Chapter 1: Introduction
"So I hear you're staying with us, training bra," Liam says as he walks into theliving room, shirtless. His words hang in the air for a moment before descending like a punch, landing squarely where he intended. I try to ignore the flicker of heat that unwillingly climbs my neck.
He throws a pillow at me from the couch, where he's been lounging since he heard the news of my impending arrival. The pillow hits me square in the face, and I toss it back with a scowl.
"It's not like I wanted to move in here," I retort, brushing my hair back from my face.
"My dorm was flooded, remember?"
Liam just smirks, his eyes scanning the pile of boxes stacked precariously in the corner. "Yeah, yeah, poor little rich girl had to slum it with the common folk. Next thing you know, you'll be asking me to teach you how to use a microwave."
I roll my eyes and turn back to unpacking one of the boxes. This is going to be a long semester.
"You two are ridiculous," Sophia chimes in, walking into the room with an armful of laundry. She's the reason I'm even here, after all.
"He called me training bra," I whined. Sophia chuckles, shaking her head as she drops her laundry onto the couch. "Liam, that's not nice. Evie, ignore him. He's just trying to get a rise out of you."
"No, really, I think he's on to something," Liam teases, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he leans back, stretching his arms behind his head. "It's the perfect nickname for someone who's as uptight as you are.
Training bra Evie, always trying to hold everything together, always afraid to let go."
I bristle at his words, but before I can respond, the apartment door slams open, and in stumbles Caleb. He's a mess of disheveled hair, bloodshot eyes, and a grin that says he couldn't care less about any of it.
"Who's being a little bitch now?" he slurs, looking around the room. His gaze lands on me, and he winks. "Ah, the princess has arrived. Come to join the fun?"
Sophia sighs and rubs her temples.
"Caleb, not now. Evie just moved in."
Caleb waves her off, stumbling slightly. "Relax, babe. I'm just here to say hi to your new roomie." He takes a step towards me, and I immediately step back, putting some distance between us.
"Hi," he says, his voice dripping with fake sweetness. "I'm Caleb, the off-again part of Sophia's on-again, off-again."
I raise an eyebrow. "Charmed, I'm sure."
He laughs, and it's a sound that's both hollow and grating.
"You're a tough crowd, aren't you? I like it."
Sophia steps in front of me, blocking his path. "Caleb, you're drunk. You need to go home."
"Home?" He scoffs. "This is my home, baby. Our home. And now it's Evie's home too. I'm just getting to know the new roomie."
Liam stands up abruptly, his chair scraping loudly against the floor. "She's not your roomie, man. She's my roomie.
And I'm telling you to get out." Liam's voice is low, steady, but with a clear edge that sends a shiver down my spine. I didn't expect him to defend me, and the unexpected protectiveness in his tone is... surprising.
Caleb squints at Liam, sizing him up. "Who the hell are you? The rent-a-cop?"
Liam smirks, a slow, dangerous curl of his lips. "Just the guy who's about to toss you out on your ass. Again."
Why was Liam, Sophia's cousin coming to my rescue? He'd just insulted my boobs, or lack therof. andd Caleb, Sophia's ex boyriend wasn't making things any better. I stood back, watching the show unfold with a mix of concern and amusement. It was like a game of chicken, and I wasn't sure who would blink first.
Caleb sneers, taking a step closer to Liam. "You and what army, pretty boy? You think you can take me?"
Liam leans in, a dangerous glint in his eye. "I think you should leave, before you make a scene you'll regret."
Sophia steps between them, her hands up in a peacekeeping gesture. "Caleb, please. Just go.
We can talk later," Sophia pleads with Caleb, her eyes darting between the two men. Caleb's shoulders slump slightly, and he takes a step back, his bravado deflating.
"Fine, fine," he mutters, raising his hands in surrender. "I'll go. But this isn't over, Sophia."
Sophia nods grimly, obviously used to this particular dance with Caleb. "I know," she says softly.
Caleb casts one last scornful glance at Liam before turning and stumbling out the door, slamming it behind him.
