Torrid Affair(23)
After hearing Nate with Delaney on Thanksgiving, I didn’t want to look at him. I needed some distance. Once the semester was over, we would no longer be in class together, things would go back to normal, and I wouldn't be green with envy at the fact he had sex with his girlfriend.
I stood on the main street that directly faced the building. The massive building’s long glass windows appeared blue as they reflected the brilliant sky. At the uppermost point, a tower topped the building like a crown. I was writing a few notes on my notepad when I heard him behind me.
“You couldn’t wait for me?”
“Sorry,” I responded but never pulled my gaze from what I was writing. “I wanted to get this assignment done. I still have a paper to write.” I shoved my pen in the crease of the notepad and closed it.
“You’re a bad liar.” A grin pulled his mouth back.
A cool breeze blew and I held my breath so I wouldn’t smell his cologne. “I’m not lying.”
“Yes, you are.” He stepped closer, his body tall and lean against mine. “I can tell.”
“How so?” My voice cracked.
“Your eyebrows pinch together.” His thumb grazed my forehead. “It’s like you’re forcing yourself to believe the lie.”
“Whatever.” I swatted his hand away.
“Is it because I saw you naked?” His lips pursed and a sly grin overtook his features.
His words caught me by surprise. I needed to be mad at him. I needed to forget whatever I felt for him. This was wrong. In every sense of the word this was beyond fucked up.
“Seriously!” I inhaled slowly to build up any courage my soul could grasp. “I’m pretty sure that the few seconds you saw me were erased once you were on top of Delaney that night.”
Nate swallowed and I noticed his Adam's apple bob. We stood facing one another, his eyes scanning mine. He cleared his throat, brought his face closer to mine and whispered, “Can I tell you a secret?” He didn’t wait for me to respond. “I know it makes me a fucked up person, but it was you I thought of while I was having sex with Delaney. Naked. Wet. Freshly showered.”
I gasped as the emotional roller coaster sped away leaving me a complete and utter mess.
“You have no idea how happy I was when I woke up the following morning and Julian was on the couch. At least I knew he hadn’t touched you.” Nate ran his hand down my cheek, and I felt the warmth of his breath on my skin.
I was paralyzed.
Stunned.
“I can’t erase you from my mind.” His voice was soothing.
I closed my eyes. This wasn’t happening. This couldn’t happen. I thought if I kept my eyes closed that in that moment it wouldn’t be real. When I opened them again, he’d be gone. But it wasn’t a dream. My face still burned from his touch.
The fire that he sparked between us, the one I so desperately tried to put out, burned brighter than the sun. I told myself it was a contained fire. That it was a mild crush that would soon pass.
But like Nate said, I was a bad liar.
Thursday night, I arrived back at the dorm from work to find Nate and Delaney hanging out in our room. That was a rare occurrence. Most of the time she was at his place. I threw my keys in the fishbowl and was greeted with Nate’s smile. After our encounter the previous day in class, I couldn’t look in his direction without feeling as though my skin would catch fire, so I avoided his gaze and looked over at Delaney.
“Hey.”
“Just the person we were talking about.” Delaney gave me her widest smile. She stood by the microwave as a bag of popcorn spun around and kernels began to pop.
I hadn’t slept well the night before. My mind kept replaying what Nate said. He had sex with Delaney while he imagined me. She was my best friend. I shared almost all my secrets with her. Yet I couldn’t get her boyfriend out of my head.
I tossed my bag on my bed and fell back on the comforter.
“What do you want, Del?” I covered my eyes with my forearm.
“Nate’s having a house party tomorrow night. I want you to come with me.”
I guessed this was the party Julian had mentioned in his text message earlier. I removed my hand and looked over at her. “No.” I had said yes to Julian when he first asked. Even though we weren’t together, we spent almost every weekend together. But knowing it was at Nate’s house I quickly changed my mind.
“Brie!” She rested her hands on her hips. “You never want to do anything fun.”
“That’s not true. I went to the game with you.”
“One, that was months ago; and two, you left early.”
I pulled my gaze from her and looked over at Nate. We both knew why I left early.