“Wait a fucking second,” Chasm says, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose. I’m happy to see that his piercings are back in, his eyes ringed with liner, and that pretty yellow lightning bolt on full display. Guess that means his dad is gone again? “Do I have, like, a weed hangover from that blunt I smoked last night, or did I just walk in on the two of you rounding second base?”
Parrish tucks his tattooed hands into the pockets of his jeans and tries to take off. Chasm throws his arm out to block him, his palm slamming into the opposite side of the doorjamb as he turns a scowl on his best friend.
“Don’t even do that,” he murmurs, low and sharp. And then, much to my surprise, he says something in Korean and Parrish responds. Oh my god. He’s taught his best friend how to speak his language. It’s … it’s so cute. The ultimate bromance. Pretty sure I’d have a tear if I weren’t so … conflicted. Furious at Tess. Furious at Parrish. In … lust with Parrish? Eww, that’s fucking gross.
Gamer Girl got it bad.
As I watch, the two of them have a mumbled conversation in Korean while I try to use my incredible K-drama watching skills to translate it. Unfortunately, I understand little to nothing. Okay, not little to nothing, but just nothing. Nothing at all. Except for my name.
Dakota.
At least they’re both still calling me Dakota.
I stand up from the bed and both boys pause to glance my way.
Don’t fall for Chasm; break up with Lumen. Why did he ask me those things unless he wanted something more than a stolen kiss every now and again?
“Please speak English for my sake,” I say quietly, and then pause. “Or teach me Korean, too.”
“You can barely handle Japanese, and you need to learn it for school. Why on earth would I add another language to your plate?” Chasm asks, but he won’t look at me. That’s when I realize it: he could … he might … maybe Chasm is … “Get your stuff and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
He drops his arm and Parrish pushes past him, slamming his bedroom door as I stand there gaping. After a second, Chasm turns and heads down the hall, leaving me there to roil in my own confusion. I grab some of my hair with either hand and give it a quick yank, closing my eyes to stem the surge of frustration and hurt that I feel right now.
Chasm and I did sort of, maybe like, have a thing? But Parrish and I clearly have a thing?
Fuck.
I open my eyes to find Delphine watching me, a tight smile on her face as she waits patiently just outside my door.
“Do you mind if I come in and clean?” she asks, but I just drop my hands to my sides and look around.
“My room is as sterile as a doctor’s office,” I murmur, hating every square inch of it. “What is there to clean?”
Delphine pushes her glasses up her nose and comes in anyway, pulling a cart behind her that looks an awful lot like the ones hotel maids have. Only, hotel maids don’t wear silly frilly headbands like they’re working at a maid café in Tokyo.
“Paul and Tess like the sheets changed at least twice a week.” She shrugs her shoulders and then glances in the direction of the bathroom. “And the bathroom bleached from top to bottom at least once a month.”
“Fantastic,” I say with a sigh, and then after realizing I’m being a rude dickhead, I force a smile. “Sorry. I know you have it a lot harder than I do.”
“You don’t know that,” Delphine tells me, starting to strip the bed. I step up to help her, pulling the pillowcases off the pillows, even though I know I don’t have to do it. I’m buying time before I have to face Chasm again; we both know that. “I’m not involved in a love triangle with two guys.”
“I’m not in a love triangle,” I choke out, but maybe I am and I just haven’t realized it yet? If I were in a love triangle, I’m certainly not now. Not anymore. The look on Chasm’s face when he walked in and saw us …
“Your blush might say otherwise,” Delphine tells me with a grin as I drop the pillowcase on the floor and reach up to touch my cheeks. They’re burning hot, searing my palms. “Want my advice on which one to pick?” I blink at her and drop my arms to my sides, waiting for sage advice from a college girl. Because she must be a college girl, right? I’ve seen her yanking a Washington State hoodie over her head on her way out the door. “Pick neither. Boys are trouble. Stay single and happy.”
