“Surprise!” Sol says, his gaze moving from MJ to me, then back to my best friend. Propping one crutch against the door frame, he pulls her into a one-arm hug. “Hey, MJ.”
She returns the hug, wrapping both arms around his torso. “It’s really good to see you—” She cuts herself off when Ivan appears in the doorway, hands stuffed into his pants pockets, eyes downcast. “Hey,” she says, pulling away from Sol and taking a step back.
Ivan lifts his head and nods, his gaze fixed on MJ. I’m sure she’s the only thing he can see right now. “You look beautiful.”
MJ glances down at her ratty sleep shirt and shorts, then mutters, “Thanks?” while shuffling back to sit on her bed.
Sol and I exchange a glance before he grabs his crutch and walks in. “Hey there, beautiful,” he mumbles, mouth hitching up to one side in a smile.
Yep. That smile is aimed at me. Oh, yeah.
He leans on the wall to his right to support his weight as I cross the room to him.
“Hey, Sol.” Instead of flinging myself at him like I want to, I wrap my arms around his waist and press my face into his chest. God, he smells so good. Pulling back, I tilt my head to meet his gaze. “How did you get here? Did your uncle drive you?”
He shakes his head. “I took the train. Ivan picked me up from the station.”
My eyes widen. “That’s a ten-hour trip.”
“Actually, it was about eight and a half? I took the hi-speed.” I’m probably staring at him like an idiot because he scratches the back of his head and says, “You couldn’t make it home this weekend, so I thought I’d come visit you instead. I hope it’s cool with you?”
I shake off the shock. “Sorry. I’m just stunned you traveled all the way to see me, especially with your leg barely healed,” I mutter, reaching up and kissing his cheek. “I’m really happy you’re here.”
“A bumped-up leg wouldn’t hold me back from seeing you.” My eyes burn with tears at his words. I didn’t think it was possible to love him more, but here I am. Sol owns me. I don’t deserve him. I really don’t, but I’m going to thank God for leading him back to me.
“I missed you,” I mutter.
Sol leans down, his scruffy jaw rubbing against the sensitive skin between my chin and jaw, and whispers in my ear, “Me too.”
A shiver slides down my spine. Goose bumps wash all over my body. Heat pools between my thighs. He might as well have said he wanted to rip my clothes off and fuck me into oblivion.
Ivan clears his throat from the door at the same time MJ mutters, “Ugh. Stop, please. You two are giving me a stomachache.”
Sol and I pull apart. I cut a glance from MJ to Ivan, feeling guilty. Clearing my throat, I ask, “How did you guys get into the building anyway?”
“One of your dormmates was just leaving when we got here. Ivan talked his way into letting us in.”
MJ huffs, then stands up. She grabs her shower caddy and towel and takes off. Ivan’s gaze trails her every movement like he’s afraid she’ll disappear into thin air if he takes his eyes off her.
“Can we talk?” he mutters when she steps into the hallway.
She skirts around him. “I need to take a shower.” His hand shoots forward and grasps her wrist, halting MJ’s progress. Her body visibly shivers, and her breath hitches at the touch.
“Just five minutes,” Ivan says. “I promise.”
They stare at each other for several seconds: MJ’s face conflicted, and Ivan’s determined. Then she sucks in a deep breath and nods. “Five minutes.” She glances at me, and I hate the look of pain etched on her face. I nod in encouragement, and seconds later, she closes the door behind them.
I sigh. “She’s hurting so much. I wish Ivan would get his shit together.”
“He needs time,” Sol says. “He’s hurting too, you know. In his defense, MJ just hit him with an ultimatum when he least expected it.”
My brows go up, and I cross my arms over my chest. “Are you taking his side now?”
Sol reaches for his crutches and positions them under his arms. “I’m not taking anyone’s side. All I’m saying is that they both need time to think things through. Those two have been together for years, and they probably never thought anything could come between them.” He tucks his thumb under my chin and tugs it up. “They’ll beat the odds. We did, and look at us now.”
My irritation softens at his words, and my lips pull into a reluctant smile. “Yes, we did. Wanna sit down for a bit?”
“God, yes.” He groans and makes his way to the desk, then glances between the bed and desk chair.
“Lie on the bed and rest your leg,” I say, making the decision for him. “Are you staying at Ivan’s place?”
“Yeah. We dropped my bag there before driving here.” He smirks. “But if you want me to bunk with you, I’m totally down. I promise to behave. Scout’s honor.”
I laugh. “You were never a Scout, so it doesn’t count.”
“What about an almost priest. Does that count?”
I take in that smirk. Damn, he would’ve made a hot priest. “What if I don’t want you to behave?”
Wrapping one arm around my lower back, he uses a little force to tug me close, my breasts to his chest. I grip his biceps, tilting my head up to look him in the eyes. ”Just say the word, and I’m yours.”
My breath hitches at his suggestive tone. If I didn’t need a shower and a good teeth scrubbing, I’d climb him like a tree and take full advantage. I shift on my feet a little, unsure of what to say. Sol must see the flush on my face. “Um . . .” I clear my throat. “Sure, yeah. You can stay here.”
Giving my favorite half-smile, he props the crutches against the wall next to the nightstand. He toes his boots off and settles on the bed, then folds his arms behind his head, smiling like a Cheshire cat. Ugh, why does he have to be so damn sexy and smug? He knows he’s got me.
“Okay. I’ll talk to MJ first just to make sure she’s fine with it, especially with everything going on with Iv.”
He nods in understanding. “Ivan’s having a few guys at his place just to hang. Wanna go?”
Levi’s angry face flashes inside my head. “I’ll take a rain check.”
“Everything okay?” Sol asks, watching me closely.
I shake my head and quickly say, “I need to study for midterms.”
“You sure?”
I nod, then cross my arms over my chest and bite my bottom lip. “Can you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Could you ask Ivan if he’s noticed anything odd going on with Levi?”
“Sure. Any specific reason?”
I nod and scoot to sit on the desk. “Just a feeling I can’t shake.” Sol’s brows rise in question, and I squirm. God, I hope he doesn’t take this the wrong way. “I saw him take his medication at the library, then about a half hour later, he took another one at a coffee shop.”
He blinks at me, his brows bunching into a frown. “You two were hanging out together?”
“Oh, no. It’s not what you think. I ran into him at the library yesterday. He wanted to talk, so we grabbed coffee.” Sol’s lips form a flat line, and he nods as if he understands. Jumping down from the desk, I walk over and drop to my knees in front of the bed, then take his hand, pressing a kiss to his calloused palm. “I swear we just sat down to talk and clear the air.” He cups my jaw, brushing his thumb across my bottom lip. “Listen, I don’t expect you to believe me or trust me. But I’m going to earn that trust back.”