Rome’s head flicked up, a dejected smile tugging at his lips. “Easier said than done.”

“You can’t live your life for other people, Rome. You have to do things that you want, achieve your dreams, in any way you want to do it. If you’re happy, then your parents surely will be too, and if not, they’ll get over it in time. Don’t be with someone you dislike like Shelly. Be with a girl you can’t resist, who you truly want above anyone else. Someone you connect with.”

“Like you, Mol…? A girl like you?”

“You don’t even know me,” I whispered, wide-eyed, as he unconsciously drifted towards me.

His hand lifted and his index finger ghosted down my cheek, causing me to tremble. “It only took Romeo one look at Juliet and his fate was sealed. Maybe I’m just like my namesake, and maybe you’re just like yours.”

His hand dropped to my knee and skirted up my bare thigh, that pink tongue of his running along his bottom lip. If we both leaned in just… that… little bit… closer… we… could… almost—

Ally’s doorknob began to shake and a high-pitched shrieking interrupted our moment. “Rome? Rome? Open up! I know you’re in there!”

Shelly. Again.

“Fuck!” Romeo shouted, standing to slam his empty beer into the bin.

I stood abruptly, anger racing through my veins at the interruption. “That girl!” I shrilled, and I had to hold the balcony rail while I calmed down.

With rapt attention, Rome watched me and my reaction from the other side of the balcony. He clenched his fists as we stared at one another in overt want.

“I’m going to go, Rome,” I said softly, closing my eyes to steady my composure.

Romeo stood opposite, just watching me silently. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking and his lack of response infuriated me.

“I’ll leave you with her. It’s probably for the best,” I said more assertively this time.

He sighed, both hands dropping to rest on the back of his neck. “Mol—”

He stopped whatever he was going to say and I took that as my cue to go.

So much for Romeo wanting sodding Juliet!

When I walked past, he clutched my hand, jerking me back to his chest. I slammed against his muscles with force, the contact robbing me of my breath.

Romeo tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I liked talkin’ to you, Shakespeare. It was different…” He looked as bewildered as I felt, the gap between his eyebrows puckering together as he gripped the side of my toga, pulling me flush against his hard body.

I sighed. “You too, Romeo. But our little conversation seems to have come to an end. I imagine it’s probably for the best anyhow.”

I released my arms from his grip and opened the door with reluctance. Shelly came drunkenly crashing through, completely ignoring me stood to the side, and jumped sloppily into Rome’s arms, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“I want you, Rome. Fuck me, right here, right now.”

I balked. Shelly smacked her lips to his and began grinding her hips against his crotch. Romeo grunted in surprise, grasping her arms.

I stilled for what seemed like an eternity and, filled with a white-hot rage, left them to it. I was so angry. To be all flirty like that with me, then set to screwing a girl practically in front of my eyes. I guessed the womaniser reputation was deserved after all. I should’ve known better than to foolishly think I felt such a strange instant connection to someone like that. Cass and Lexi warned me, and I was a fool to have let my guard down… even though it had felt so right with him.

I made my way back to my girlfriends and slumped down on the wooden bench, noticing that Cass was snuggled into the arms of the super-large guy from earlier.

“And who is this pretty lil’ lady? Y’all got a hot woman tree ‘round here somewhere that I don’t know ‘bout?” he asked, dramatically looking around, making me laugh and pulling me from my stormy mood.

“I’m Molly. You?” I instantly liked him: big, cuddly, with bright rosy cheeks.

“I’m Jimmy-Don Smith, darlin’. Mighty nice to make your acquaintance.” He tipped his cowboy hat and turned to kiss a giggling Cass on her neck.

Ally pulled me beside her. “Where the hell have you been?”

“With Rome in your room. He used the spare key.”

She slapped her hand on mine, her eyes widened, and a brilliant white smile lit her face. “And?”

“Calm down! Nothing happened. We just talked, had a couple of beers,” I answered hurriedly, shushing her.

“Did he kiss you again?” She was practically bouncing in her seat.

I shook my head with incredulity. “No. He only kissed me for the initiation, Ally.”

“I don’t think so—”

I held up my hand, cutting her off. “Shelly found him in your room. They’re in there now. You may want to change your sheets later by the look of things when I left.”

She dropped her head to the table. “What?! Why would he go there again after all these years? I thought…” She gave me a quick side-glance.

“What? You thought what?”

She studied me, biting her lip in contemplation, and then just shook her head. “Nothing, I was obviously mistaken.”

I looked away and saw Lexi showing some girl a backwards tumble.

“You want another drink?” Ally asked, exhaling a disappointed sigh.

“Sure,” I replied. I may as well enjoy the night and try not to think about the Prince of Alabama banging Miss Cheer Almighty in my new friend’s sumptuous red bedroom.

4

“Just be clear and concise, talk from your diaphragm not from your throat, oh, and take deep breaths. You know the topic well, so you’ll be just fine.”

I nodded as Professor Ross briefed me on the seminar I was about to lead. She’d been busy with her research on The Design Argument for the academic journal she was writing, so she asked me to lead today’s discussion group.

“Now, if I’m not mistaken, the football team is still away, so you should only have maybe thirteen or fourteen in the class.”

I stretched my back, eliminating any clicks. “Okay. I think I’m ready.” I shuffled my notes into a pile before me and secretly watched students begin filing into the seminar room across the hall from the professor’s office.