I jump when my phone starts ringing in my hand. Juggling it back and forth, I’m thankful when it doesn’t fall into the fountain, instead landing safely on my lap. “Hello?”
“Are you okay, Sophie? Where are you?”
“Kipton? Yeah, I’m fine. Why?” Hearing his voice has me smiling like a loon. I didn’t expect to hear from him for a couple days. I always thought guys have some kind of three day call back rule to make girls want them yet make it known they’re the ones calling the shots.
“Cara said she couldn’t find you and you weren’t answering her text messages. Where are you?”
He’s worried about me. “I’m sitting at the fountain. They weren’t done yet after you left, so I took a walk.”
“Motherfucker. I’m going to kill the both of them. I’ll come and get you. You should be in bed resting, not sitting in the dark all by yourself.”
“I’m fine. I didn’t see her messages, but I’m already on my way back inside.” He sighs and I’m pretty sure he’s in his bed from the muffled rustling I’m hearing in the background. I find myself wishing I was back in his bed next to him.
“Sophie.”
“Yeah?”
The line is silent for a few long seconds before he exhales like he’s battling with what he wants to say to me. “Nothing. You’re sure you’re okay? I’m sorry my sister is such a pain in the ass.”
Part of me is disappointed when he doesn’t elaborate. It’s been nice to feel wanted by a guy—a guy I don’t fear. “You don’t need to apologize for her. I happen to know she’s awesome. Her brother is too.” I’m so lame when I flirt.
“So now I’m awesome and sexy.” I love flirty Kipton. I mean like. Sheesh. Turn down the hormones.
I giggle and pretend to be annoyed. “Yes, we’ve already established you’re nice to look at.”
“The feelings mutual, you know,” he murmurs.
He catches me off guard. “It is?”
“Yeah, Sophie. It is.”
I fumble for something to say and when I come up with nothing but air, I decide to end the conversation. I wish I was better at this. “I should go. Thanks for checking on me.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
Yes, I do. For so many reasons. “Night, Kipton.”
“Night, beautiful.”
Hanging up, I exit the elevator and round the corner smiling from ear to ear. The door is wide open when I reach our room, but there’s no sign of Drew. Cara’s sitting on the edge of her bed messing with her phone, her leg bouncing nervously.
“Sophie! There you are.”
“Here I am.” I change into some pajamas, my mind a million miles away.
“You’re mad at me aren’t you?” Cara asks.
I turn sideways with a surprised expression on my face. “What? No. Not at all.”
“I’m sorry I have no will power when it comes to Drew. It was rude of me not to kick him out when you got back.”
Setting down my brush, I close the door to my closet. “Trust me, Cara. It’s okay. He looked like an amazing kisser.” I laugh at the visual they gave me of him practically sucking her entire face off.
“Ohmigod, Sophie. That’s not the only thing he’s amazing at. I’ve never gotten off so many times in one session.”
I pull back the blankets on my bed, sliding under the cool sheet. Having no idea what she means, I’m almost afraid to ask. But I do anyway when curiosity gets the best of me. “Session?”
“You know, from start to finish. Foreplay until the deed is done.”
I prop my head up on my elbow so I can look at her while we’re having this enlightening conversation. “I’ll have to take your word for it.”
“What do you mean?” She asks as she fixes the disheveled comforter on her own bed before climbing underneath.
“I’ve never well, you know.”
“WHAT!” Cara shrieks.
“What?” Maybe I should have kept that tidbit to myself. There is such a thing as oversharing even if Cara has no boundaries. I’ve never gotten off during sex though. My one and only relationship wasn’t the healthiest. It was a lot of trying to please him and not myself. A lot of give with barely any take.
“Sophie please tell me you at least toot your own horn then. Maybe a B.O.B?”
“Who is Bob?”
“Holy shit. Bob is a battery operated boyfriend. My God, you’re practically Sandy from Grease, blond hair and all.”
“Too pure to be Pink,” I fire back at her. Grease happens to be one of my all-time favorite movies so I get what she’s saying completely.
Cara sits up on her bed and scoots to the end as close to mine as she can get. “Tell me more, no pun intended,” she giggles.
“I’ve never met Bob or any of his other friends. Sex with my ex was pretty standard. Nothing kinky or off the wall going on. As long as he got off, that’s all he cared about and it definitely lacked the passion I saw between you and Drew tonight.” That should hold her over for now.
Cara flops on the bed dramatically and squeals. “This is going to be so much fun.”
“What is?” I’m afraid to find out what she’s busy cooking up in that adventurous mind of hers.
She claps her hands together and her eyes light up with excitement. “Turning you into a seductress.”
“What? I don’t even have a man, Cara.”
“Yes, you do. You just aren’t admitting it yet. We can go buy you some sexy lingerie tomorrow and turn you into an irresistible piece of ass.”
“No way, Cara. I’m doing fine on my own.”
“The hell you are! But whatever. If you don’t want my help then I have another suggestion.”
This ought to be good. “I’m not sure I want to hear any more ideas out of you.”
“But you want my brother? Don’t you?”
I lie back down and turn to face the wall. I’m all done with this confession fest.
She must sense my fear because the next time she opens her mouth, her voice is tender. I can tell she’s dropped the ploy to sex me up. “It’s okay if you do, Sophie. He’s a good guy when he wants to be. I was against the idea of you and him dating at first, but only because I was scared he would steal you away from me all the time. Considering you both have a thing for each other, I promise I won’t interfere.”
He really has a thing for me? “Now you’re talking nonsense. He doesn’t want me, Cara. While part of me thinks he may have been hinting at more tonight, I think we’re only ever going to be friends. He could have kissed me tonight, but he didn’t. And we were really close.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. Let me fill you in on a little secret, Sophie. My brother doesn’t text girls, check-up on them, take them places, or any of that relationship type stuff.”
“Then why is he doing it for me?”
“Because he finally found a girl worthy enough. Something tells me he isn’t going to give up until he has you all to himself. I happen to agree with him.”
I try to contain my smile, but fail miserably. “You saw us hug; it’s not a big deal, Cara.” The idea of him wanting me blows my mind. I have a hard time looking at him without blushing let alone actually kissing him. If he touched me touched me, like beyond a kiss, I’m not sure I’d even survive.
“Earth to Sophie,” Cara says, while chucking a small throw pillow at my bed.
I’m not paying attention and it hits me in the stomach. “Ugh, what was that for?”