Page 1 of Silk Sheets

ONE

DAKOTA

“The two of you are going to give Professor Tyler a heart attack with the amount of times you’re late,” Asher shook his head as we hopped out of his off white BMW, slamming the doors. “And quit slamming my doors,” he reprimanded, dark eyes softening when he looked back at the car. “I’m sorry, baby,” he cooed, running a smooth hand over the roof of the vehicle.Men and their cars.

Solace blatantly ignored him, already speed walking towards the building and he jogged up to her side. “We’re twenty minutes late because of you, you know that, right?” she glared at him, picking up the pace.Okay, I guess we’re running.

With my laptop clutched underneath my arm, and my hand trembling as I applied lip gloss, I tried matching their pace to keep up.

“You’re constantly blaming me for everything that goes wrong in your life,” he murmured, and she forced a smile.

“Maybe because whenever you show up, things go wrong,” she spat back, her long brown curls bouncing down her back.Oh—

“Did you feel like that last night, too?” he grabbed her arm to stop her. “Because to me it sounded like—”

“Shut. Up,” she seethed through clenched teeth.

My eyebrows pinched together. “What happened last night, guys—”

“Nothing, D,” they cut me off in unison, taking me aback.Asher and Solace…? No way. They’re best friends, practically siblings. They couldn’t possibly be… ‘getting together’.

“Don’t you have someothergirls to follow around?” Solace made a dramatic halt, and I almost bumped into her while digging for the mascara in my purse.

“You know I don’t like my women jealous,” he grinned, towering over her, and I could see the steam practically shooting from her ears.

“Dakota and I are late for class,” she said, yanking me with her by my hand. We hurried down the narrow hall, and I followed her in confusion.

“Solace, what was that all about?” I asked, grabbing her arm to stop her.

She sighed, pulled out her compact mirror, and allowed me to do my mascara as she spoke. “Nothing, I’m sorry. I just don’t like being late,” she lied straight through her teeth.

Solace and I had been best friends since kindergarten. We’ve been through life together, which meant that catching her in an attempted lie was the easiest thing to do.

She was always keen on sharing anything and everything with me, so when she didn’t, I respected that she wasn’t ready yet.

After I finished up with my mascara, I slipped it back into my bag, grabbing my next make-up product. “Uh,” she stopped me. “Honey, your cheeks are pink enough as it is. We don’t need you looking like Ronald McDonald.”

With slight confusion, I looked down at the item in my hand and groaned.I thought I grabbed my bronzer.

She laughed at me before we continued walking.

With one final glance at each other, we tiptoed into class and a few students chuckled, utterly unfazed with us being lateagain.

As soon as we reached our row of seats, Professor Tyler’s deep voice sliced through the air. “Late again, Miss Allard and Miss King.”

Our bodies went rigid.

Slowly, we turned, offering our best smiles. “Sorry, professor,” she and I said in unison before slipping into our seats.

“Third time this week,” he casually announced with a nod, and Solace rolled her eyes at me, making me smile. “And it’s only Wednesday,” he added, his words coated in defeat.

“We’ll do better, Professor,” my lips pressed into a thin line but it was evident he didn’t believe me.

Thankfully though, before I knew it class was over. This was my biological psychology class, and though I loved the subject, I hated the lectures. It was an absolute bore, and with professor Tyler it most certainly dragged.

I wasn’t the best student in his class, sitting at a D average, but today was one of those days that I didn’t care to listen to anything he had to say. I barely understood him anyway. I’d simply self-study later.

Eventually the sound of students closing their laptops, grabbing their books, and talking filled the room.