Page 49 of Jump on Three
Evelyn
Bella was waiting for me in our suite. She popped up from the couch and waved at the box-covered coffee table.
“Are you hungry? I got way too much food from the dining hall and can’t eat all of it.”
I stopped. My grip on my bag tight. “Um…”
She rolled her eyes, slapping her forehead. “I’m dumb. I should’ve picked you up a salad. I wasn’t thinkin’.”
“I only like certain things in my salad.”
“Right, right. Of course. I would have put cauliflower when you only like broccoli.” I scrunched my nose, and she laughed. “Note to self: Ev hates cauliflower.”
My walk back from the library had been a blur. My only goal had been to shut myself in my room and forget the world for a while, but now that Bella was standing in front of me, asking for my company, I found I didn’t want to retreat anymore.
“I do like to eat the same thing for dinner, but if you have french fries in there, I can make an exception.”
She finger gunned me. “You’ve got it, bestie girl. Put on your comfy clothes and come hang out with me.”
“Okay. Thank you for inviting me.”
That made her laugh. “Anytime, Ev.”
Bella and I watched XOXO again, then she introduced me to We Are Your Friends. She was on a quest to expand my movie horizons and couldn’t possibly understand she was expanding my horizons in general.
My life was small. It was easier that way. I had Delilah, swimming, my favorite movies, knitting, and music. It was enough.
But after a few evenings with Bella, I was beginning to want more. I wanted her as my friend, not just through Delilah. I wanted more movies, different food, music festivals.
Whether I would be able to have those things didn’t matter when we were planning them as if they were a given.
The door to our suite swung open, and Delilah popped in. “Hello, darlings. Movie night for two?”
“Just us chickens,” Bella replied. “What’re you up to?”
“That’s what I stopped by to tell you. We’re going to Savage River for some ice cream. Would you chickens like to join us?”
My immediate instinct was to say no. I was in for the night, comfortable hanging out with Bella. But hadn’t I just been thinking about making my world a little bigger? Besides, ice cream went perfectly with my dinner of french fries.
Bella responded before I could. “When you say us, who does that include?”
Delilah’s eyes darted toward the open door. Rhys was loitering out in the hall, and just beyond him was—
“Felix,” Bella growled. “You’re tryin’ to get me to have ice cream with that motherfucker?”
“I’m so sorry.” She squeezed Bella’s shoulder. “He’s Rhys’s friend, and I—”
“That’s fine. They can be friends. I’m not havin’ anything to do with that.” Bella crossed her arms over her chest and stomped to the door. She was small, and the physics of it didn’t make sense, but she filled the whole doorway. “Felix Santos, if you darken my doorway again, I’ll turn your dick cheese into ice cream and stuff it down your throat.”
Felix started sputtering something, but Bella closed the door on him, which meant she’d shut it right in Rhys’s face.
Whipping around, she marched back to the couch, her blonde ringlets bouncing with indignation.
“Thanks for the invitation, doll, but I’m not goin’.”
Delilah nodded. “It was stupid of me to ask. I’ll just tell Rhys to forget it and hang out with you guys.”
“Nah, don’t worry about it. I’m not mad at you, and I don’t want you lettin’ my relationship problems affect your plans.” Bella fell back on the couch with a rush of breath.