Page 22 of Frost Bitten
We head out of the house to my Jeep, and as she jumps in the back, I think to myself that maybe I should warn her about the guys. “Hey, uh, Lily?” I ask, as she buckles her seat belt.
“Yeah?” she replies quickly, not even noticing my nervousness.
“So, you know how some girls like boys, and other girls like girls?”
“Uh, Cait? You know Mom already had this talk with me, right?”
“Yeah, yeah, this isn’t that talk. Well, just like some people choose to have one person to be with, other people have multiple partners.”
“Oh, like polygamy?” she asks.
Ugh… “Yeah, kind of like that. I wanted to discuss this because you know how I was dating Corey? Sort of?”
She meets my eyes in the rearview mirror, and the suspicion she has for the topic is evident. “Yeah,” she replies hesitantly.
“Well, I guess I’m kind of dating his friend Sebastien now, too.”
“Oh. Okay,” she states succinctly, turning to look out the window.
“That’s it? Just okay?”
“Yeah. Why? It’s your love life. I don’t care.”
Oh my god, I love this girl. I smile back at her through the mirror, but she doesn’t see. “Thanks, chickie.”
“No problem,” she replies as we pull up to her school.
I pull into the car line and call out to her as she gets out of the Jeep, “Have a great day!”
After I drop her off, I swing by Lift to get a coffee to motivate me to go study on campus. I meet Ashton in the parking lot, and he gives me a hug. “How are you doing, short stuff?” he asks.
“Short stuff? Boy, you may be tall, but I am definitely not ‘short’,” I snicker. “Things are… ok. Still trying to come to terms with where my life is. Trying to keep up with classes, which I’m failing at miserably. But the good thing is, I’m now dating Sebastien?” Is that a question? No. “No, it’s definitely a good thing.”
“Are you and Corey done?”
“Uh…”
He just stops and looks at me, not fully understanding the situation. “Girl, tell me what's going on right now.”
I turn my head down and to the side before whispering, “I’m kind of dating both of them?”
“You’re… oh. Ok. Do they know this?”
“Of course, dude! I’m not a back-stabbing ho. They are actually the ones that suggested it.”
The shock on his face registers a mile away as his eyebrows hit the sky. “They did what now?”
“Yeah. They approached me yesterday. Corey has hinted in the past that he might be open to sharing. He approached Bast yesterday at lunch and questioned his feelings, so Bast opened up. He said that’s when they decided Corey should ask if I was interested in both of them. Then, Bast approached me and explained that he’s felt drawn to me since we met in his family’s store, but he’s held back out of respect for Corey. I mean, I’m very much into Corey, but I’d felt something for Bast too, prior to me finding out they were friends.”
“Uh-huh. And I bet you all are going to end up fucking. Please don’t say I didn’t warn you when one of them breaks your heart,” despite the skepticism that drips from every word, I know Ash cares for me. But he’s right. I do need to guard my heart.
“I know,” I reply with a sigh. “For right now, though, I just need to get through these classes. Can we set up study dates? I can’t fail these. Otherwise, Dean Sanchez may not allow me back into the business school once I repair my transcripts. Or replace those bad credit hours.”
“Yeah, let’s start later this week. I want to be ready for finals,” he says as he opens the door for me. We quickly take our seats, and I take the chance to observe him. Ashton is so confident with these courses, I don’t know how I’d survive without him. I don’t know what my future holds, but I sure hope he’s in it.
Two hours later, we’re exiting the library. The time flew by, and while I studied, I have no idea what shape my notes are in. I quickly say goodbye to Ash and move along to work on studying for another class in the local coffee shop. Before I know it, it’s time to go pick up Lily. My nerves start building as I know getting home means getting closer to my date tonight with Bast, and I smile just thinking of him. My sentimental guy, he’s the thoughtful one, so I know he’ll think of something fun to do.
Once I get the little sis home and dinner prepped, I start getting ready for the date. I quickly shower, shave, and wash my hair. Thankful for those little shampoo and conditioner bars that keep my color fresh, so I don’t have to wash in ice-cold water. Brr, that would be miserable in any climate in winter, let alone Colorado. I decide to use my flat iron to create flowing waves and keep my makeup light. It’s not like he hasn’t already seen me at my worst. I finish up by dressing in thick leggings, a big sweater, and knee-high boots. I’ll throw on an extra jacket before heading out the door.
