Always waiting

Chapter 5

On Tuesday evening, I had a sociology session that lasted for three hours. Although it wasn't as difficult as I had anticipated it would be, by the time the class was over, I was quite hungry. Before I went back to my apartment, I went to a Sheetz, which is a combination gas station and convenience shop; we didn't have any of those in Texas. There, I purchased an MTO. A salad that is custom-made according to your specifications and is loaded with fried chicken strips and ranch dressing.

Mmm.

Healthy.

The parking lot was so full that some vehicles were even parked in the field nearby, which was adjacent to the west campus. When I departed for my evening lesson, the weather was very different, so I couldn't help but wonder what was going on. I was able to find a parking spot right next to the main road, and as I put the key in the ignition, the ringer on my cell phone could be heard coming from the cup holder.

When I noticed that it was a text from Jacob, it made me smile. Because he resided in one of the residence halls, we had swapped phone numbers earlier in the class.

His text simply stated that art was terrible.

I couldn't help but laugh when I sent him a short text message back regarding our assignment, which was to determine which painting belonged to which era. I have Google to thank because it was the primary resource that helped me finish the homework.

I climbed out of the car after first grabbing my luggage and then my meal. As I moved my hair away from my neck, I noticed that the air was sticky, and I wished that I had pulled my hair back into a ponytail. However, there was already a whiff of autumn in the air, and I couldn't wait for the temperatures to drop. Perhaps even snow during the winter months. I crossed the well-lit parking lot and walked for the apartments that were located in the middle of the complex. It appeared like a lot of students lived here, but the majority hadn't actually started to arrive until today. I was on the top level, which was the fifth, and as soon as I stepped up on the pavement, I knew where all the cars were coming from.

Sounds of music could be heard coming from within the walls of my apartment building. As I made my way up the stairs, I noticed that a number of the lights were on and that I could hear parts of a discussion. On the fifth floor, I discovered who was responsible for the crime. There was a party going on in the apartment that was just across the hall and two doors down. The door was slightly ajar, and light and music could be seen and heard into the open corridor.

As I unlocked my door, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment welling up inside of me. It sounded like a lot of fun with all of the noise, laughter, and music. It all seemed so routine, like something I ought to be doing, but instead I went to parties....

The outcomes of the parties were not favorable for me.

After stepping inside and locking the door behind me, I removed my shoes and tossed my bag onto the couch. My savings had taken a hit as a result of the expense of furnishing this flat, but I anticipated remaining in this location for the next four years and reasoned that I could either recoup the money by selling the furniture or taking it with me.

And that was all of my belongings. That had a significant impact on me.

After I had finished my not-very-healthy salad, changed into sleep shorts and a long-sleeve shirt, and completed my art assignments, the party continued across the hall. It went on for a long time. It was just a few minutes after midnight when I decided to give up on reading my English homework and began making my way back to my bedroom.

But I came to a halt in the corridor, and I curled my toes into the carpet there.

I heard a sudden outburst of muffled laughter, and I realized that their door must have been open because the sound was significantly louder than it had been before. I became completely still and began to fidget with my lower lip. What if I opened the door and saw someone I knew from the class? It was evident that a college student was responsible for throwing the party. Perhaps I would be familiar with the individual? What does it matter if I did? It wasn't like I was going to participate given that I was braless, dressed in my pajamas, and sporting the untidiest ponytail known to man at the time.

I turned and switched on the light in the restroom, glancing at my reflection as I did so. After removing all of my makeup, the freckles that were already there on the bridge of my nose became much more noticeable, and my face appeared redder than it normally does. I put my face even more closely to the mirror as I leant against the sink, which I'm sure would have made my mother giggle.

My mother's features were almost identical to mine, with the exception of my reddish-brown hair, which was inherited from my father. We appeared to be more like sisters than mother and daughter since she had a straight nose, rounded chin, and high cheekbones. This was a result of all the cosmetic help she'd gotten over the years to maintain looking fresh.

The footsteps reverberated across the hall. The hilarity continues.

I made a silly face at myself in the mirror and then quickly moved away from it. Back in the hallway, I urged myself to go to sleep, but when I looked up, I found that I was walking toward the front door of my apartment. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was being so nosy, but everything sounded like it was warm and exciting out there, whereas everything in here seemed chilly and uninteresting. I had no idea what I was doing or why I was being so nosy.

Cozy and entertaining, perhaps?

My eyes rolled in my head. Oh my God, I sounded so stupid. I had the central air turned up to its highest setting, so the room was very chilly as a result.

However, I was at the entrance, and there was nothing that could prevent me from leaving. I yanked it open and peeked out into the stairway, where I saw two heads going down the stairs. I stood there, conflicted, as the door to the party remained open after I had left. This wasn't my house at all. There was no one who was going to give me a scornful look or hurl profanities at me. If anything, they would probably think that I was some kind of a freak just standing there with half of my door open, all bug-eyed, and letting all of the chilly air out of my house.

When I heard a familiar voice shout, "Bring Raphael back!" followed by a deep laugh, my stomach dropped in stunned disbelief. "Bring Raphael back!" "You fucktard!"

I was able to place that voice! Oh my God…

It is not possible. But then again, there were so many cars outside, and it wasn't like I was looking for his truck specifically. I hadn't spotted the huge ass silver truck outside.

The door sprang open all the way, and I stood there as I watched a man stagger out of the building while laughing and putting a tortoise on the ground. What the hell? After peeking its head out of its shell, examining its surroundings, and then retreating back inside, the creature continued.

