Let's Be Just Friends (A New Adult College Romance) Page 4

  ***

  Friday night, on the way to the restaurant, Tyler still hadn’t spoken to Rose. He’d vowed to do it tonight after they got back home, but maybe it had been a mistake to wait a week. It’d only make Rose angrier. And the prospect of Rose and Georgiana in the same room for a whole dinner made him nervous. An ominous feeling about the party crept up his back and settled heavily on his shoulders.

  Rose sat in silence beside him, staring out the window. She was holding a tiny gift-wrapped package in her hands. He’d told her it wasn’t necessary to buy Georgiana a present, but Rose had insisted. Thinking about it, he had no clue what was in the box. Something poisonous? Tyler could only hope.

  At home, Rose had stunned him again. She’d emerged from her room dressed in a tight black jumpsuit with cutouts around the waist, and an almost bare back. She was also wearing black heels and a furry-leathery jacket thingy. The outfit looked like a Catwoman costume. Rose was only missing the ears, whiskers, and tail. Again, he’d never seen these clothes before. He was discovering an entirely new side of her she’d kept secret all this time. And even if it was great to see Rose in a different light, sometimes Tyler wished he were still oblivious. His life would be much simpler without the temptation.

  This sort of gear must’ve been reserved for Marcus. Jealousy made Tyler swallow hard. He still hated Rose’s ex with all his guts, but tonight the sexiness was for him, or to compete with Georgiana. To be honest, he didn’t know which one.

  Tyler’s skittish mood worsened as they entered the restaurant. Georgiana and some of her guests were already there sitting at a long, rectangular table laid for at least twenty people. Georgiana sat at the head of the table with an empty space on her left followed by a couple of nicely dressed girls. On her right sat a rather plain guy followed by two other girls and another arrogant-looking dude who seemed older than everyone else. Fifteen or so empty places were left at the table.

  The older guy fixated his gaze on Rose the moment she entered the door. Noticing the competition, Tyler felt an immediate, irrational surge of hatred for the stranger. For no other reason than the way he was looking at Rose, Tyler wanted to punch the dude’s face.

  Nine

  Rose

  Walking inside the restaurant, Rose watched Georgiana rise to her feet to greet them. Tyler’s girlfriend looked resplendent in a short dress made of lace flowers, white from the waist up and pale pink on the skirt.

  “You’ve made it!” she said. “Here, come meet the others.” She did a quick round of introduction, starting counterclockwise and working around the whole table.

  Rose stood there awkwardly, looking around at half a dozen strangers. In particular, the guy sitting at the edge of the group, who Georgiana introduced as Ethan, made her self-conscious with all his staring. Rose met his gaze shyly. He had bright, unsettling light blue eyes that looked somewhat familiar. Short black hair, high cheekbones, and a square jaw made the dude good-looking in that arrogant vampire-flick-villain kind of way.

  Embarrassed by all the attention, Rose delivered her gift to Georgiana—a noncommittal makeup palette—who thanked her without opening the present. With nothing left to do, Rose wanted to shrink away and play invisible for the rest of the evening. Sitting down was the first camouflaging step. A quick scan of the table told Rose where she stood in the food chain. The seat beside Her Birthday Majesty was obviously intended for Tyler, and the ones nearest for her court. Rose didn’t want to be anywhere near the couple, anyway, so she backtracked to the opposite end of the table. Georgiana protested with no real conviction that she shouldn’t sit so far away, but Rose assured her majesty she’d be fine, and Georgiana didn’t insist further.

  Rose had a hunch about the night ending badly for her. She’d never seen Georgiana look so radiant, so smug. At this very moment, Georgiana was watching Rose with an expression in-between triumph and pity. Why? Something was happening, and Rose felt like the only clueless party present. Tyler had been behaving strangely all week, and she couldn’t tell what had changed. Combining that with the evil stare above Georgiana’s smiles only increased her anxiety about this party. What on earth had made her agree to come?

