Rhett (Rhett #1)(25)
Author: J.S. Cooper

"Transferring?" I stood there with my arms crossed and raised an eyebrow. "What’s that about?"

"Oh." She chewed on her lower lip and sat on one of the two twin beds in the room.

"Yes, oh." I sat on the other bed directly in front of that. "Though, I’m thinking OH."

"It’s not for sure," she gave me a weak smile.

"I didn’t even know it was a thought."

"It’s just something I’ve been thinking about to help dad out. He can’t afford to pay for me and Jake and I don’t want Jake to take out loans and well he’s not going to get any scholarships."

"We always said we were going to graduate from State." I tried not to look angry. “And we’re graduating in just over a year.” My voice rose. The news had turned me on my head and I was not happy.

"Well that was the plan, but plans change."

"Where did this come from?"

"Nowhere." She looked down at the ground.

"So Elliott had nothing to do with it?"

"Jake has got a big mouth." She muttered.

"Why didn’t you tell me?"

"There was nothing to tell."

"You don’t think it’s news to tell me you might be moving. Where are you going? Chapel Hill? Duke? That’s a long drive you know."

"I was thinking Harvard or Yale."

"What?" My jaw dropped. I stared at her in shock as my stomach dropped. There was no way I could make weekend drives to Boston or New Haven.

"I figure if I’m transferring, I should go to the best."

"Harvard?" I ran my hands through my hair and stared at her in shock. "What are you talking about?"

"You know I got in for freshmen year."

"But you didn’t wanna go and hang out with those snobs."

"I just need to do what’s best for me and Jake." She sighed. "It’s not like I want to leave you guys, but I’ll see you still."

"What the f**k." I felt a certain satisfaction as I watched her eyes expressing their dismay at my choice of words. Clementine hated the fact that I used the f bomb so much.

"Nothing’s going to change, Rhett." She got up and sat next to me. "I’ll still be here for you."

"What are you talking about?" I glared at her. "I’m talking about something we agreed upon years ago."

"Sometimes things change." She put her arm around my shoulder and I shrugged her off of me.

"I know that."

"Have you seen your mom recently?" She asked softly and I frowned as my stomach lurched.

"No and I don’t want to." I frowned. "This has nothing to do with her."

"I was just asking." She sighed and lay back. "I know you don’t like to talk about her, but I think it would be helpful."

"It won’t be," I looked down at her and tried to ignore the stirrings in my heart as I stared into her wide concerned eyes. Clementine was my rock. She was the only person I knew who truly loved me and had my best interests at heart. I had no idea what I would do if she left me.

"It might be good for you as well." She offered me a weak smile and I stared at her lips as she spoke.

"What might be good?" I frowned as I realized my eyes had fallen to her chest. I wasn’t sure why I was so interested in her br**sts all of a sudden. I felt uncomfortable admiring her body. I tried to look away, but I couldn’t keep my eyes off of the swell of her br**sts and the imprint of her ni**les as they pushed against her t-shirt.

"Me going away." She sat up and her hair swung in front of her face.

"How will that be good?" I gave her a look.

"Maybe it will help you…" Her voice trailed off.

"Help me how?" My voice rose.

"Find someone to be serious with." She bit her lower lip and shrugged. "Maybe you can have a real relationship."

"I like how everything is now." I lay down and stared at the ceiling. "I don’t want anything to change."

"We’ll still be best friends, Rhett." She lay down on her side and stared at me.

"So why do you want to leave?" I turned over and stared at her.

"I don’t," she shook her head and her nose crinkled. "But we have to face up to it sometime. One of us is going to move away sooner or later."

"No, we don’t have to face up to anything." I reached over and played with her hair. "You need a trim."

"Thanks, another one?" She rolled her eyes and grinned. Then she reached over and played with the hair at the front of my face. "So do you."

"You’re not cutting it." I winked at her and we both laughed as we thought back to the time in tenth grade she had given me a Mohawk.

"Hey," she laughed. "Maybe I was just jealous of your blond locks."

"Uh huh." I grinned and stared at her for a few seconds in silence. "I don’t want this to change." I sighed.

"I know," she bit her lower lip. "But people don’t understand our relationship now. They think we must be dating or something."

"Eww no." I shuddered and she laughed.

"Thanks, Rhett."

"No offense or anything, but dating?" I stared at her and ignored the sudden rapid beating of my heart. "Hell no."

"I know you don’t do relationships." She giggled and rested her hands on her arms.

"We’d ruin our friendship if we tried to be more than friends." I spoke slowly. "Not worth it at all."

"Don’t worry, Rhett. I don’t want to date you either." She grinned and I felt a pang of some unknown emotion in me.

"Now you have Elliott huh?" I frowned, feeling angry again.

"No." She made a face.

"Why is he coming anyway? I thought he was a crappy kisser?"

"He’s not that bad."

"Oh!" I attempted a smile, though I wasn’t feeling very happy at her words, and moved towards her. "Want to know what a better than not bad kiss feels like?"

"Huh?" She frowned at me and looked confused.

I wasn’t really sure why I decided to kiss her. It shocked and surprised both of us as I pressed my lips against hers and kissed her lightly. Her lips felt soft and moist beneath mine and I felt myself deepening the kiss as her lips pressed against mine firmly. My arms instinctively reached towards her and brought her into my chest. I felt her br**sts pressed against me and I felt something in me loosen up as I internally groaned at the same time. I was sexually attracted to her and I wasn’t sure what the f**k I was going to do.