“My sweet, sweet girl. I love you for that, but you need this. Ace is there, he misses you. I need you to make a way in this world for yourself. Staying in the dorms is the right decision. You have a lifetime of new experiences waiting for you. The Emersons are just next door, and the nurse will be here seven days a week.”
“But—”
“That’s enough. Allison, listen to me, you’re going to stay in the dorms and live it up, like all the other kids your age. I’ve watched you give up too many experiences for me, and I won’t stand for it any longer. I love you with all my heart, but you need to do this, for both of us.”
“Fine, but I’m coming home every weekend to see you,” I grumble. Knowing that further arguing will only upset her more.
“Oh, no you don’t, missy. You’ll come home no more than one weekend a month, and even that isn’t necessary. Put yourself first, for once, Allison. Take chances, make mistakes, fall in love,” Gran replies at the same time a knock sounds on the door.
“Come in!” I yell.
“Hey, guys, it’s just us,” Jennifer Emerson says, as she and her husband, Michael, walk into the living room. The Emersons live next door, and also happen to be my best friend Ace’s parents. They’ve helped fill the void of my parents, who passed away in a tragic car accident when I was ten.
“Hey, sis, you all set?” Michael asks me as he pulls me in for a hug. Since the day I moved in with Gran after my parents’ death, Michael has called me sis. He said he always wanted a little girl, and since Jennifer was unable to have anymore kids, I would do just fine.
Before I can answer Gran speaks up, “Yes, we were just discussing that. Allison has those two bags by the door, which still need to be loaded, and then she’s all set.”
“Perfect. Sweetheart, I hope you don’t mind delivering some goodies to that son of mine. I made a care package for each of you. Cookies, fudge, toiletries, and a few gift cards, among other things,” Jennifer tells me.
“Are you kidding? Seeing Ace is my only motivation for even leaving. I hate that I’m leaving Gran alone at night.” I give Gran a pleading look that doesn’t seem to faze her. “Thank you for the goodies, you really are too good to me,” I tell her, wrapping my arms around her for a hug.
“We love you, Allison, you’re a part of our family and always will be,” she replies softly. “Michael and I will finish loading your car while you say your goodbyes. Are you sure you don’t want us to come with you and help you get settled in?”
“No. Thank you, though. I don’t really have all that much, and the dorms have elevators, so I won’t have to worry about stairs. I’ve been in contact with my roommate. Her name is Hailey. She’s getting there this afternoon as well, so we plan on doing it together.” I shrug. “She thought it would help us bond. We met a few weeks ago for pizza, just to get more acquainted.” Luckily we live less than an hour drive of each other so we were able to meet up easily.
“I think I like this Hailey character.” Gran grins at me.
I lean down to embrace her in a hug, feeling her fragile body in my arms as she whispers, “Life is a giant canvas, Allie, you should throw as much paint on it as you can. You determine your future. I’m so proud of the woman you’ve become, and your parents would be too.”
I pull away from her, tears running down my face. “I love you, Gran. I’ll call every day, and, please, call me if you need me. I’m just forty minutes away.” I kiss her on the cheek. “I miss you already.”
“I miss you too, sweet girl.”
The drive to UNC is short and sweet. Thankfully, I’m able to get my emotions under control during the drive. When I reach the parking lot for my dorm, I send Hailey, my roommate, a text.
Me: Hey! Just pulled into the lot.
Hailey: Be there in 3 min.
Me: K
True to her word, Hailey arrives three minutes later, pulling up beside me in her blue Ford Fusion. We’ve been emailing for two months now, so I feel like I already know her. I don’t have a lot of friends. Really, Ace is the only friend I’m close to. I didn’t have a lot of time for friendships and hanging out while I was taking care of Gran. My heart squeezes in my chest. I miss her already. As I climb out of the car, Hailey’s already heading toward me.
“Allison! I’m so excited!” Hailey screeches as she throws her arms around me for a hug.
Her enthusiasm is infectious. “Me too.” I laugh.
“Let’s get started. I know we said we were going to do this on our own, but my dad insisted my brother help. He’s a senior here at UNC; he and his best friend, Dash, live off campus. Wait, I’ve told you that already. There he is now.” I don’t think she even took a breath.
I laugh to myself, what kind of name is Dash? Of course, I’m okay with some muscles to help with the heavy lifting. I assume Hailey’s brother is muscular, since he’s the quarterback for UNC. The good thing about Hailey and me reaching out to each other the past couple of months is I feel like I already know so much about her. It takes away that awkward feeling of living with a stranger. I’ve heard a lot about her family, and she knows all about Gran and Ace, of course.
“Allison, did you hear me?” Hailey asks.
I turn to face her… Holy shit! Standing next to Hailey is the sexiest guy I’ve ever seen in my entire life. He’s tall, at least six-four, and strong, broad shoulders. His hair is lighter than Hailey’s, cut short, and the most staggering sky-blue eyes I’ve ever seen. I know I’m staring, but I can’t seem to control myself. He’s wearing blue jeans that hang just right and a plain white t-shirt, which embraces his ripped abs and shoulders.
“Allison, this is my brother. Liam. Liam, this is Allison, my roommate.”
Mr. Sexy, also known as Liam, smiles and reaches his hand out to me. “Nice to meet you,” he says as he flashes me a charming smile.
I realize I’m still staring, and he’s waiting for me to shake his hand. So, I reach out accepting the handshake. “You as well, thanks for your help.” There, that sounds normal, a little breathy, but who can blame me. This guy is sex on a stick.
I hear someone clearing their throat. I pull my eyes away from Mr. Sexy and notice there’s a huge guy standing right beside him. “This is Blitzen, a friend of mine,” Liam tells me.
“Hello, Blitzen, I’m Allison. It’s nice to meet you.” I study him, partly to keep my eyes from searching for Liam and partly because, well, he’s fine. Maybe living in the dorms won’t be so bad after all.
Blitzen is close to the same height as Liam, probably six-three, with shaggy, curly, blonde hair. He’s built, his blue t-shirt clinging to his muscles. The sleeves on his shirt look like they could rip any minute. His abs are rock hard. I know this because his shirt is skin tight, leaving nothing to the imagination. No fat on these fellas.
“The pleasure is all mine, beautiful,” Blitzen croons as he leans in and kisses me on the cheek.
Liam reaches out and smacks Blitzen on the back of the head. “Come on, Romeo. Let’s get this show on the road.”
Blitzen winks at me as we all begin carrying everything up to our dorm room. I have to admit, with the use of two football players at our disposal the move went much faster than if it would have if it had been just Hailey and me. Ace is gonna be pissed when he finds out. He wanted to help and I told him no. Hailey and I wanted to do this together. Her dad shot that plan to hell, but I’m not complaining. Once both cars are unloaded, the guys throw themselves on a futon in our room while digging water out of a cooler I’d packed for the trip. I am nervous being close to two hot guys in such a confined space. The only guy I’ve really spent any time around was Ace, and we’ve been friends since I was ten. There were no dates for me in high school, so this is a new experience. I decide I need to break the tension.