  The moment Rose sat down, Ethan got up and whispered something in Georgiana’s ear. He took his half-empty cocktail with him and moved toward Rose. The dude was tall, although maybe an inch or two shorter than Tyler. Speaking of the devil, she stole a glance at Tyler for just a second. He wore an expression of contempt on his face as he followed Ethan’s movements. Good. Serves him right to be the jealous one for a change.

  Rose looked around at the other guests and spotted another hostile gaze, only this one was targeting her. The blonde girl who’d been sitting next to Ethan didn’t appear at all happy with his moving toward Rose. Don’t glare at me, lady. I didn’t ask your guy to come talk to me. Is he even your guy?

  “Hello,” Ethan said as he took the seat next to her. “It didn’t seem right to have you sit here all alone. I’m Ethan, Georgiana’s brother.”

  Ah, that explains why the eyes looked familiar.

  “And you’re Rose, right?” he continued.

  “Right.” She smiled at him, blushing under his piercing gaze despite herself. Was this what Tyler felt whenever Georgiana looked at him? Rose’s heart sank into her chest.

  Ethan

  Ethan was intrigued by the faint blush that appeared on Rose’s cheeks as he spoke to her. In fact, he was intrigued by everything about Rose. When his sister had begged him to seduce her boyfriend’s new roommate, she’d described Rose as austere-looking, but pretty. The woman seated next to him was neither austere nor pretty. To call Rose pretty would be the understatement of the millennium. She was a dark beauty with her long brown hair, olive skin, and almost-black eyes. And to think he’d wanted to stay at the office tonight.

  “So, how do you know my sister?” he asked, feigning cluelessness.

  “We’re at Harvard Law together, and she’s dating my best friend Tyler,” Rose said.

  “You came here together?”

  “Yeah, I’m crashing at his place until I can find one of my own. I had a lease mishap.”

  “What kind of mishap?” Ethan asked. Georgiana had already filled him in on the drama with the ex-boyfriend, but he wanted to see if Rose would volunteer the information.

  She did. “Oh, nothing serious. My ex-boyfriend dumped me a month before we were supposed to move in together, and I’d already canceled my lease on my old place.” Rose shrugged, smiling awkwardly.

  Ethan realized he liked her even more after her straightforward answer.

  “So, being Georgiana’s brother, can I safely assume you’re a lawyer?” Rose asked.

  “I am afraid you can’t,” he said with a naughty smile.

  “You didn’t go to Harvard Law? I thought every offspring of the Smithson family went to Harvard.”

  “I did go to Harvard Law, as did all my siblings and cousins before and after me,” Ethan replied, amused by the way she’d wrinkled her nose in confusion.

  “And after all that pain, you didn’t become a lawyer?”

  “Actually, I did.”

  “I don’t understand,” Rose said. “What happened?”

  “I tried the big studio with the big cases and the long hours for a year and hated it, so I quit.”

  “And your father let you?”

  “He had little a choice. I’m over eighteen, you know.”

  “You stood up to Bradley Smithson. I’m impressed.”

  Ethan roared with laughter. “To me, he’s just Dad.”

  “So he didn’t make a fuss?” she asked.

  “Of course he did. But in the end, when he saw my mind was set, all he could do was make me pay him back my tuitions.”

  “For law school?”

  “And college, too.”

  “Ouch.” Rose winced. “And you managed?”

  “Just about. I’m still paying. Having him as a creditor makes me regret not taking out student lo
ans.”

  “So what do you do now?”

  “I’m in real estate.” Ethan scrutinized her face for a reaction. Was she going to give him the downright sorrowful look of contempt other lawyers reserved for him when he told them his new occupation?

  She didn’t.

  “My father is in real estate,” Rose said. “What do you do, exactly?”

  “I buy places that need refurbishing and restore them. When I’m done, I re-sell them or rent them out.”

  “If you have some nice studio apartments to rent, you could show them to me,” she said and then looked away as if she immediately regretted her words.

  “So you’re looking to move out?” Ethan said, his eyes never leaving her face.

  He saw her throw a furtive, guilty glance at Tyler, who was looking back at her pointedly. “I mean, not that I have much of a budget,” she backtracked.

  “I’ll see what I can do,” he promised. “If something interesting pops up, you’ll be the first one I call.”

