Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

“If I finish in an hour’s time, I’d still have to go home and domy homework—”

“Bring it here. Do it here.” He smiled big just as his phone rang.

“Is that your phone ringing?”

Feeling slightly alarmed about who might be calling him at thishour he leaned over to grab it off his nightstand. “Yeah, give me a sec.” Themoment he saw the name on the screen, Kitty Kat, he nearly groaned as hesent it to voicemail but would seriously be considering changing hisnumber now.

“Everything okay?”

Say it’s spam. An eight-hundred number you don’t recognize. Arestricted number, the kind you never answer. Anything but the truth—only herefused to lie. “Someone I hadn’t heard from in so long I forgot I knew her.”Savannah’s bright eyes waned a little, so he added quickly as he once againtapped his phone screen in full view of his laptop. “And someone I’m about toblock.” Tap, tap, tap.

Fuck me.

He seriously had to refrain from groaning, but he was determinedto be honest. Even if this happening over and over again would likely startspiking his blood pressure. He knew he’d had a good list of lady friends, buthe swore to Christ he’d never been this fucking popular with thembefore. It’s like he was being punked with this shit already.

“Done.” He glanced up surprised to see her smirking. “What?”

“I like seeing you squirm.” She chuckled. Fucking chuckledas he wiped his hand over his mouth. “Oh my God, was that sweat beads you justwiped away from your upper lip?”

She was in sudden full blown Savannah stitches as she covered hermouth, likely trying not to wake her roommate with her laughing.

Byron threw his phone down onto his bed in a feigned hissy fit. Buthe couldn’t refrain from smirking as he took in Savannah’s still snickering faceon the screen. “That’s it I’m changing my phone number tomorrow. My heart can’ttake this shit anymore.”

“Seriously,” she nodded still smirking wickedly. “That’swhy I turn my phone off when I’m chatting with you on my laptop.”

Feeling his brows jump, Byron sat up a little straighter. “Youdo? And that’s why you turn it off, Savannah?”

“I kid! I kid!” She picked up her phone and showed Byron thescreen that was very much on. But the big, beautiful smile faded a bit as sheshook her head. “Listen, I told you yesterday. I’m not expecting everyone inyour past to just disappear. The fact that you were so adamant that very firstweek about making sure we weren’t doing . . .” She paused to clear her throat.“This with anyone else, spoke volumes to me. Still does. So, anyone stillshowing up uninvited or reaching out.” She motioned in the direction ofwhere he’d thrown his phone. “Won’t be an instant freak out for me. Unlessthere’s actual reason why it should be. But I’ll always give you the benefit ofthe doubt, first. I promise.” Before Byron could address her, this comment,she smiled big again. “Now about tomorrow . . .?”

Preferring not to continue dwelling on this crap, or risksounding pushy about what he was determined not to push about, he eagerly gotback to discussing a safer more pleasant subject. Spending what was turning outto be four full days with her. After getting it all straight it was settled.She’d be coming down tomorrow after her test and while he didn’t push forclarification of what she considered this to be, he did make sure he’dhave her for those four days.

“Just bring whatever bags you’re taking to La Jolla tomorrow.”

Might as well, right? They were driving down to La Jolla Fridayafternoon anyway. What was the point of her going back and forth to her dorm? Despiteit feeling like a slight risk—a bit pushy—she’d agreed with a timid smile andthey were finally off the phone. Byron just didn’t want her to think for asecond that he was pressuring her into doing more physically than what they’ddone so far. They still hadn’t taken that next terrifying step in therelationship. Terrifying, because a part of him was actually grateful theyhadn’t gone there yet. Just like what she said she’d told her mother that firstweek, about being nervous and why, Byron often wondered the same thingnow. If he was feeling all this already and he hadn’t even slept with her yet,how the hell was he supposed to handle anything going wrong once he wasin that deep.

He lay there tossing and turning for a while trying to be moreexcited than nervous about this weekend. They may not have slept together yet,but things had gotten pretty damn heavy in the past few weeks and he knew theywere close. Both her parents and her grandparents had offered to let him stayin one of their spare bedrooms, but Byron had insisted on getting a room. Nomatter how much Savannah assured him it wouldn’t be a big deal if he stayed ather parents’ house. Byron knew it’d be awkward as fuck. After discussing itfurther, and because Savannah had since spoken to her mother several times,she’d be staying with him at the hotel. Seems a lot of their out-of-town familymembers were also being invited to stay with her parents and grandparents. So,Savannah had offered her room up. They’d now be staying together in his hotel roomfor their weekend so he’d already had a feeling this weekend would be the game changer.At least for him anyway, and now it might happen even sooner.

The longer he laid there unable to sleep, the more his mindteetered between two unnerving thoughts. That his past might keep creepingup and rattling shit for them, and that his feelings of entitlement were alreadythrough the fucking roof. The women in his past would eventually start to taperoff. But how easy would it be for things to go south because of his secondworry? Too easy.

Chirping birds just outside the window seemed to get louder. Byronfrowned because he didn’t want the noise to wake Savannah. Only reason hedidn’t try to slide his arm from under her so he could get up to close thewindow, was he was certain that would wake her