Page 81 of Stay
After a couple of songs, the guy I’m dancing with leans closer so he can be heard over the pounding beat. Even though he’s tall, muscular, and good-looking with short blond hair.
“Do you want another drink?”
I shake my head. One of us needs to be sober enough to get us home tonight, and it isn’t going to be Brooklyn. “No, I’ve had enough, but thanks.”
With a smile, he inches closer until there’s only a handful of inches that separate us. His eyes fill with questions as he studies me as if trying to guess where he knows me from. I have to admit, there’s something strangely familiar about him as well. Even thoughWestern is a big school, you tend to run into the same people on campus or at parties.
Unease blooms inside me as he continues his intense perusal.
“You’re really pretty,” he says.
With a nervous smile, I take a hasty step in retreat, wanting to create more distance between us. “Thanks.”
“You said that your name is Cassidy, right?” A thoughtful expression flickers across his face.
I nod, unable to remember his name. Or if he even told it to me.
“Can I get your number? Maybe we could hang out some time?”
The last thing I want to do is lead him on. “Sorry, I have a boyfriend.”
Honestly, I’m not sorry at all. Even the thought of Cole is enough to have me fighting back a smile. As happy as I am to be here with Brooklyn, it’s Cole I’d rather be dancing with.
He glances around before raising a brow. “If you were my girlfriend, I wouldn’t let you go to a fraternity party all by yourself.”
Irritation sparks to life inside me. “He trusts me.” Then I add so we’re perfectly clear, “And I like him. I wouldn’t do anything to mess that up.”
He jerks his head into a nod as if accepting that I’m not interested. “He’s a lucky guy.”
Relief rushes through me as my muscles loosen. “Thanks.”
He stares at me for a long moment before giving his head a little shake. “Give me your phone.”
“Why?”
Instead of answering, his fingers curl into agive it to megesture. “Just hand it over.”
Uncertain what to do, I slide my phone from the back pocket of my jeans before holding it out to him. He plucks the slim device from my fingers. My teeth sink into my lower lip as I watch him scroll through my contacts list before tapping in his information. A second later, his phone buzzes with an incoming message.
“When you break up with that guy, give me a call and we’ll go out.”
Just as my fingers wrap around the cell, he brushes his lips across my cheek before disappearing into the crowd. Almost absently, my fingers drift over the spot. I can’t believe he did that. As I slip the phone back into my pocket, I glance around for Brooklyn. I catch sight of a few girls from our floor but not her.
For the next ten minutes, I scour the backyard before moving inside the house. I’m busy scanning the crowded kitchen when I smack into a hard body. An apology sits on the tip of my tongue as I glance up and lock gazes with the last person I expected to see.
“Austin, what are you doing here?”
Instead of responding, he pulls out his phone and taps the screen a couple of times before turning it toward me. My eyes widen as I stare at a picture of Brooklyn and the guy she’d been dancing with. In the photo, his arms are wrapped tightly around her. One hand is curved around her backside as she laughs.
My gaze flicks back to his. “You two aren’t together. Brooklyn can do whatever she wants.” I’m not trying to twist the knife in any deeper, but he needs to realize that he made this mess. And stalking her around campus won’t change anything. It’ll only make matters worse. “You cheated on her.”
“For fuck’s sake, I didn’t cheat on her!” He plows one hand through his dark hair in frustration.
“Cassidy.”
My attention locks on Cole who I didn’t realize was standing behind Austin. “You guys showed up here because someone texted a picture of Brooklyn?”
“It wasn’t just of Brooklyn,” he says.