  Ethan meant the words. For once, he found himself united with his sister and her wishing for Tyler and Rose not to live under the same roof. From what he’d gathered from Georgiana on their way here, he didn’t think it’d be a problem for much longer. Still, Ethan wanted Rose out of Tyler’s house as soon as possible. Why? He wasn’t sure yet. He just recognized it as a fact.

  Ten

  Rose

  Once all the guests had arrived, menus were distributed and Rose picked one up as an excuse to conclude the conversation with Ethan.

  She stared at the pages, not really reading them. Instead, she felt guilty for lying about her need for an apartment, or for it to be on a budget. Well, not exactly lied. Her dad was in real estate; she’d just omitted that his company owned half of Dallas, where she and Tyler were from. Rose wasn’t as comfortable as Tyler when it came to displaying her family’s wealth. Yes, she asked her dad to help with money. But only to cover her tuition and limited living expenses. So it was sort of true she was on a budget for her rent, even if the budget was self-imposed.

  What wasn’t true was that she was looking for a house. She had no intention of moving out of Tyler’s home.

  Rose focused on the menu, for real this time, but didn’t understand what she was supposed to order. What were a nigiri, a maki, or a miso? There were no pictures to provide context, as the restaurant was definitely too classy for those. Yeah, everyone was supposed to eat sushi and speak foodie-Japanese these days, and it was unsophisticated of her not to, but she couldn’t digest the idea of eating raw fish. The concept made her slightly nauseous.

  “Pssst,” she whispered with her face hidden behind the leather menu.

  “Are you talking to me?” Ethan asked, cocking his head toward her.

  “Mm-hmm. Are you a sushi connoisseur?”

  “I’ve had my fair share. Why?” He spoke with his whole head hidden behind the black menu and his face turned toward hers.

  “I don’t have the faintest idea what any of this is. Can you help me out?”

  “You’ve never had sushi?” Ethan seemed shocked.

  “I’m from Texas where eating something that hasn’t been barbequed, or at least grilled, is considered a state offense.”

  “You’re from Texas! But you don’t have a southern accent.”

  “My mom is from Chicago. But we moved here ages ago for college.”

  “Your mom and you?” Ethan asked.

  “Oh. No, I meant Tyler and me.” Rose shifted uncomfortably in her seat, not sure she wanted to talk about Tyler with Ethan. “We’ve known each other since preschool. He’s like family.”

  “Family, huh?” Ethan appeared skeptical. Was she such an open book?

  She deliberately changed the subject. “Will you order for me?”

  He laughed. “Sure.”

  “I want something like a beginner set of the less gross things.”

  “By ‘gross,’ I’ll assume you’re referring to the raw fish. In case you didn’t know, they also have cooked stuff here—you want me to get you one of those?”

  “You know what? I don’t think I’ll give sushi another try any time soon, so I might as well go all in with the uncooked bits.”

  “Mmm, you’re the adventurous type.” Ethan winked one of those daring blue eyes at her, causing her stomach to do a little involuntary flip. “I like it.”

  When their food arrived, Rose found herself in another predicament—she did not grasp the use of chopsticks.

  “Ethan?” she murmured. It was the first time she said his name, and she liked the sound of it.

  “How can I be of assistance?”

  “Do you think they’d flay me if I asked for a fork and a knife?”

  He chuckled. “You’re helpless, aren’t you?”

  “I’d like to see you fight a full rack of greasy barbequed pork ribs with your bare hands in your neat white shirt,” she joked. “Then it’d be my turn to laugh.”

  Ethan chuckled again. “Japanese actually eat sushi with their hands. It’s supposed to be eaten that way, at least for real hardcore sushi diners. Chopsticks are for sissies. If you do it, you’ll impress everyone at the table.”

  “Will you do it with me?” she asked.

  His blue eyes hardened. Rose got the impression he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.

  “Sure, why not?” he said, and set his chopsticks back on the table.

  Rose hesitated to use her fingers. But when Ethan picked up a roll, she was finally certain he wasn’t joking. She followed his lead, raising one of her rolls halfway to her mouth.

  “Cheers!” she said, bumping her California Maki into his before bravely putting the whole thing into her mouth.

