Haley left Scott’s apartment early the next morning. She had a ton of homework to do before Monday and an entire program to code that she’d left to the last minute. Scott walked her halfway to a Starbucks, where they had breakfast together, and then kissed her goodbye. Haley sleepwalked the rest of the way home; the coffee had not been strong enough to wake her up properly. Mercifully, it took her only five minutes to get to her building and take the elevator up to her floor.
Pushing open the door to her apartment, Haley was startled to find a tall, dark-haired, bare-backed guy in her kitchen. Haley couldn’t see his bottom half from behind the bar, but she hoped at least that part was covered up. The mysterious dude was standing in front of their opened fridge, acting as if he owned the place. The mere stance of his shoulders exuded arrogance. He took his time to examine the contents of the fridge and settled on Haley’s 2% milk. With the milk carton in his hands, the dude grabbed a glass out of the cabinet above the sink and poured himself a drink.
The theft of her milk shook Haley out of her shock. She kicked the entrance door shut with force, to make sure it made enough noise to startle the thief. It did. As the door slammed shut, the dude’s shoulders jerked. But the milk thief didn’t turn around. He finished drinking his milk, taking his time, and then placed the used glass in the sink without washing it.
Haley’s nostrils flared. “That’s my milk you’re drinking,” she accused.
Slowly, deliberately he turned around, and Haley found herself staring into a pair of piercing blue eyes. David.
“Morning, Sunshine,” he purred. His lips parted in a lopsided grin. “I apologize for abusing your hospitality.” He made a mock bow. “I’ll buy you a new carton.”
Haley narrowed her eyes to slits. “What are you doing in my house?” she hissed.
“I’m a guest.”
“I never invited you here.”
“You are not the only person living here.”
His eyes never left hers, causing a soft blush to creep up her cheeks.
“What do you mean?” she asked, even if a sneaking suspicion was already making her heart beat faster.
“Your roommate is a lovely girl,” David said. He walked out from behind the bar.
Please let him not be naked, please let him not be naked, Haley chanted in her head.
He rounded the corner, revealing that he was wearing the same pants he’d had on last night. Haley was both relieved and somehow disappointed at his being half-dressed. Before she could stop herself, her eyes traveled down his chest and over his sculpted stomach, coming to rest just above the open button of his pants.
“See something you like?” he asked, cocking one eyebrow.
“No.”
David closed the distance between them until he was so near Haley could feel the heat coming from his body. “I’ll see you later, then.” He gave her that mocking grin again. “Or not.”
Haley poked him just below the collarbone, pressing hard on his chest. “Hurt her and—”
“What?” he challenged, inching even closer, his face a breath away from hers. “What are you going to do, Princess?”
Haley held his gaze. “You don’t want to find out,” she hissed.
David stepped backward. “Relax,” he said. “Contrary to popular belief, I can be a gentleman when the need calls for it.” Without waiting for a reply, David walked into Madison’s room and closed the door behind him.
Haley was left standing alone in the hall, her face so hot she was sure she must’ve had steam coming out her ears. She glared at Madison’s door, then stormed inside her own room.
Throwing her coat on the bed, she searched her bedroom for something that would help distract her. Haley sat at her desk, stabbed the “on” button of her laptop, and opened a blank C++ page. Programming always calmed her, but today it was life or death. It’d keep her from bursting into Madison’s room to drag the bastard out by his hair.
With one hand clenched on the mouse and the other drumming on the wooden desk, Haley tried to focus on the program. The blinking cursor teased her, waiting to be moved, making her brain feel as empty as the blank page. David’s smug smirk kept appearing in her mind’s eye, erasing everything else. She couldn’t remember the simplest input command. When squealing giggles echoed in the adjoining room, Haley’s concentration failed, and her mood blackened even more. This David situation was not working for her; she had to do something to stop him.
***
Haley remained in her room until she was sure that both David and Madison had left the apartment. Not that it did her any good. She hadn’t accomplished anything the entire morning and was still fuming from her short encounter with David. When it seemed safe to come out, Haley tiptoed into the living room, still wary of her own house. Alice was sitting at the dining table doing homework.
Haley strolled toward her. “We need to talk.”
