Adam and Mike sat down the sectional in front of the TV. The fabric was a soft, dark beige and went well with the pale walls. Lily had picked it out not based on the color, but on sleep worthiness. She’d stretched out on several in the store and rolled around, testing comfort. This one was the softest, but had just a little resistance so you could nap with ease.
Nikoli tossed the red throw pillows at her and shouted, “Drinks in the fridge, guys. Grab a cold one before we go after the next load.”
Janet took a long swig of water and then whispered to Lily, “Why did he buy new furniture?”
“I refused to set foot in the place until his disease-covered filth was gone,” she said, not bothering to lower her voice.
Nikoli just smiled wanly and chugged his beer.
“Why do you think I don’t sit when I go over to Mike and Adam’s frat house?” Lily said, her expression scrunching up in disgust. “Just think about all the bodily fluids in that place.”
“Ewwww.” Janet looked disgusted. “I never thought about that.”
“We clean,” Mike defended.
“With bleach?” Lily asked. “And on every surface?”
“Well, no…”
“Not clean!” Janet did her grossed out dance. “I’m not going back there ever again.”
Mike shot Lily a what-have-you-done look, and she smiled. “Deal with it, Michealangelo.”
Luther let out a groan, and they all turned to see him sitting on the couch, a look of utter joy on his face. “Oh. My. God. I could live here.”
“Off the couch!” Lily demanded.
“What? Why?”
“Because it’s brand new and you’re dirty, sweaty, and you stink,” Lily told him.
“It’s my damn couch,” he grouched, but moved when he saw the look of promised pain Lily aimed at him. Instead, he rambled over to the fridge, which Nikoli had replaced the day before. The fact he’d replaced it made Lily shudder at the thought of what might have happened there.
Nikoli grabbed the drink out of Luther’s hand. “Nope, man, not yours. These are Lily’s.” He walked over and handed her the can of cherry Dr. Pepper.
“I like those too!” Luther protested.
“Don’t touch ’em,” Nikoli warned, his voice hard.
“How did you know these are my favorites?” Lily asked, perplexed. She’d never told him.
“Every time we go out to eat, it’s the first thing you ask for.” Nikoli shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. “Not hard to figure out.”
“Thank you, Nikoli,” she said softly.
He nodded and went back to the fridge to get a beer. He’d started to regret the arrangement he’d made with her. Not because he didn’t want to help her, but because he could feel himself changing, and it bothered him. He found himself doing little things for her, like making sure his fridge was stocked with her favorite drink, or walking her to every class even when it made him late for his own.
Lily appreciated the smaller gestures as opposed to the grand ones. It was something he’d figured out about her over the last two weeks. The smile she’d given him over the can of pop was enough to make his stomach do a little flip of its own. It disturbed him that she had this kind of effect on him, but at the same time, it was a new feeling, and one he liked. He snorted at his own indecision. The girl was really starting to get to him.
Adam pulled out a chair for Lily at the table, and Nikoli’s eyes narrowed. His first instinct had been to beat the shit out of Boy Wonder and send him packing, but Lily hadn’t told him to get lost, so Nikoli held his tongue. Adam had been useful at least, lugging more than his fair share up the stairs.#p#分页标题#e#
Janet wandered over and turned on the radio. Maroon 5’s “Sugar” blared out of the speakers. “Ohhh, I love this song!”
“Make the karaoke champ sing,” Mike said, his eyes vengeful.
“No.” Lily shook her head.
“Karaoke champ?” Nikoli asked, brow arched questioningly.
“Girl can sing,” Adam confirmed. “She sings good too.”
“This I have to hear.”
“Uh, no,” Lily refused. “Not gonna happen.”
“Aww, come on, Lils,” Adam cajoled. “Sing for us.”
“You first,” she said, a wicked smile spreading across her face. “Only fair the runner up goes first.”
Adam opened his mouth and started to sing along to the lyrics. Nikoli stared, open-mouthed. Boy Wonder had a decent voice. Lily laughed at Adam’s antics as he danced around the living room. He tossed her the remote control, and she started to sing with him, belting out the song. Their voices blended well, and it was obvious to anyone they’d sung together a lot.