Page 67 of Taking Sides

“I do not,” I argue. “But I do have a sweet tooth.”

“I never would have guessed given your coffee order.”

“You can’t make coffee taste like this.” I hold up a piece of chocolate candy and then toss it in my mouth.

“Actually, I think you can,” D-Low says.

I shake my head. “It isn’t the same.”

D-Low’s phone pings. He checks the time on the microwave. “Oh shit. I didn’t realize how late it is. That’s probably Erin.”

He pulls out his phone and starts tapping away on it.

“Five minutes until we start the next one,” I say, but he doesn’t answer.

“Do you want to order some real food?” I ask Whitney.

“No, but I’d take some popcorn. Maybe the salt will even out the sweet.”

Chuckling, I go to another cabinet and grab popcorn. “Good thinking.”

There’s a knock on the apartment door, and D-Low jogs toward it. “I got it.”

Whitney continues to giggle as I pull out more snacks, including two different types of popcorn.

A moment later, D-Low returns with Erin.

“Hello,” I greet Danny’s girl as I pull out a bowl from a cabinet.

“Hey.” She waves, smiling at me, then Whitney. “Oh.” Her gaze moves to D-Low, and her smile turns mischievous. “Is she hanging out with us tonight?”

D-Low fights a laugh, but amusement still laces his tone. “Yes, but not the way you’re thinking. This is Whitney. She’s with Shep.”

“Oh.” Erin’s face flashes with surprise. “Ooh. Really?” She barely gives me a moment to answer before she focuses her attention on Whitney. “It’s so nice to meet you. I’m Erin. Are you two doing the long-distance thing?”

“N-no.” Whitney stumbles over her response. “Why?”

“Oh, it’s just I’ve never seen Conrad with a girl before, but it would make sense if you live out of state or something.” She points her finger between us.

“I’m local,” Whitney says. “But we usually hang out at my place.”

D-Low hides a laugh behind a cough. “We were about to watch a movie.”

“O-kay.” Erin wraps her arms around my roommate’s waist and tips her head back so that D-Low can place a kiss on her lips.

“No. Don’t even think about it.” I point upstairs. D-Low and Erin are handsy as fuck. I’ve walked in on them making out more times than I can count. They will not be deterred just because Whitney and I are in the same room.

D-Low chuckles. “’Night kids. Have fun.”

“I thought we were watching a movie,” Erin says as he pulls her behind him toward the stairs.

“We’ll watch in my room,” he says to her, then looks down at Whitney. “Good to see you again, Whit.”

“You too,” she calls after him.

When they’re gone, she asks, “What was that about?”

“You heard his thing with watching movies.”