felt like inside. A tornado had spun through me, leaving nothing in its place.

"It's nice to meet you," she said with a genuine smile. It made me feel worse. I nodded my head and fixed a smile on my lips. Levi looked at me and wrapped an arm around me. Was I that obvious that he felt I needed his support?

My eyes met Slater's across everyone. There was nothing as he nodded to me. It was the confirmation of what I had already suspected. We were done. He'd already moved on.

"Well, we're all here," Taylor said, looking around. There was tension in the room and I had no way of dispelling it. "You can help me in the kitchen."

She took hold of my hand and dragged me to the kitchen.

Once inside, the door swung closed.

"What the hell is going on?" she whispered, pointing a finger toward the door that led to the living room where I had abandoned my roommate with everyone else who probably thought he was more.

If Levi didn't give that information away I wasn't going to explain. They could think what they wanted.

I gripped the counter as I tried to recover from the hit straight to my heart.

"He just showed up with someone else… and then you brought Levi?" She looked at me as she waited for me to say something. "I thought you guys had an arrangement?"

I swallowed hard, trying to figure out what to say to explain it without having to go into the details of what had happened.

"It's over."

She gave me that familiar sympathetic look before she hugged me.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. I allowed her to hold me for a minute before I pulled away.

"It's okay. There was always an expiration date on it." I gave her my bravest smile. I looked down at my watch. Just twenty minutes and I could take a tablet that would make me unable to feel the agony.

Chapter Sixteen