  “Cheers!” he responded, smiling.

  After she’d tried a bite of everything he’d ordered for her, he said, “So, what’s the verdict?”

  Rose swallowed the last mouthful of the piece she was chewing. “To be honest, I’ve had better food…”

  “Like a barbequed rack of greasy pork ribs?” he teased.

  “Exactly. But I thought this would be a lot worse.”

  “So I haven’t managed to bring you over to the raw side.”

  “I’m afraid not. Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask—what’s this?” Rose pointed at a lime-green ball that looked like Play-Doh.

  “That’s wasabi.”

  “What’s it for?”

  “It adds a spicy flavor to the rolls.”

  “Oh, I like spicy food.” She grabbed the ball.

  “Don’t,” he warned. “It’s really spicy.”

  She considered him for a second, the tiny ball still held between her thumb and index finger. Okay, let’s see… Rose placed the tiny ball back on the wooden tablet acting as a plate and used one of her discarded chopsticks to split the wasabi into two identical halves.

  “Is this better?” she asked.

  He shook his head. “Not really, it’s still too much.”

  “I can handle it.”

  Ethan was clearly trying and failing to suppress a grin as she raised the wasabi to her mouth. His expression said, If you want to find out for yourself, I won’t stop you.

  So it was a dare. Rose put the half ball in her mouth decided to win the challenge. But after gnawing for just a few seconds, her eyes started to water and her cheeks burned. Her nostrils flared wide as she tried to chew off the offending substance. She was sure she must look like a dragon breathing fire. To her credit, she managed to keep an almost straight face throughout the whole ordeal. When she finally managed to swallow the whole thing, she grabbed her diet Coke, shoved the straw aside, and downed the whole glass.

  “Don’t say anything,” she hissed at Ethan once she could breathe again.

  Rose needn’t have admonished him as Ethan didn’t seem able to talk. He was too busy laughing his head off.

  When the dessert menu arrived, Rose disappeared behind it once again.

  “Pssst,” she whispered at Etha
n a few moments later.

  “You need help with the dessert?”

  “No, thanks. I can figure out ‘Green Tea Ice-Cream’ all on my own. I wanted to ask you if there’s something going on between you and that blonde chick.” Rose jerked her chin toward the other end of the table. “The one sitting two seats down from Georgiana. She’s been giving me a death stare all night.”

  “Ah, yes,” Ethan admitted reluctantly. “That’d be Alice. We hooked up a couple of times, and now she probably thinks she’s my girlfriend.”

  “Bah.” Rose made a sarcastic swatting gesture with her hand. “How old-fashioned of her to think so.”

  So Ethan was a player, just like Tyler. But just how big of one? She quickly dismissed the train of thought; what did she care, anyway? Tonight had been a nice evening, sure—way more fun than she expected—but it wasn’t as if they would see each other again after the dinner was over. So, player or not, it really made no difference to her.

  Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.

  Georgiana was on her feet, looking down at all her guests, and batting a chopstick against her glass. The chatter quieted down, and twenty sets of eyes fixated on Georgiana. It was clear she loved being the center of attention. What was the big announcement, Rose wondered—a new Prada bag? A new Mercedes from Daddy?

  “I wanted to thank you all for being here tonight for this special day…”

  Oh, no. Her Birthday Majesty was really going to make a speech. Rose was about to roll her eyes at Ethan when she remembered he was Georgiana’s brother and caught herself just in time.

  “Tonight is special,” Georgiana continued. “Not only because it’s my birthday, but also because, as most of you already know”—Georgiana looked pointedly at Rose—“I won’t be seeing you all for a few months, as I’m leaving in two weeks for France.”

  Did she say leaving? In two weeks? Going to France? For months?

  Rose couldn’t believe her luck. Georgiana out of the way meant one less complication for her and Tyler. She looked over at him, filled with hope and trepidation. But he’d gone very pale—he looked almost ill as he stared fixedly at the tablecloth. At that moment, as if sensing Rose’s eyes on him, he lifted his head and looked at her from across the table. Rose knew that expression: guilt. Why? Georgiana moving to Europe was Christmas in August. So why the guilty face?

