Page 17 of Casualties

What the hell just happened?Was he really about to kiss me, and would he have if Morgan didn't interrupt?

The real question is...Would I have let him?

SEVEN

ACE

The car ride to Ainsley’s dorm is silent, and it’s awkward as hell.The girls sit in the back seat, which is fine by me.Morgan would be suspicious if I told Ains to sit up front.I’m not sure what came over me, grabbing her like that.Maybe it was her wearing my shirt.Maybe it was the fact that it barely fell to her mid-thigh, her soft skin on display.

No, I’m pretty sure the moment I lost all self-control happened the second her scent cascaded over me, as she was brushing me off with this bitchy-girl persona she’s trying to maintain.

Of course I was goading her; I know that.I needed to see her react to me.I could tell she was feeling the same way I was when I tugged at the bottom of my t-shirt and brushed the tips of my fingers across her bare thigh.

The universe is an insolent bitch, constantly testing my willpower to stay away, but flooding me with feelings for her, making it damn-near impossible.The need to touch her was consuming me.Fuck, I couldn’t control myself.If Morgan didn’t interrupt us, who knows how far I would have taken it.

I glance in the rearview mirror at the gorgeous girl—let me rephrase that, the off-limits gorgeous girl—as she stares out the window, lost in her thoughts.She must sense I’m watching her, because she turns in her seat, making immediate eye contact with me.We both stare at each other, trying to voice a million things without making a sound.

Morgan clears his throat, breaking the awkward silence.

“That wasn’t bad for a frat party.Ains, you have fun?”He doesn’t give her a chance to answer.“I know Cass had fun.Didn’t you, Cass?”A sinister laugh ripples from his throat.He turns to face Cassie in the back seat and shines a cheeky smile.

“Blow it out your ass, Morgan!My memory of last night is choppy anyway, so I guess the night wasn’t all that great.Oh well.”She shrugs her shoulders and gives him a smile like she won that round, but I know Morgan.He doesn’t let anyone have the final word.

Damn.Something happened between them last night.

He stretches his back to full length.“Riiiight… You were hanging out with the barista boy—how’d that turn out?”She shoots him a glare that’s answer enough, but he continues.“Guess some guys can’t handle a little competition in a wholesome drinking game.”

“It didn’t help that you challenged him to multiple rounds of beer pong, and he hardly drinks.I was enjoying myself before you jumped in with your ‘roided-out testosterone.What?Couldn’t talk some sorority skank into slumming it under the covers with you?”Cassie’s face screws into a scowl.She’s pissed, and I can see why.I know how Morgan is when he gets into competitive beast mode.It makes him a talented hacker, an insane gamer, but ruthless verbal sparring partner.

He is radiating jealousy, and my only question is why?If he does have feelings for Cass, I wasn’t aware of them.At this point, the car ride could not get any more tense.

“Yeah, you looked like you were having thebesttime,Cassandra,”Morgan’s voice drips sarcasm.“That dude was a pussy, and you looked bored out of your mind.I thought I was doing you a favor by saving you from the male version of Martha Stewart.”Ah fuck, he broke the cardinal rule when it comes to Cassie Sinclair: never call her by her government name.

“You know what?Fuck that.I’m not going to do my girl Martha dirty like that.She did time, and she’s friends with Snoop Dogg.That's a lot more interesting than some nerdy barista talking your ear off about macchiato.I bet his favorite band is The Dave Matthews Band.”The mocking laugh that rumbles from Morgan’s chest is laced with hostility.

This asshole continues to laugh.“That must be your type—bitch boys lacking backbone.”

My eyes are bouncing back and forth from Morgan to Cassie, while still trying to maintain focus on the road ahead of me.I see the hurt on her face before she flips her lashes down and looks at the floorboard, avoiding eye contact.

“What the hell, Morgan?Knock it off.”Ainsley reaches for Cass, wrapping an arm around her in a side-hold.Cass rests her head on her shoulder and the car goes silent again.

Finally, we make it to their dorm before anyone chooses violence.I park the car and hop out fast, because the girls are already taking off toward their building.

“Hey, hold up.”I start jogging to reach them.

“Cass, you know he didn’t mean it.He gets in those—” Cassie cuts me off with her raised hand.

“Stop defending him.I’m not his fucking punching bag, Ace.You guys may get away with treating Ainsley like she's property no one can approach, but I’m not the one.”I get what she’s saying, but damn.I wouldn’t say we treat Ainsley like our property.That’s a bit of a stretch.

“I’m saying sorry for Morgan.That sucked.”I don’t know what else to say to her.Morgan may eventually feel guilty, but his stubborn ass won’t apologize…he never does.I swear, stubbornness is the only thing besides DNA that he shares with his sister.

“Whatever.I’m heading in.I’ll meet you upstairs, AC.”She flips her hair and walks inside.

I look back at the Bronco and see Morgan has turned the stereo up loud, probably to drown out this conversation.I turn back to face Ainsley.

“Look, I meant what I said.We will be having a conversation about what happened earlier.You’re not going to brush me off like you've been doing since you got here.”I will make her talk to me.This passive aggressive bullshit is done.I’m clueless as to the cause of her sudden repulsion, but I swear, she will tell me what crawled up her tight ass.

“I don’t know why we have to have a conversation.We have never—You know what?Forget it.Let’s chalk it up to a mistake.”Her mouth sets in an unforgivable angle.

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