Sophia lets out a sigh of relief and runs a hand through her hair. "I'm sorry about that, guys," she says. "He's just... complicated."
Liam snorts and sits back down, picking up his beer from the coffee table. "Complicated? That's one way to put it."
I decide to change the subject before things get any more heated. "So, where am I supposed to sleep?" I ask, looking around the tiny apartment.
Sophia grins and claps her hands together. I roll my eyes. "Beer? It's 9am." I mumble, staring at my phone screen as I stand in the middle of the living room, coffee mug in hand. The apartment is a disaster, like a tornado has just swept through—empty pizza boxes, scattered textbooks, and clothes strewn everywhere. A lone sock hangs from the lamp, swinging gently in the breeze from the open window.
"It's always 9am somewhere, Evie," Liam calls out from the bathroom, his voice muffled by the door. "Besides, it's Saturday."
"We're having a party tonight, and you're officially invited," Sophia says, waving her arms enthusiastically. "It's time to let loose a little, Evie. You've been cooped up in your dorm for too long."
I wrinkle my nose. "I don't know, Soph. I have a lot of unpacking to do, and—"
"And nothing," she interrupts, grabbing my mug and placing it on the counter. "You can unpack tomorrow. Tonight, we party."
Liam emerges from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist, revealing a intricate tattoo of a phoenix on his side.
He must have heard the tail end of our conversation because he chimes in, "Yeah, Evie. Loosen that stick you've got up your ass and have some fun."
I narrow my eyes at him. "You're one to talk. I've seen you in the library more than I've seen some of my professors."
He smirks, untying the towel and draping it over the shower rod. "Well, well, training bra Evie. You've been watching me?"
I feel my face flush, and quickly look away. "I didn't mean it like that.
I was just—never mind," I mutter, feeling the heat of embarrassment creeping up my neck.
Liam chuckles, the sound low and throaty. "Relax, training bra. I was just giving you a hard time." He turns to Sophia, "So, what's the plan for tonight? Who's invited?"
Sophia grabs a pen and a small notebook from the coffee table, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Okay, let's see... We'll invite some of our friends from class, and maybe a few from the art department.
Oh, and Caleb's band is playing downtown tonight, so they'll probably be here too."
I groan and drop onto the couch. "Great. Just what I need, more of Caleb."
Liam raises an eyebrow. "You know, for someone who's only been here a few hours, you seem to have a pretty strong opinion about him."
I shrug, trying to play it off. "He just seems like a jerk. That's all."
Liam sits down next to me, close enough that I can feel the heat radiating off his body. "Well, that's one way to put it. Didn't you just kick him ouot, Sophia? Now he's coming to the party?" I ask, folding my arms across my chest. "That's just great."
Sophia smiles, her eyes nearing with excitement. "Come on, Evie. It'll be fun. You'll see. Plus, it's a chance to meet some new people."
Liam leans back against the couch, his eyes locked onto mine. "Yeah, training bra. It's time you let loose a little. You might even enjoy yourself."
I roll my eyes but can't help the small smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Fine, I'll be there."
"Well, I gotta go get ready for class. And you two try not to kill each other," Sophia said as she left me and Liam alone.
I sighed and took a sip of my coffee, which was now lukewarm. "Look, I'm sorry if I came off as a bitch earlier. It's just been a long day."
Liam raised an eyebrow. "A bitch? That's the best apology you've got?"
"Well, what do you want me to say? 'I'm sorry I didn't like your insults'?"
He laughed, a sound that was surprisingly genuine. "Fair enough. But you know, insults are kind of my thing. It's how I show affection."
I snorted. "So you think I'm hot now or something?" I challenge, raising an eyebrow.
Liam grins, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Oh, training bra, I think you're hot, all right. But that's not why I'm being nice to you. I just don't want you to be one of those boring, uptight roommates who complain about everything."
I scoff. "And you're not worried about me complaining about your... unique sense of humor?"
He shrugs. "Eh, I can handle it. Besides, it'll give you something to do besides studying all the time."
I take a sip of my coffee, trying to hide my smirk.