  Rose’s question was answered by the end of Georgiana’s speech. “I couldn’t believe my luck when Professor Hendricks told me there’d been a reshuffling in the semester abroad scholarship, and that Tyler and I would be able to join the program in the upcoming fall term! We’re going to spend the next six months in Paris together! How exciting is that?” Georgiana addressed her question directly to Rose. As the table erupted in cheers and applause, Georgiana kept her gaze fixated on Rose, her lips twisted in a smug smile. Rose could practically feel the triumph wafting off her.

  Despite the knife slicing deep into her heart, Rose didn’t give Georgiana the satisfaction of crumbling right before her eyes. She managed to maintain an impassive expression on the outside—but inside?

  Rose’s brain whirled with thoughts. Her heart was pounding so fast she was afraid it’d escape her chest. Tyler was moving to Paris with his girlfriend, and he hadn’t even bothered to tell her. A year ago, when he had applied for the program and lost the scholarship, Rose had been genuinely sorry. But now… she didn’t want him to go. Rose hadn’t bought Georgiana’s explanation of a “reshuffling” in Hendricks’s exchange program. He was one of the sternest, most revered professors at Harvard and didn’t play favorites. Rose could only imagine what strings Georgiana’s father must have pulled to get Tyler and his daughter in.

  Whatever he’d done, it had worked. Tyler was leaving her. Rose felt the beginning of a sob forming in her throat, and choked it into her glass, pretending it was a hiccup.

  Eleven

  Ethan

  Ethan watched Rose closely during Georgiana’s speech. To the casual observer, she might have appeared unaffected by the news. But his scrutiny did not miss the flicker of hope on her face when Georgiana announced she was moving to France. In that moment, Rose’s forehead lost all its creases, her eyes sparkled, and her mouth relaxed in a contented smile. It was only after Georgiana added that Tyler would be going with her that Rose’s cheeks lost all their color and her expression soured, resembling the one she’d sported earlier while trying to swallow wasabi.

  To her credit, Rose wasn’t falling apart. At least not on the outside. She was sitting on her chair staring ahead with a composed mask. Her fingers tapping on the table in a nervous tempo provided the only clue to her fury.

  Interesting. So, Georgiana’s she’s-trying-to-steal-my-boyfriend theory wasn’t paranoia. Something stronger than friendship linked Tyler to his attractive roommate. But from the pout of suppressed rage on Rose’s lips, Ethan was sure Gigi’s move would crush their blossoming romance.

  The icy stare Rose gave Tyler at the end of Georgiana’s speech surprised Ethan. How quickly Rose’s warm eyes could turn to a frosty wall of black steel when she was angry. He prayed he’d never be at the end of that stare. He felt almost sorry for Tyler. But, most of all, Ethan felt happy for himself. For once, Georgiana’s scheming would prove quite useful. Rose fascinated him. It wasn’t often these days that Ethan Smithson found a girl interesting. If he thought about it, it hadn’t happened since Sabrina, and that had been a long time ago.

  Georgiana

  Outside the restaurant, Georgiana fidgeted with the fabric of her clutch, her jittery fingers picking a thread out of the floral embroidery. All the guests had left except for Tyler, Ethan, and Rose, who stood in the parking lot facing one another in an awkward circle.

  Georgiana studied Rose’s face for any sign of emotion. Nothing. She was just standing there looking annoyingly beautiful in her unusual clothes. In class, Rose wore a uniform of buttoned-to-the-neck shirts, pullovers, jeans, and flat boots. But tonight with her high heels and sexy jumpsuit, she was dressed to impress. Georgiana was sure Rose had dressed up to look good for her boyfriend.

  The evening hadn’t turned out as well as Georgiana had hoped. The stone-cold bitch had remained impassive throughout her speech. Had Tyler already told her about Paris? Georgiana couldn’t be sure, one way or the other. Sometimes Rose was inscrutable. And her announcement tonight had not produced the powerful effect Georgiana anticipated, longed for. Rose crumbling in front of everybody or leaving the restaurant in a sobbing fit would’ve been the icing on her birthday cake. But it didn’t really matter. In two weeks, Georgiana would be gone with Tyler, and Rose would no longer be a problem.

