Litany Of Sins

Total Walking P Is Here

CHAPTER 5

Total Walking P Is Here

L I L A

2012

I took a lungful of air the moment I crossed the threshold of the dorms. It was exactly what I had anticipated: a thick, heavy cocktail of teenage sweat, restless hormones, and the unmistakable, skunky tang of weed—a scent that definitely had not been part of my high school curriculum.

I hauled my suitcase behind me, the weight barely registering against the sheer adrenaline of finally being here. For the first time, I was out from under my siblings’ constant, nagging shadows. This was it—a world where I could finally move at my own speed.

Once I had claimed the right side of the room and finished shoving my clothes into the dresser, the quiet of the empty space started to feel restless. I decided to head out and explore the campus, but as I reached for the handle, the door suddenly swung inward with enough force to make me flinch. I scrambled back just in time to avoid a face-full of wood.

“Hey, watch it—”

“Oh! My bad,” a deep voice cut me off immediately. A man stood in the doorway, looking surprised as his eyes met mine. “I did not think anyone had moved in yet.” He was tall—impossibly so—with a messy mop of dark brown curls and a single duffel bag slung carelessly over his shoulder.

I stood there blinking at him, the reality of the situation finally sinking in: I had forgotten the university’s gender-inclusive housing policy until this very second. My first impression? He looked like a literal ball of sunshine, but with a jagged, frantic edge. He did not just have energy; he had ‘chaos gremlin’ energy, vibrating at a frequency that was bound to turn my quiet life upside down.

“I am Arlo,” he said, offering a smile that felt like an immediate invitation into his world. “Arlo Beaumont.” His eyes were a striking, brilliant blue—a sharp, beautiful contrast to the dark mop of curls atop his head—making him look approachable and kind.

I offered a faint, non-committal smile in return, choosing to let the silence stretch between us rather than jump into a conversation.

“And you must be…” He trailed off, his brow furrowing as if he were trying to recall my name from a student portal he had not obviously touched or checked. “Sorry,” he added with a soft, melodic chuckle. “I have not checked a single thing on my student account yet—I literally just touched down from the UK.” There was a hint of a boast in his tone, though it felt more like genuine excitement than a deliberate attempt to show off.

“My name is Lila,” I managed to say, finally finding my voice after my silent assessment of him. “It is—”

“It is so nice to meet you!” he beamed, cutting me off. Before I could even blink, he pulled me into a whirlwind of a hug. He let go just as quickly, breezing past me toward the empty bed. “I am actually so glad you claimed that side,” he chuckled, tossing his bag down. “I have always been a face-the-wall kind of sleeper. Weird, I know. It just puts me to sleep easily.”

I managed a genuine smile, thinking to myself that he was a literal ray of sunshine. But the warmth of the moment was instantly broken by a shout from the hall. “Arlo!” My head snapped toward the doorway at the sound of a new, masculine voice echoing through the corridor.

Out of nowhere, a towering figure appeared in the doorway, his presence immediately commanding the room in a split second. He had dark blond hair and the most striking hazel eyes—deep, warm, and intense. He was noticeably taller than Arlo and carried a much more rugged, masculine energy. His gaze drifted slowly from his friend to me, lingering for a heartbeat as he spoke. “We have gotta move, A,” he told Arlo.

“Give me a second to settle in, Rett," Arlo shot back, but I barely heard him; I was completely locked onto the stranger who was towering by the doorway.

His shoulder leaned against the door frame. “Right,” Mr. Anonymous muttered, his gaze still fixed on me for a lingering moment before he snapped back to Arlo. “But I am serious—no extra time, you bum!”

His striking hazel eyes held mine with a warmth that felt almost magnetic, as if he were trying to read every secret written in my soul. For several long heartbeats, the world around us simply stopped—until Arlo’s voice shattered the silence. “That is my cousin, in case you were wondering, by the way,” he chirped, rolling his eyes. “Just ignore him; he is basically a walking billboard for bad decisions and cheap dates. In other words, he is a total walking p***s for hire.”

Mr. Anonymous did not even blink at Arlo’s crude joke; his gaze remained anchored to mine, unshakable and warm. I was the first to break, looking away as I tried to regain my composure. “I was not planning on it,” I replied, my voice a little steadier than I felt. “I’m heading out, but I hope you enjoy settling in.” I offered Arlo a small, tight smile, which he returned with his usual high-beam energy. “See you later.”

“Yeah, for sure! Catch ya later!” Arlo chirped.

As I turned to leave, I could still feel the stranger’s eyes tracking my every move. He stepped aside to let me pass, and the sheer scale of him made me feel incredibly small as I brushed by.

“Have fun out there,” he murmured, his voice a low, private rumble intended only for me, easily masked by Arlo’s mindless rambling behind us.

I tilted my head back just enough to catch him watching me out of the corner of his eye. I jerked my gaze away instantly, but he was faster—catching me in the act before I could fully look back. A smug, handsome smirk spread across his face, a single dimple deepening as if he were silently teasing me.

Whether he was flirting or just enjoying my flustered reaction, I could not tell, so I simply kept my eyes forward and walked away.

I spent the day drifting through campus, eyeing clubs but keeping my distance; I was not ready to commit to anything yet. By dusk, I had retreated to the dorm with Chinese takeout, certain I had the room all to myself. I assumed Arlo was the type to be out chasing the weekend. By past midnight, showered and settled, I was ready for a quiet movie—until the door burst open.

My stomach dropped. Arlo’s cousin was there, but he was not alone. He was mid-stride, carrying a woman who was already half-undressed, her breasts out with her top down to her waist, their mouths locked in a feverish, uncaring kiss.

“Excuse me?” I snapped, slamming my laptop shut and standing up. “You can not do that in here!”

They broke apart, and the man—the one I had found so captivating earlier—looked at me with a dull realization. “f*****g great,” he muttered. “I forgot you were staying here.” He did not look ashamed; he looked bored. “Leave if you are a virgin, or stay and join in.”

Before I could even process the insult, the woman chimed in, “I am so down for a threesome.”

“Good girl,” he purred, his smug grin returning as he turned to me. “Well? You want in?” He reached out an arm as if inviting me into a casual conversation.

My answer was a stinging slap that rang through the small room.

“Do you actually think you are that hot?” I demanded.

“Well, I am hot.” He answered arrogantly and stared at me.

Stunned, I barked back, “Offering a stranger a threesome like you are handing out a cheap candy? You are delusional.”