Never Ever

1| Hell of a first impression

Of all the places I don't belong, a yacht is the most apparent. I tug on my sarong, watching the drunken frat boys cannonball off the deck. It's sixty-nine degrees in the Berkeley Marina – the perfect swimming temp – and the Calbears are making the most of it.

I give another yank on my one-piece, which I'd packed for no other reason than because it seemed strange to leave for college without swimwear, even if I never intended to use it. But that was before I met my new roommate, Addy: the world's most persuasive eighteen-year-old.

Her perfume fills the air as someone grabs my shoulder. I turn around, relieved to see her pearly smile as she wrings out her hair, which sticks to her neck in blonde ringlets. "How's the sarong holding up?" she asks.

To Addy's credit, when I'd walked out of the bathroom in a too-small one-piece, she didn't laugh in my face. She just offered me one of her several sarongs, all of which cost more than my suit, and told me to keep it. "So far, so good. How's Jesse?"

She smiles coyly and fixes my twisted strap. It's been less than a month since college began, but somehow Addy went from an unknown freshman to dating Jesse Harmon, owner of said yacht, though I use dating loosely. Mating is more apt.

"Well, if you're done hiding out here, you can finally meet him." She grabs my hand and pulls me forward, stopping when she meets my resistance. This is the closest I've been to an open body of water in over a year, which is probably why I'm verging on a heart attack. "C'mon, Ev. You don't have to go in the water. You can just sit on the deck."

She pulls again; this time, I have no choice but to let go of the railing and follow her through to the deck. Though I'd made it clear I wouldn't be swimming, I hadn't told her why: confessing to my new college friends that I'm afraid of the water is not something you admit to while sober. Still, it's also the reason I'm here in the first place. While college parties aren't exactly my thing, being around Addy might force me out of my comfort zone and, if I'm lucky, bring back the old me.

I miss her. 

Out on the deck, a beautiful trio sits draped across the white leather seats. Addy steps forward with the confidence of a Goddess, and all eyes land on me. I straighten up, ignoring the urge to cower behind her.

"Everyone, this is my roommate I was telling you about," Addy says. "Ev, this is Natalia–" she points to the beautiful redhead in the corner, who smiles before reaching for a beer, "and–" her gaze flits to the boy next to Natalia, a playful disdain in her voice, "–Pax."

Pax gives a slow, lazy grin. He's clearly the baby of the group despite his towering size, with rounded, chubby cheeks and the deepest brown eyes I've ever seen – the definition of cute. "One of Calbear's finest," he says, sticking out his hand. "I'm sure Addy told you all about me – we go way back."

Beside him, Jesse – about the only one I recognize – sighs. Like the rest of his team, he exudes the typical arrogance of someone with unfair athletic prowess and too much money. He leans back, lacing his hands behind his head of golden hair, which is almost the same shade as his abs. "If by way back you mean she went to your high school, then sure."

Pax grins again, this time so broad that it reveals a set of dimples. Ignoring Jesse, he props his feet on the granite coffee table and focuses on me. "What did you say your name was?"

Shoulders back, I ignore the abyss of water ahead and mirror Addy's confidence. "I'm Ever."

"Ever?"

There's an obvious inflection in his voice. My real name is Every, but I struggled with saying ry when I was little and used to tell people my name was Ever-wee, so my parents did me a solid and nicknamed me Ever. "It's short for Every."