Just One of the Guys
Twenty Three

Corbin

My alarm clock blaring out the crowing of a rooster pulls me out of the nightmare that I'd been trapped in, where a shadow of a man lingers in the dark corners always just out of reach and my line of sight-the darkness obscuring his face to where I can't see him clearly enough to make out who he is. But, even without seeing who the man is, I can sense the threat that he poses to me, to Knox.

It's seven a.m., and I want nothing more than to shut it off and go back to sleep, praying for a dreamless sleep this time, but instead, I get up, needing to keep up appearances more than I need to sleep right now. "Come on, Averi, get your ass up, and get to class. You will go back to being normal *Corbin* and can still get your fill of eye candy from across the lunchroom table, and have his woodsy scent assault your senses as he sits behind you during your shared classes," I mutter to myself.

My body aches from tensing up as Knox blew my mind last night. There's also a new ache that's developed between my thighs. To add to the duo, is the desire for a repeat performance that's so strong, I have to resist the urge to say screw classes and keep us both holed up in his apartment all day and let things progress even more than they had last night. The small sliver of bliss that he gave me enough to set my body ablaze, craving more. So much more. Slowly, I crawl out of bed and over to my bathroom to wash my face and try to do something about the dark circles, I have no doubt, I'm going to find staring back at me when I look in the mirror.

After getting fully ready, I chanced a glance at my phone seeing a few missed texts from Knox.

Knox: Why did you leave without saying goodbye?

Knox: Let me know that you made it back safely, please.

Averi: I made it. Thanks for last night.

Knox: I can't wait to do it again.

*Me neither*, I think as I catch sight of the time and rush out the door, hoping to make it to class before the bell rings.

Slipping into my seat just as the bell rings, Gentry gives me a funny look before turning his attention to the professor as he begins our lesson.

We're halfway through class before I realize that I forgot my glasses.

*Crap.*

*Crap!*

*Crap!!*

I have to get them, even if it means interrupting class to do so. I raise my hand and wait for the professor to call my name.

"Sir, may I be excused to the bathroom?" I ask, knowing if I ask to go to my dorm the answer would be *no*.

"Yes, yes, but make it quick Mr. McEvoy," he says with a loud sigh, and then walking over to his desk, he picks up the hall pass, meeting me halfway.

"Thank you!" I breathe, the weight on my chest beginning to ease up as I rush out from the classroom, not willing to spare even a second. Knowing my luck, I'll run into Knox if I take too long.

I make it to my apartment without issue and grab my glasses. Glancing in the mirror, my blue eyes are staring back at me...*fuck!* *No wonder Gentry was looking at me funny*.

I put my contacts in, then place my glasses on my face and then glance around to make sure that I haven't forgotten anything else. Just as I'm walking back out, I bump into none other than the orgasm God himself. "Sorry..." I mutter as my cheeks flush with embarrassment.

"It's cool. I wasn't paying any bloody attention to where I was going," he says, a smile playing on his lips as he locks his phone screen and sticks it in his pants pocket. Maybe the tides are changing between Knox and Corbin, and we can actually be friends instead of him being an ass to me.

He has been different, nicer even, since I sat and talked with him in the hallway after dinner the other day.

We begin walking towards our classes together and a yawn escapes as my exhaustion begins to hit.

"Long night?" he asks with a smirk.

"You could say that," I say as I stare at the floor in front of us, unable to look at him because I'm too afraid that if I do, he'll be able to read me like a book.

"Hell yeah, mate!" he says, lifting his hand for a high-five.

When I look up at him to return the high-five, he's looking at me with his signature smirk, but exhaustion is clear within his handsome features.

I return the gesture as he releases a huge yawn of his own. "I feel like a bloody damn zombie. But damn, was it worth it!"

I don't think that he's trying to bait me into asking about his night, since he hasn't spoken about her much, but curiosity gets the best of me. Would he say something if I brought it up?

"Oh, yeah? That chick that the guys were talking about from the party down in Berkshire? She let you hit that?" I couldn't resist asking.

He just smirks, neither confirming nor denying as we make it to my class, where he gives that upward head nod thing that guys do before continuing on down the corridor.

The fact that he doesn't want to talk about it makes me happy that he wants to keep me all to himself, but at the same time, a needle of doubt slips in. Is he intentionally keeping our relationship-if you can even call it that-hidden from his friends?

*Is he ashamed?*

*Is it that I'm good enough to mess around with, but I'm not good enough to be introduced to the people who are important to him?*

*Am I his dirty little secret?*

*Although, his friends are aware that there's a girl that's kind of in the picture and they think that they know the few details about me that Knox's given them is that enough? *

*Is it just that he doesn't share the details about the times when we're together because it does mean something to him? I mean, he did want Colt to hang out in their apartment with me...that's gotta mean something, right?* Stuck in my own head with question after question of what is actually going on between Knox and me, class is over before I know it.

The rest of the day, however, is a whole other story as it drags by, way too slowly. So slowly that by the time I reach my last class of the day, I can barely keep my eyes open. "Corbin..."

My eyes shoot open, and I sit up quickly, swiping my bottom lip to make sure I wasn't drooling.

"I'm awake..." I mutter, but Gentry just rolls his eyes and chuckles at my obvious lie.

"Long night of studying?" he asks with a cocked brow.

"I didn't get but maybe an hour and a half of ssllee-eep," I say on the heels of a yawn, another hitting before I can even finish my sentence.

"After class, I'm going back to bed," I mutter, laying my head down on my desk, my eyes immediately shutting.

The ringing of the bell wakes me up at the end of class and I look over at Gentry as he holds out a notebook to me. "Copy my notes. I didn't want to wake you again."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver," I say as I slide his notebook into my backpack and follow the rest of my classmates out of the classroom, dreaming about my bed and how I can't wait to be back in it. "Cherry though, right?" Gentry says out of the blue.

"Huh?" I ask, confused by his randomness.

"Lifesaver I'd be cherry-flavored, right?"

He has a serious look on his face and for some reason, the question tickles my funny bone as I bust out laughing.

I'm laughing so hard that I have to double over because my abs begin hurting and tears of laughter start pooling in my eyes.

"Oooh..." I laugh. "I'm sorry..." I say, apologizing, but unable to stop.

Every time I think I'm okay, I look back at him and start all over again.

"Ignore...me...I'm...deler-ious," I finally manage to get out between bouts of laughter.

Gentry just chuckles and waves me on as he heads towards the cafeteria to eat. I manage to make it back to my place in record time seeing as all of the other students are in the cafeteria too.

I let myself in and plop down on my bed, where, pulling the covers up over my body, I fell into a deep sleep filled with images of a chiseled jawline, skilled hands, and a pair of ebony eyes that I could get lost in.