“Hey.” Alice lifted her head from her chemistry book. “I didn’t know you were home.”
Haley sat in the chair opposite to her. “Did you know who else was here?”
“Yeah.”
From her tone, Alice didn’t seem too happy either.
“How did it happen?” Haley asked.
Alice dropped her pen and closed her book, resting her elbows on it. “After you left with Scott, I went home with Peter. Madison told me she was having fun, and that she was staying. I didn’t know that it was David providing the entertainment and charming his way to her bedroom.”
“What do you think about it?” Haley asked.
Alice leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. “What do you think? You seem to have a definite opinion on the subject.”
Haley lowered her gaze and bit her bottom lip. She was ashamed of her train of thought.
“Come on,” Alice encouraged. “Spit it out.”
Haley scrunched her face. “Promise you won’t judge me?”
“Why would I?”
“What I am about to say is horrible, and you might think I’m a presumptuous bitch.”
Alice smiled reassuringly. “I’m sure I won’t.”
“Okay.” Haley inhaled, and prepared to say the unsayable all in one breath without pausing. “I think David is sleeping with Madison only because he wants to mess with me to make me jealous. I’m not saying Madison is not likable or anything; she’s absolutely likable. I just don’t think he likes her. Am I the most arrogant person in the world and the worst friend ever for thinking that?”
Alice shook her head. “No. Unfortunately, I agree with you. I don’t like David. Something about him is off, and he’s taking advantage of Madison. But I’m not sure why.”
“Do we tell her?”
“NO!” Alice shouted. “Never. You can never say anything about it to Madison.”
Haley had not expected a reaction so strong. “Whoa, relax. Why can’t we talk to her?”
“I’m sorry for yelling at you,” Alice apologized. “It’s just that Madison is already so insecure around guys. We can’t put more doubts in her head. She looked so happy this morning.”
Haley felt like gagging. “I’m glad I didn’t see that.” David’s behavior was literally making her stomach ache. “So what do we do? We tell the guys to do an intervention on his side?”
“Why?” Alice asked skeptically. “You think he would listen?”
“No, probably not.”
“And I wouldn’t put it past him to tell Madison.”
“You’re right…” Haley suppressed a frustrated scream. “We can’t sit here and watch him play with Madison’s heart. So?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s exactly what we do: nothing.”
“Nothing? How can—”
“Haley,” Alice interrupted. “I know you’re worried. I am, too. But if we try to do something, anything at all, we’d be playing his game. He’d use it to hurt Madison or you, try to get between you two. Ignore David long enough and you’ll be calling his bluff.”
“I hate sitting here doing nothing!”
“I know.” Alice reached across the table to grab her hand. “But it’s the right thing to do.”
“I hate him.” Haley squeezed her friend’s hand. “I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, but now…” She shook her head. “I hate him.”
“It’s hard to think he’s Scott’s brother.”
“Yeah, right? Now Hawaii makes a lot more sense. Imagine having to put up with him your entire life.”
“Poor Scott,” Alice agreed.
“Let’s talk about something else.” Haley let go of Alice’s hand to pull one foot up on the chair and hug a knee to her chest. “Is everything all right with you and Peter? You’ve seemed off lately.”
A dark shadow crossed Alice’s face. “Wrong topic.”
“Okay. So what was up with Jack last night? He was flirting with all breathing things.”
Alice’s cheeks heated up. “Even more wrong topic.”
“Why? You’re not still into him, are you?”
Alice stared her down. “Haley, I love you, but this is your third strike.”
“But you’ve been with Peter for how many months now—?”
“I’m not talking about it, so drop it,” Alice hissed. Then, regaining her cool, she added, “Can we talk about something not boy-related?”
The two of them stared at each other blankly.
Alice cracked first, bursting out laughing. “Look at us,” she chuckled. “We’re two promising, bright Harvard students and all we can talk about is guys.”
“If you want, we can discuss the latest Kardashian drama,” Haley said genially.
Alice scowled at her, still smirking. “I’d rather not. How about we just do our homework?”
“Fine!”
Haley pushed her chair back and went to retrieve her laptop, ready to spend the rest of the day brooding.