Page 46 of Chasing Xander
They’d had a lot of fun together last night and again this morning. Then, suddenly, he’s canceling their date, blowing her off, and acting weird. Had she done or said something wrong? He couldn’t still be mad about the picture Finn sent. It’s not like she’d asked for it or anything. And as soon as she realized what it was, she closed out of the message and didn’t look at it again. Hell, they’d even joked about it.
Then another thought struck her—his attitude had changed after their kiss. After she’d stupidly blurted out that she was a virgin. He’d congratulated her and stumbled over his words as if he couldn’t decide exactly what he’d wanted to say. Queasiness bombarded her, and she took several deep breaths, waiting for it to pass. He hadn’t liked kissing her. That had to be it. Or he was turned off by her admission. Her face heated with shame. God, she never should have told him. At least, not yet. But if that kiss was any indication about where things were headed, he needed to know the truth. Shewantedhim to know.
Tears pricking her eyes, she flung her bag over her shoulder, snatched the coffee cup, and left the library. On her way out, she threw the cup in the trash, not caring that the liquid splashed onto her hand. Now that she didn’t have any plans for the night, maybe she and Celeste could hang out. Check out a party or two. And if Kylie was lucky, she might be able to get her mind off Xander. Because whatever relationship they’d been building, however brief, was over.
She walked across campus, her mind reeling with questions. If she only knew what happened, what caused his abrupt change in attitude, she might be able to deal with it and move on. But not knowing was torture. She could ask him, but what were the chances he’d answer her honestly? As she approached her residence hall, Celeste was coming out the front door.
“Kylie!” She waved her hands frantically. “I’ve been trying to call you on my phone. Why haven’t you answered?”
“I had it on silent because I was in the library for a study group.” She pulled the phone out and checked it. Sure enough, there were several missed calls. “Sorry.”
“Sheriff McIntire called the front desk looking for you.”
Kylie’s stomach dropped, and her mood took an even bigger nosedive. “What did he want?”
“Your father went to the nursing home, demanding Nammy Joyce give him money for legal fees and the key to the house. I guess he caused a pretty big scene and upset some of the other residents. He was arrested again.”
Well, that explained why the home hadn’t called yet. She took several deep breaths, forcing the rage growing inside her to settle. “Of course he did.” Her voice was tight, and she curled her free hand into a fist. When would her father ever learn? “What the hell does the sheriff expect me to do about it?”
Celeste shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I suppose I should call him back.” Kylie handed the phone to Celeste. “I’ll see if I can call from the RA’s room. You have class now, right?”
“Yeah.” Celeste frowned. “But I can skip if you want. Y’know, for moral support.”
“Thanks, but you don’t have to do that.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “But you can hang out with me tonight. Xander canceled our date.”
“He did?” Celeste’s eyes widened, and shock colored her expression. “Why?”
“Said he had some sort of meeting thing to do with Finn.” She opened the door and stepped into the lobby. Celeste followed. “I don’t know, but I think he’s giving me the brush-off.”
“I’m sure that’s not what’s happening.” She placed her hand on Kylie’s shoulder and smiled sympathetically. “Did he reschedule?”
“Nope.” Kylie shook her head and shoved her key into the door of their room. “And he blew me off for our study group, too.” She opened the door and tossed her bag on the floor. “He’s obviously not interested.”
“Ky.” Celeste sighed heavily. “Just because he has something to do tonight doesn’t mean he’s not interested. Relax, okay? Let things happen however they’re going to happen.”
She flopped down on her bed. “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am. Now, call the sheriff, take a nap, do whatever. But be ready to go out tonight.”
“Sounds fun.” She smiled.
Celeste gathered her stuff and left for class. Kylie blew out a heavy breath and looked around the room. Even though she was thrilled to finally be on her own in college, this room wasn’t home. She missed Nammy Joyce and all her wisdom. And she really missed the home-cooked meals. Her stomach grumbled loudly. She’d only eaten a couple of granola bars between classes, and she was starving.
Reluctantly, she trudged down the hall to the RA’s room and knocked on the door.
Hannah answered with a smile. “Hey.” She squinted and tapped her finger to her lips as if she were trying to work out some complicated problem. “Hmm…Kylie, right?”
“Yeah.” She shoved her hands into her pockets and shifted on her feet. “I’m sorry to bother you, but I was wondering if I could use your phone. Mine’s temporarily out of commission.”
“Of course.” Hannah stepped aside and ushered her in. “It’s right over there.” She pointed toward a cordless phone sitting on the end of a desk. During freshman orientation, they were informed that all RA’s had landline phones in their rooms—for emergencies only. She assumed calling to check in on her jailbird father could be construed as an emergency.
Kylie grabbed the phone and dialed Sheriff Rick’s number. He answered on the first ring. “Hi, Rick. It’s Kylie Quinn. I understand my father’s staying with you again.” She kept her back to Hannah, hoping she wouldn’t eavesdrop.