  “Baby,” Georgiana said to Tyler, linking arms with him. “Do you want to stay over at my place tonight?”

  “Actually, I came here with Rose,” Tyler said. “I should probably drive her home.”

  “Oh, I can do that,” Ethan offered, stepping forward.

  “I think it’s better if I drive her home,” Tyler said.

  His possessive attitude irritated Georgiana. The day they left for France couldn’t come fast enough.

  “I’m sure Ethan is a proficient enough driver to see me home safely,” Rose said, putting an end to the discussion. Her cold stare dared Tyler to add something.

  Mmm. Well, well, well, look at that. Just when Georgiana thought her fun was spoiled, her moment of triumph had finally arrived. Rose was angry—very angry. Tyler hadn’t told her about Paris after all. Georgiana made an evil laugh inside her head. Muahahah, mission accomplished.

  “It’s all set, then,” Georgiana chirped, moving toward Tyler’s car.

  It was annoying for her brother to pay attention to Rose tonight since he didn’t have to anymore. Not to say mortifying for the way he’d ignored her sorority little sister, Alice. From what Alice had told her, she and her brother were in a committed relationship. So why flirt with another girl all night and offer to take her home? Especially now that Georgiana didn’t need him involved wi
th Rose. Anyway, if her brother wanted to toy with Rose, whatever. The more water under the bridge of Rose and Tyler, the better. But poor Alice.

  “I’m this way,” Ethan said, steering Rose away with a hand on the small of her back.

  Georgiana pulled Tyler toward his car and tried to ignore the fact that her boyfriend appeared jealous of her brother.

  Twelve

  Rose

  Ethan drove a black Mercedes SL—a sports car that fitted his character like a glove. Rose was glad it was him driving her home tonight. The thought of being stuck in a confined space with Tyler was unbearable just now. She didn’t even care that he was staying over at Georgiana’s. She was too angry for that.

  They didn’t speak much on the way to Tyler’s house, except for Rose offering the occasional direction. All the playfulness of the night had evaporated, and with too much on her mind to make small talk, Rose kept quiet. Ethan didn’t seem to mind the silence, though.

  When they pulled up in front of Tyler’s building, Ethan was jumping out of the car before Rose even had a chance to thank him for driving her home. He circled it to reach her side and opened the car door for her. A tiny smile escaped her lips; this guy was full of surprises.

  “How gentlemanly of you,” she said, taking his outstretched hand.

  “I’m no gentlemen,” he said, his eyes suddenly dark in the cold night. “I only wanted to do this.”

  Ethan pulled her up and out of the car toward him. Moving his free hand to the small of her back and forcing their bodies closer together, he kissed her.

  At first, she turned rigid in his arms. Rose hadn’t expected the kiss, but after the initial surprise, she found herself responding. Her body took control, and she pressed herself against him. As suddenly as she’d let herself go, though, Rose regained control and pulled away from him.

  She threw him a quick glance, blushing. Rose’s eyes traveled low, fixating on the curb for a while before she was steady enough to look at him again.

  Leaning with her back against his car, she said, “I guess that was good night, then.”

  “I guess it was.”

  “Good night, Ethan.” Rose stepped toward him.

  “Good night, Rose.” He cupped her face in his hands and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

  Rose could sense his stare on her back as she walked away, and couldn’t resist glancing back at him one last time. Ethan had taken her place against his car, watching her go, his gaze smoldering. Rose ran the last few steps toward the door and disappeared inside the house, feeling out of breath.

  The moment she closed the door, however, the brief elation Ethan’s kiss had given her vanished. As she collapsed to the floor, a strong pain constricted her lungs. Rose rested her head on her knees and let the tears she’d been holding back for the past hour run freely.

  Tyler

  In Georgiana’s apartment, in her bed, Tyler lay awake, restless. Georgiana was sleeping naked beside him, snoring faintly. He’d had sex with her tonight, more out of frustration than anything else. Tyler hadn’t enjoyed it; he’d been thinking about Rose the entire time. Even when she wasn’t here, she was all he could think about. He’d been livid with her all night for the way she’d openly flirted with Georgiana’s brother. And now, white-hot jealousy was coursing through his veins like venom.

