Never (2 page)

“Great!” Candi interrupted, completely ignoring what I was sure was the beginning of Juliet’s decline of her invitation. “I’ll Facebook you.” She sauntered away without another word.

Alone, I reached for Juliet. “We don’t have to go.”

She yanked away from me. “You sure? Maybe the two of you could hook up on her balcony again.”

I cringed. She heard that? I felt the shame of hesitating and thinking of that night with Candi settle in the pit of my stomach. “It didn’t mean anything.”

“You two had a freaking moment, Lucas!” Juliet hissed, hurt coloring her dark eyes. “I saw it. I...
felt
it.”

It was only physical,” I tried to explain. “I don’t want her.” She tried to dodge me but I didn’t budge, gripping her shoulders then trailing my hands up until I cupped the sides of her face. I waited until she looked up at me, ignoring the death glare. I just wanted her to see that maybe my head had a moment of stupidity, but not my heart.
Never
my heart. “You’re the only one I want to be with, Julie.”

She didn’t look convinced, but her chin trembled slightly as her eyes softened. “You promise?”

“I promise.” I leaned in to kiss her, but the sound of catcalls and Blake’s distinctive whoop erased any semblance of romance and my mouth hovered a few inches from hers before she pulled away.

“Juliet—”

She left her tray on the buffet line. “I’m not all that hungry.” Before I could stop her, she spun on her heels and marched toward the exit.

Blake and the boys shuffled up behind me, Dean clapping me on the shoulder. “Where’s your girl?”

“She had to get to class,” I lied.

“Too bad,” he frowned. “I was looking forward to grilling her before I gave the two of you my blessing.”

“Well, maybe you should do your homework the night before like the rest of us and not thirty minutes before class,” Blake piped beside me. “Right, Lucas?”

I tugged on a smile. “Yep.”

Blake’s look changed and I knew he could tell something went down between me and Juliet, but I cleared my throat and swiped Juliet’s untouched tray. I wasn’t about to have a heart-to-heart about my relationship troubles with a guy that dodged relationships like his life depended on it.

“I’m gonna force this crap down my throat,” I said, walking away from my friends. “Later.”

Chapter Two: Juliet

“Alright, we’ll call it there for today,” Dr. Murrow said, ending our theatre class.

Sadness settled on me like a wet blanket when the lights flickered on, Dr. Murrow pausing the Shakespeare documentary we’d been watching. I wanted to believe it was because I found the history interesting, but my wandering thoughts proved otherwise.

That morning Lucas had brought up the fact that other than meeting Kim for coffee and dinner a couple of times over the week or so that we became official, we hadn't really walked around campus together.

All during class I replayed our conversation.

I kicked off the bed, turning back to him with a snicker. "So what are you saying? You want to carry my books? Give me your letter jacket?"

His smile dropped instantly as he studied my face. "What's the big deal, Juliet? Is there something wrong with wanting to walk around together?" When I fell quiet, his face darkened. "So that’s how this feels."

"How what feels?"

"Being balls out, ready for the next step and the other person's dragging ass." He paused. "Being a girl."

My mouth worked and sounds that were supposed to be words were just clipped awkwardness. How could I explain that he was the best thing that happened to me and I was terrified we'd screw this up? That the last time I did the boyfriend/girlfriend thing, it destroyed me and I couldn't shake the fear that nothing good lasts?

The harsh line of his lips curved playfully. "Just kidding."

Relieved but slightly annoyed, I chunked a pillow at his head. "You jerk!"

He slid off the bed, all the perfect chiseled squares of his abs flexing as he stood before me, shirtless and delicious. His dark hair was perfectly tousled and he looked at me like I was the only thing on planet earth that mattered.

I couldn't lose him.

He came closer and my body hummed with the nearness of him. He reached for my hair, pulling the tie down and making my bone straight chocolate strands spill down my back.

"No pressure, alright?" He ran his fingers through my hair, sending warmth over me. "As long as you need."

But I could see in his eyes that wasn't exactly true. I didn't know if it was some testosterone driven need to mark his territory or just the fact that he didn't have the horrible relationship experience that I did, but he wanted commitment.