A split second later, the guy who had let the tortoise out of the flat was dragged back inside, and Cam appeared in the doorway of the apartment without a shirt on in all of his shirtless glory. He reached down and picked up the sprite that was dressed in green. "My apologies, Raphael. My pals are the full f*****g package...." He raised his head.

I desperately sought to reenter the building, but it was already too late.

Clint spotted me.

“Assholes…” He did a double take. “What the heck...?”

Would it be strange if you just barged right into my apartment? Yes, it very certainly would. So instead, I went with a pretty unimaginative “Hey...”

Clint gave the impression of trying to clear his vision by blinking many times. “Jenny Pinkman? This is starting to become routine.”

“Yeah.” I had to put the effort to swallow. “It is.”

“Are you a resident of this area, or are you just visiting...?”

The movements of the tortoise’s legs, which looked like it was attempting to escape, prompted me to clear my throat. “I… I live here.”

“No s**t?” Those innocent eyes widened as he strutted around the railing with confidence. It was impossible for me to ignore the fact that his workout shorts hung extremely low on his thin hips. Or the gut of his. It was shredded, putting it in the realm of a six pack or an eight pack. “Do you call this place home?”

I had to push myself to look up in order to focus on the sun tattoo. “Yes. I do call this place home.”

“To clarify... I can’t even begin to guess.” He chuckled once again, and I looked directly into his eyes. “That’s really insane.”

“Why?” Other than the fact that he was standing in the corridor of my apartment building without a shirt on and without shoes on, he was holding a tortoise by the name of Raphael.

"I live here."

I gaped at him. The whole half naked thing sort of made sense now and I guess so did the tortoise, but it couldn't be. Way too many coincidences. "You're joking, right?"

"No. I've been living here for a while-like a couple of years with my roommate. You know, the fucktard who put poor Raphael outside."

"Hey!" the guy yelled from inside their apartment. "I have a name. It's Señor Fucktard!"

Clint laughed. "Anyway, did you move in over the weekend?"

I found myself nodding.

"Makes sense. I was back home, visiting the fam." He shifted Raphael to his other hand, cradling the squirming thing to his chest. "Well, hell…"

I was gripping the door until my knuckles ached. "That's… um, your tortoise?"

"Yeah." A half grin appeared as he lifted the little guy. "Raphael meet Avery."

Giving the tortoise a little wave, I kind of felt stupid afterward for doing so. It just stuck its head back in its green and brown shell. "That's a very interesting pet."

"And those are very interesting shorts." His gaze dropped. "What are they?" Leaning forward his eyes narrowed, and I stiffened. "Pizza slices?"

Heat swamped my cheeks. "They're ice cream cones."

"Huh. I like them." Straightening, his gaze drifted up me slowly, leaving an unfamiliar wake of heat behind. "A lot."

I immediately let go of the door and crossed my arms over my chest. The corner of his lips tipped up. My eyes narrowed. "Thanks. That means a lot to me."

"It should. They have my seal of approval." He bit down on his lower lip as his lashes lifted. Those eyes pierced mine. "I need to get Raphael back in his little habitat before he pees on my hand, which he's bound to do, and that sucks."

My lips twitched into a small grin. "I can imagine."

"So, you should come over. The guys are about to leave, but I'm sure they'll be around for a little longer. You can meet them." He inched closer and lowered his voice. "They're no way as interesting as I am, but they're not bad."

I glanced over his shoulder, part of me wanting one thing and the other half wanting nothing to do with any of this. That part won out. "Thanks, but I was heading to bed."

I glanced over his shoulder, part of me wanting one thing and the other half wanting nothing to do with any of this. That part won out. "Thanks, but I was heading to bed."

"This early?"

"It has to be after midnight."

His grin was spreading. "That's still early."

"Maybe to you."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "I have cookies."

"Cookies?" My brows rose.

"Yeah, and I made them. I'm quite the baker."

For some reason, I couldn't picture that. "You baked cookies?"

"I bake a lot of things, and I'm sure you're dying to know all about those things. But tonight, it was chocolate and walnut cookies. They are the s**t if I do say so myself."

"As great as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass."

"Maybe later then?"

"Maybe." Not likely. I stepped back, reaching for the door. "Well, it's good seeing you again, Clinton ."

"Clint," he corrected. "And hey, we didn't almost run each other over. Look at us, changing up the pattern."

"That's a good thing." I was back in my apartment and he was still in front of my door. "You should get back before Raphael pees on your hand."

"Would be worth it," he replied.

My brows knitted. "Why?"

He didn't answer that, but he did start backing up. "If you change your mind, I'll be up for a while."

"I'm not going to. Goodnight, Clint."

His eyes widened only a fraction of inch, but his grin slipped into a full smile, and my stomach sort of flopped, because his smile was wow. "See you tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Astronomy class? Or are you skipping again?"

My cheeks heated all over again. God, I had almost forgotten about running away in front of him like a total i***t. "No," I sighed. "I'll be there."

"Great." He started backing up again. "Goodnight, jenny"

Ducking behind the door, I closed it and then locked it. I swore I heard him chuckle, but I had to be crazy.

I stood there a few moments and then I whipped around and raced back to my bedroom. Diving under the covers, I rolled onto my stomach and shoved my face into a pillow.

Sleep. Just go to sleep.

Cam lived across the hall?

You need to get up early. Go to sleep.

How in the world was that possible? He was everywhere I went.

Go to sleep.

And why did he have a pet turtle and did he seriously name it after the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, because that was kind of funny.