  Tyler couldn’t get the image of her going home with Ethan out of his mind. Had she really gone home, or had she gone back to his apartment? Was she having sex with him now? The thought of Rose, naked, with somebody else was unbearable. Unthinkable. The image was enough to send him shooting out of the bed. Tyler needed to know, now. He had to know if she was at home, waiting for him or not.

  The sudden movement woke Georgiana. She stirred and looked at him. The room was in half-darkness; the only light came from the street lamps outside. Tyler doubted she could see much more of him than his dark silhouette.

  “What’s up, baby?” she asked.

  “I can’t sleep. I need my bed.”

  “You never had a problem with my bed before.”

  “I do tonight,” he said harshly. Then, realizing it’d be easier to be nice to Georgiana rather than start an argument, he leaned toward her to kiss her forehead. “I’ll call you tomorrow when I wake up, okay? Now, go back to sleep.”

  Apparently soothed by his sweet tone, Georgiana didn’t protest further, her eyelids fluttering shut.

  The journey home seemed infinite to Tyler, even though the streets were deserted this late at night. Every red light seemed to linger for an eternity. He sat in his car nervously drumming his fingers on the wheel, coils of anxiety twisting his stomach into knots. Rose was home, she had to be home. Tyler needed to explain Paris to her, and then she’d forgive him. Rose always did. Six months was nothing. They’d known each other for all their lives; six months in France didn’t matter.

  When he finally pulled over in front of his house, Tyler parked the car in a hurry and ran up the alleyway. Once inside, he paused briefly in the entrance hall, listening for any sound. Nothing. All was silent. He took off his shoes and jacket without turning on any lights and ran up the stairs, trying not to make too much noise.

  Rose’s door was closed. He stopped in front of it for a moment, undecided. But he had to know. He turned the knob slowly, again careful not to produce a sound.

  Tyler peered into the room, filled with trepidation. The lights were all off, and the curtains closed. But his eyes were already used to the semi-darkness, and he could distinguish the slim outline of a body lying on the bed, curled up under the covers.

  Rose was home. Of course, she was home. Relief washed over him. How stupid had he been to think she would’ve gone home with that dude? Rose loved him. She’d be angry with him in the morning, sure, and would probably yell at him, but she’d always be there for him. Tyler went to bed, the most relaxed he’d been the entire week. Everything would be fine.

  Thirteen

  Rose

  Rose cried herself to sleep and woke up the next morning feeling miserable. A few groggy seconds passed before Rose remembered why she was in such a terrible mood. Tyler was moving to France with Georgiana. At the thought, her stomach churned and Rose pressed her lips together trying not to gag. What now? She’d have to move out at once. The realization made her even angrier; in one swift move, Georgiana was going to get everything she wanted. Rose hated her like she’d never hated anyone in her entire life.

  Her loathing of Georgiana was interrupted by the sound of the toilet being flushed. Tyler was home. Rose’s heart skipped a beat. When had he returned? What was the time? 7:45. What was Tyler doing home so early? Rose couldn’t talk to him, not a mere few hours after learning the truth of where she stood with him. In fact, her plan was to sneak out of the house before he got back from Georgiana’s place and return long after his bedtime. What was she going to do now? Rose wasn’t ready to face him. She didn’t want to see him at all.

  Her heart felt like it stopped altogether when a faint knock sounded on her door. Shoot! What now? Rose didn’t move. She didn’t breathe.

  The knock came again, louder this time. A shiver ran down Rose’s spine and she lifted the covers higher over her head as if they could shield her from Tyler.

  “Rose?” Tyler’s voice came tentatively from the other side. “Rose, I know you’re in there.”

  How did he know?

  “Rose, we need to talk.”

  Oh, so now he wants to talk.

  “Go away!” she shouted, jerking out of bed. No chance of being embarrassed as she was wearing a baggy t-shirt and long pajama pants.

  “Rose, I’m coming in.”