"Nah, today's a good day as any."

And that was how we ended up going to the dining hall. Feeling all the eyes bore into us.

How many of the girls who stared me down hoped they'd be the one to take Lucas off the market? How many guys were stripping me down with their gaze, wondering what kinky stuff I did to make the notorious bachelor settle down?

Then there was Blake, being his normal douchey self and meeting Lucas’ other snarky friends. And just to prove the universe couldn’t help but kick me while I was down, Candi decided to make an appearance, seductively recounting how she hooked up with my boyfriend on some patio.

I swung my backpack over my shoulder and flashed my professor a smile before I spilled into the hall. It was a disaster and recounting it didn’t do me any good. Next time would be better.

It definitely couldn’t be much worse!

“Juliet!”

My best friend, Kimberly Turnage, maneuvered through the students, making her way toward me.

She was dressed to kill, standing out in a sea of sweatshirts and tees in a floral jumper and strappy heels. Her blond hair hung in perfect waves around her expertly made-up face. That kind of gorgeous would have taken me hours—and she did it in the thirty minutes she had after I revoked her snooze button privileges.

She looped her arm in mine, breathy and excited. "So what's the deal? I've been texting you all morning!"

"This may be a new concept for you, but I actually pay attention in class," I laughed.

Not completely true. I started zoning out when the narrator in the documentary started talking about Elizabethan architecture and the Globe Theater’s signature design. I couldn't stop thinking about Lucas...and Candi all but offering to blow him in the dining hall.

"Yeah whatever," she said, rolling her baby blue eyes. She looked around like she was worried people were listening in on our conversation, then pulled me to a bench propped against the wall. "Is there a reason Candi tagged you and said 'She can't wait to see you at her party'?"

"What?!" I said shrilly, my outburst drawing several sets of eyes. I locked my jaw and drew a deep breath. "What are you talking about?"

Kim fiddled with the Ray Bans on top of her head. "My feed updated and there it was. I was under the impression that she was public enemy number one?"

"She is!" I hissed, angrily brushing my hair from my eyes. "She's..." I made a strangling motion with my hands.

Kim perked an eyebrow. "If you're miming choking a bitch, why are you going to her party?"

I gave my best friend a wilting look. "I have no intention of going to her party! And she’s not really inviting me. I'm sure she'd
love
it if Lucas went so she could screw him on the balcony—"

Kim held up a hand. "Wait, what? That's disturbingly specific."

I told her all about our run in at breakfast. How Lucas had just stood there, practically salivating instead of telling her to go to hell.

"Wow," Kim whistled. "She's...tenacious."

"That's one word for it." I shook my head, groaning with frustration. "This was what I was trying to avoid. Drama."

Kim snickered and when I glared at her for her inappropriate response to the very real problem I was facing, she gestured around us. "You have to admit, you saying you are trying to avoid drama with us sitting in the theatre wing is a little ironic." When I didn't crack a grin, she slumped her shoulders sympathetically. "I'm sorry your boyfriend didn't tell her to keep her sexy time memories in her twisted head. In his defense, she probably..." She trailed off when she saw my frustration and mimed zipping her lips.

"Thank you," I said with a sigh, leaning back against the wall. The last thing I wanted to think about was their sketchy encounter. I was solidly in Boys Suck territory, nothing but a bundle of hormones and frustration and—

"Holy crap," I said aloud as a dead ringer for Sawyer from
Lost
strode down the hall toward us, smiling at me. He had every attractive feature the island bad boy had in spades. Shaggy, dirty blond hair that seemed to fall in perfect layers? Check. Greenish-blue eyes that would reduce even the most eloquent girl to a bumbling idiot? Yep. A bad boy air about him that screamed danger and pillow-shredding sex? Oh yeah.

Kim turned to see what had rendered me speechless and I realized the mystery guy wasn't smiling at me all. His eyes were on her, and her alone.

She lurched to her feet as he came closer and I realized I’d seen him before. Grad student maybe?

"Mr. Spero!" Kim said, her voice trembling slightly. "What are you doing here?"

