Free Big D: Senior Year (Three Daves #3) by Nicki Elson Page A

Jen responded dismissively.
    “That’s not fair,” Maria said.
    “Right. You’re the complete opposite of Kate, aren’t you? You’ll never bend to a guy because your specialty is getting them to willingly wrap themselves around your little pinky.” Jen narrowed her eyes before adding, “Even if you already have a perfectly wonderful boyfriend waiting for you back home.”
    Maria glowered at her. “I can’t believe you’d bring that up.”
    “Why not?” Jen asked. What she was about to say had been waiting in the wings of her mind for a long time. “Was Tom not as proud of you for scoring a hot Daytona Beach plaything as you’d expected?”
    “How dare you!” Maria hissed.
    “No! How dare you and Kate gang up on me! Why are you putting me down for finally being in a great relationship?” Jen’s gaze flickered back and forth between her roommates. “Oh, my God! That’s it, isn’t it? You two are the ones who’re in perfect relationships, and I’m the friend who’s never supposed to get it right. I’m just the comic relief.” She was close to tears and clamped her mouth shut.
    “Things haven’t been perfect with Jake and me,” Kate said in a quiet, conciliatory voice.
    Jen was too worked up to take Kate’s olive branch. Instead, she snapped it. “That’s true. And when you did get some freedom, what did you do? You clung onto some other poor guy and pretended to like him way more than you really did just so you wouldn’t have to be single.”
    The front door swung open, and Chris bounced in. “Hey, dudettes!”
    Without a word, Kate turned and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.
    “What’s with her?” Chris asked.
    “Ask Jenny ,” Maria spat and stormed into her room, banging the door shut.
    Jen turned toward Maria’s room, screaming “Bite me!” Then she stalked into her own room and slammed the door. She threw herself onto the bed, burying her head under the pillow. She couldn’t believe all of that had just happened. The question she kept trying to avoid asking was: Do they have a point? Last year while she’d hung out watching bands with Dave, she’d never have been caught dead near a fraternity house. Yet since she’d started dating D, she hadn’t once attended what used to be her favorite monthly event—the anti-Greek Romans parties.
    Emotionally drained, she fell asleep in the sweats she’d been wearing. When she woke the next morning, Kate and Maria had already left for their early classes. Jen went about her own day in a glum fog. Sleep had shuffled her emotions, replacing anger with regret at the terrible things she’d said to her roommates. A heavy weight pressed down on her as she reentered her apartment later that afternoon. Kate sat at the kitchen table, keeping her eyes on her notebook.
    “Kate, I’m so, so sorry.” Jen walked over to the table and lowered to her knees. “I didn’t mean the things I said. I was just surprised and hurt and mad. But that’s no excuse. I’m sorry.”
    “I’m sorry, too. That wasn’t nice of us.” Kate turned sideways in her chair and bent forward, throwing her arms around Jen.
    Jen hugged back. “I was way meaner.”
    The front door swung open. “You guys!” Maria flung down her book bag and ran over to drop to her knees and join the hug.
    “You two are right—frat colors are stupid.” Jen sat back on her heels, wiping away relieved tears. She’d been afraid she’d done permanent damage to the friendships. “Kate, I’d love to borrow one of your dresses, assuming I can squeeze into them.”
    The girls got up, all smiles now that they were past their first big fight in the four years they’d been freinds. Jen tried on the silver dress first. Kate and Maria cooed over her.
    “I hope you know the things we said last night have nothing to do with how we feel about D,” Maria said. “He’s a great guy.”
    “Yeah, we love D,” Kate echoed.
    “I’m glad,” Jen said, slipping out of the silver