Page 21 of Ruled Out

But here’s the harsh reality I’m faced with: I know he wouldn’t be here if he were sober and thinking straight. SoberJessie would be willing his feet to walk in the opposite direction of me, but his inhibitions have been drowned in a ton of booze.

“How much have you had?” I ask quietly, keeping my voice soft so he knows I’m not mad. Because I’m not. I’m never mad to see him.

He brings his pointer finger to his still-smiling lips. “Shh. Probably way too much. Enough for me to be standing here in front of you. I knew you’d be studying tonight.” He leans forward and lifts my other earmuff away from my ear. “You’ve always been a good girl like that.”

His words shoot straight through me, but his flirtatious tone sets off a flurry of butterflies in my stomach.

“I picked up extra hours at the florist, so I’m behind in my classes.”

Shock paints his gorgeous face. “You have a job?”

I laugh, my breath forming a cloud in the freezing air. “I can work, you know.”

“Oh, I know.”

He brings an arm around my waist. I don’t know who is watching, but I don’t care as he pulls me into his warm body.

“But why? Hasn’t Graham got you all set?”

I shake my head. “This is for me. Being here, standing on my own two feet.”

“I’m proud of you, Mia,” Jessie whispers into my hair. “So fucking proud.” His voice cracks on the final word.

I know I shouldn’t, but I’m going to ask him back to my place anyway. Unless he calls an Uber, he has to walk way too far in the freezing cold, which I worry he’s already done to be here tonight.

“My dorm is a ten-minute walk away,” I say quietly.

“Mia.” He pulls back and squeezes his eyes shut.

“You can’t go back across town like this,” I plead. “I can get you a coffee and some food.”

He scrunches his nose up and then buries his face in the crook of my neck, inhaling deeply. “I hate coffee. You know I do.”

“Well, at least come back to my dorm and out of the cold.”

He releases his hold from around my waist and glides his hand down my right arm until our fingers touch, and it’s then I feel how cold he is, even through my glove.

“Jessie, you need to get warm.”

“I’ll be okay,” he replies.

But that’s not a chance I’m willing to take. I don’t think about it for a second longer when I wrap my little finger around his and lead him into the night and toward my dorm building.

A few studentsare still hanging around in the halls when we enter my building and make our way up the stairs. Jessie pulls down his beanie to hide his identity as best he can, but panic still races through me. What if he’s recognized? There’s no way our picture wouldn’t find its way onto the internet.

I walk us faster to make it to the privacy of my dorm and blow out a relieved breath when we finally reach my door, and I slide my key into the lock.

“Do you live alone?” Jessie asks from over my shoulder, his hot breath fanning across my neck.

Shit. Tara.

I turn to look at him. “Wait here for a second.”

Our dorm is small, but it has everything we need—from a tiny white kitchenette with two stools at a breakfast bar and a small living space with a gray couch. Then we have a shared bathroom and a bedroom each. I let Tara have the bigger room since she had more stuff when we moved in.

But when I push through the door, everything is dark, and the door to Tara’s bedroom is open with no one inside.

She must have a shift at the bar near campus tonight.

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