  Tyler came into the room, dressed in a white t-shirt and gray sweat pants.

  “I don’t want to talk to you,” she said.

  They faced each other, standing on opposite sides of her bed.

  “Rose, please, I had no choice.”

  She’d expected this excuse and was ready for it. “Oh, really?” Rose snap
ped. “And what exactly stopped you from telling me you were moving to France with your girlfriend?”

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me? Why?” Rose yelled, hysterical. “Oh, yeah! Because you wanted to keep screwing me until you left. You’re a jerk.”

  “Rose, please, it’s not like that and you know it. I wasn’t expecting any of this to happen. Professor Hendricks summoned me into his office last Monday to tell me Montgomery had backed out of the French scholarship and that, if I wanted it, the spot was mine. But since the program started in three weeks, I had to give him an answer right then—and you know how much I wanted that scholarship. So, I said yes. I didn’t even know Georgiana was also going until I’d already accepted.”

  “That witch made this happen, didn’t she? How?” Rose could hear the venom in her voice, but she didn’t care.

  “I don’t know. Both Montgomery and Brown withdrew from the exchange program at the last second. Georgiana must’ve had her father involved—I’m guessing he offered them something to give up their spots.”

  “Did you sleep with her?” Rose hissed.

  “What?” Tyler seemed thrown off balance by the fury of her question.

  “Last night. Did. You. Have. Sex. With. Her?”

  It was the first time Rose asked him, and she had a hunch it was also the wrong time to ask.

  Tyler looked at her with a desperate expression.

  “You bastard…” Rose started to sob.

  “Rose, please, it didn’t mean anything. I was thinking about you the entire time.”

  How many times had she heard that same plea? Every time he’d cheated on one of his girlfriends and had been caught…

  Oh, no. She’d become one of his girls. The thing she’d feared the most had become true.

  “Get out,” she commanded. “I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t even want to see you.”

  “Rose, please…”

  “Get out.”

  “Rose…”

  “I said GET OUT!” she screamed.

  Tyler

  Tyler had never seen Rose this mad, and to be honest, she was scaring him a little. So he did as she asked and gave her space, resolving to talk to her later, once she calmed down.

  He never got the chance. In the next few days, Rose became a ghost. She left the house at dawn and always came back after midnight. When he waited up for her, Rose ran from the entrance door to her room, ignoring his calls as she locked herself inside. One night he camped outside her bedroom, determined to catch her before she left the next morning. But he fell asleep on the floor as he kept vigil. When Tyler awoke the next morning, Rose was gone. She must’ve stepped over his sleeping body and left without waking him. Even outside the house, he couldn’t find a chance to talk to her—Georgiana shadowed him everywhere, and he was never alone long enough to seek Rose out.

  During his last week in the States, Rose disappeared altogether, only to reappear two days before he was to leave for Paris. Tyler suspected she’d gone home to Dallas to visit her family without telling him.

  The night before his departure, Tyler was in his room, finishing packing, when he heard the front door slam shut. Rose was home; no one else had a key. For a moment, he was tempted to go out and try to talk to her again. But given how badly every previous attempt had gone, he decided it was better to wait until he was back from France. When Tyler returned, he’d get rid of Georgiana, and then Rose would forgive him.

  Fourteen

  Rose

  Rose hid in her room, feeling dead inside. Tyler was leaving tomorrow; he wouldn’t just be in a different city, he’d be on a different continent entirely. She’d done her best to avoid him after their fight. Rose didn’t want to hear his excuses; she’d heard all of them before. The same words uttered a thousand times to as many girls. When she’d found him sleeping outside her door, she’d almost given in, but somehow she’d managed to stay strong.

  But tonight was different. It was their last night.

  Rose changed into one of the longish t-shirts she liked to use to sleep and lay on the bed, but she couldn’t stand still. On impulse, she got up, crossed the hall, and burst Tyler’s door open. He was already in bed, his hand halfway to the table lamp, ready to turn it off.

  Tyler looked up at Rose, surprised. “Oh, so now you’re talking to me?” he asked.

  “No,” she said, removing her t-shirt in one swift movement. “Not talking.”