Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 138775 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 694(@200wpm)___ 555(@250wpm)___ 463(@300wpm)
He had a gray backpack slung over one shoulder, like he was just any guy on campus, going about his day. But he wasn’t just any guy, and on such an upsetting day, finding him here, waiting for me, was like a gift.
I walked toward him in a daze.
“Mia texted.” That was all he said before I all but collapsed against him. His arms went around me, and I buried my face against his sweater, closing my eyes and welcoming the darkness. And the warmth of his embrace. “Do you want to tell me about it?”
I shook my head.
“I’m sorry, Tori.” He placed a light kiss on the top of my head.
I didn’t want to think about Doug, and the way he treated my mother, so I just focused all my senses on Jayden. He smelled so good. His cologne had some sort of spiced scent I couldn’t identify, but I was beginning to recognize it.
And appreciate it.
He held me, rocking slightly side to side, and I wanted to stay in his arms forever. His body felt so good pressed against mine. His flat abs. His strong arms. He didn’t have the muscles that Kyle did, but he still had a lean strength to him.
And a kind heart.
Finally, I stepped back. He cupped my cheek as he looked at me with those warm, brown eyes.
“I’m glad Mia contacted you,” I said softly.
“Me too.” His fingers trailed down my cheek and almost as if he couldn’t stop them, slid over to tuck my hair behind my ear.
Which made me smile.
“Can I give you a ride home? Lucas and I drove together, and he’ll be done in a half hour.”
“Thanks, but I have a meeting with my advisor.”
“We can wait.” He again tucked my hair behind my ear. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was a losing battle. Unless I had it in a ponytail, it went where it wanted to.
“Thanks, but Kyle’s going to give me a ride later.” Since he no longer had practice, he’d offered to drive me more often, and I’d accepted—in part because I hoped to convince him to stop at a coffee shop or library on the way home to get in some extra tutoring.
“All right.” He started to brush my hair back for a third time and then stopped, a grin breaking out on his face. “It’s got a mind of its own.”
“You have no idea.”
He stared at my hair for another moment before focusing on my eyes. “See you back home?”
“See you then.” It was something to look forward to.
22
TORI
After the meeting with my advisor, I walked slowly across campus to the parking lot Kyle used. I didn’t want to think about my mom, and I sure as hell didn’t want to think about Doug.
Instead, I replayed the baseball game in my mind, focusing on the fun parts. Laughing with Jayden in the stands. Seeing Kyle run the bases and do that very cool flip as his teammates congratulated him.
I hadn’t seen him since the game yesterday. The team had probably spent the rest of the afternoon and evening celebrating. I was already in bed when I heard him come home. Whenever I heard him in the other bedroom, it felt kind of intimate. Like the wall separating us might somehow come down.
I liked being in the house with Lucas and Jayden too, but Lucas slept out in the living room, and I couldn’t hear him from the bed. Jayden had set up an air mattress in the basement. Sometime this week, he and Kyle were going to go get the queen bed he’d put into storage at the beginning of the summer.
The basement was by no means finished, but after some hard work over the weekend, there was enough space for him down there. Now we just had to find a place for Lucas to sleep. I’d tried to get him to take his room back many times, but he turned the offer down every single time. Even when things were a little awkward between us. It was baffling.
As I neared the parking lot, laughter came from my right, and I saw a group of students just outside the Economics building. There were four guys and two women. Kyle was right in the middle of the group.
I stilled, feeling a little bashful. The other guys talking and joking with him were tall and muscled. I had a feeling they were on the team, too, though I didn’t recognize any of them. They’d kind of all looked the same in their uniforms yesterday, except for Kyle.
The two women were pretty—one a blonde, and one a redhead. The blonde hung on the arm of a tall guy with light brown hair. And the redhead was standing close to Kyle, touching his arm and laughing with him.