My jaw dropped. He was Kim’s ‘business professor from Hell’?

I glanced at her, not believing what I saw. Kim, the most gregarious person I'd ever met, was nervous.

He sliced a hand through his hair, giving her a half smile. "I'm helping the theatre department with marketing their summer series."

The air around us had changed. I looked back and forth between the two of them and I didn’t need psychic abilities to know there was something going on. They had
major
chemistry.

I cleared my throat and his bright eyes shot over to me, cheeks darkening slightly before he looked back at Kim. "Friend of yours?"

"What?" Kim let out an airy, uncomfortable giggle and faced me. "Oh! Uh, Mr. Spero—"

"Jason," he corrected smoothly, still wearing that smirk.

It was impossible for Kim to get any redder. "T-This is my friend, Juliet."

Mr. Spero extended his hand, giving mine a firm shake. "Nice to meet you."

I had no romantic interest in him, but I couldn't deny the guy was breathtakingly attractive. I shook his hand, letting out an embarrassed giggle before I kicked myself.
What the eff, Juliet?

I knew it was picking up on their sexual tension that made me turn red as a freaking tomato, but it didn't make me feel any better. My transparent skin made playing it off impossible. Luckily, he was so tuned into Kim that he didn't even give me a second glance.

"I better check in with Melody," he said, nodding in the direction of a group of students huddled near the end of the hall. "I'll see you in class." He started in their direction, then stopped, flashing me a megawatt smile. "It was nice meeting you, Juliet."

Ready to lay into Kim for neglecting to tell me something was going on between them, I stood up, but froze pre-chewing out. She was still watching him, her face taut as he talked to one of the students. Taut with jealousy.

"So, how long have you been sleeping with Mr. Spero?" The smile on my face stalled when I saw the fury wash over hers.

"What? We...I would
never
—" The nerves hardened to steel. “And I don’t appreciate the implication—”

I held up a hand, backpedaling before she had a meltdown. "Alright! Jesus."

She wasn't done. "You should know better than anyone how rumors—" She stopped, deciding to hold back even though both of us knew where she was headed.

I wasn't letting her off that easy.

"Please, don't stop on my account. Me better than anyone should know what? Not to joke about scandal?" I crossed my arms, clearing my face of all emotion, but unable to mask the hurt in my voice. "You’re going
there
? Really, Kim?"

She was my best friend and one of the few people that knew the reason I'd moved from the east coast to Washington. It centered around my asshole ex, the guy who betrayed my trust in the worst possible way by recording us having sex and forwarding the video to his friends. I became
that
girl. Easy. Dumb. I was all too familiar with scandal. I'd gone hundreds of miles to avoid it.

Kim relented, her face colored with guilt. “I’m sorry. It's just—that kind of rumor could ruin a career."

I frowned. "When did you start caring about his career? A couple of weeks ago you hated his guts. Every other class you talked about regretting taking his class in the first place. What changed?"

"Nothing," she insisted with a shrug. She looked back over in his direction before she dropped her eyes to the oversized watch on her wrist. "Your next class is in the science and math building, right?" She held out her elbow. "Want company?"

Her art class was in the building next door and the science and math building was on the other side of campus. She was literally avoiding the subject.

I wanted to find out what was going on between her and Mr. Spero, but I didn't want to get in an argument about it. I was a little rusty on friend etiquette, but I remembered enough to know that sometimes it was best to just give the person space until they were ready to talk.

Chapter Three: Lucas

I looked up from my textbook when my cell rattled the table.

It couldn’t be Juliet. She was camped out in the library and still very pissed about what went down in the dining hall between me and Candi. And since it was barely 10 AM on a Sunday, it was too early for any of my friends to even be conscious. That meant there was a 99% chance it was her.

My mother.

In the past when she called I’d let it go to voicemail, even though I knew she took it as encouragement to just up the ante. She’d leave messages, every new one a little more crazed than the last until I felt so terrible that I answered just so she wouldn’t give herself a heart attack from all the worrying. Once she finally got me on the phone, she’d slip in a dig about how I nearly worried her to death, give me an unsolicited McNamara Family Update, then tell me she loved me.