Page 66 of Campus Crush
I scanned the crowd for Abby even though I knew she likely wasn’t here yet. She said she was going to text me when they were close. I checked my phone again but still no text. The screen remained stubbornly blank, making my stomach twist with anticipation.
“Hey, Foster,” a sultry voice said from my side. I glanced over and found Brittany Armstrong standing much closer than I was comfortable with. Her blonde hair was perfectly styled, her makeup flawless, and her top cut low enough to leave little to the imagination.
We’d never hooked up but it wasn’t for her lack of trying. I had a strict rule about not dating or hooking up with girls that my teammates had hooked up with, and Brittany had gotten around. Last I heard, she’d been with bothDrew and Liam at different points, though neither of them talked about it.
“Brittany,” I said, acknowledging her while still scanning the space for Abby’s arrival. I didn’t want to be rude, but I also didn’t want to encourage her.
Brittany placed her hand on my chest and started sliding it up before I grabbed her wrist and removed her hand. Her touch felt wrong, invasive even.
“Don’t touch me,” I told her, my voice firm but not cruel.
She batted her eyelashes, unperturbed by my rejection. “I bet I could make it good for you.”
Her breath smelled like rum and Coke, and I took a small step back.
“I’m not interested,” I told her, still trying to remain polite. I wasn’t going to slut shame her, especially considering the guys that I lived with and their body count, but I also had firm boundaries and wanted her to respect them.
She gave me a faux pout, her glossy lips forming an exaggerated frown. “Foster, you know we’d be great together.”
“I’m in a relationship,” I told her, and heat infused my body as the words came out of my mouth. It felt good to be claimed. To belong to someone. To have someone who belonged to me in a way that meant something beyond physical attraction.
Brittany’s jaw dropped. “What?”
Maybe I should have accounted for how surprising this news might be considering I hadn’t had a relationship the whole time I’d gone to CFU. I’d been too focused on helping the hockey team get reinstated and find success to make time for a girlfriend. Between practices, games, and the pressure from my father about the business, relationshipshad always seemed like an unnecessary complication.
Until Abby.
“You heard me,” I told her because it was clear she had. “I’m in a relationship, so please keep your hands to yourself. I’m sure there are other guys here who’d be happy to give you attention.”
She frowned for a moment and then shrugged, her eyes gleaming with something that made me uncomfortable. “Your girlfriend doesn’t have to know.”
So, clearly Brittany wasn’t a girl’s girl. The casual way she suggested betraying Abby made my skin crawl. As if my relationship was just an inconvenient obstacle to be worked around rather than something I valued.
“Iwould know, Brittany, and I’m not gonna mess up what I have.”
Abby was one of the first people in my life to make me feel things I hadn’t known were possible. I wouldn’t do anything to risk my relationship with her.
“Oh, come on, Foster,” Brittany said and I opened my mouth to respond, but before the words on the tip of my tongue could come out, another familiar voice interrupted.
“I think he made himself pretty clear.”
I looked away from Brittany and found Abby standing in front of us, Sam by her side staring daggers at Brittany, even though Abby had been the one to speak.
My heart did a somersault in my chest. Abby looked stunning in a simple green sweater that complemented her brown eyes and jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. She wore her hair the way I loved it best—falling loosely around her shoulders. She looked fucking beautiful.
“You’re the girlfriend?” Brittany asked, looking Abby upand down with an expression that made me want to step between them.
I hated the judgment in her gaze, and before Abby could answer, I said, “Yeah, she is. Now you can either go enjoy the party around other people or you can get out of my house.”
She huffed, spun on her heel, and then stormed away, her blonde hair whipping behind her as she disappeared into the crowd.
I turned to Abby, hoping this hadn’t already ruined the party for her. “I’m so sorry.”
The last thing I wanted was for her to feel uncomfortable or unwelcome at my house.
She moved closer until our bodies were nearly touching, and I gave in to the impulse to wrap my arms around her waist. Relief infused my body as she leaned against me and her hands rested on my chest. The warmth of her body eased the tension Brittany had caused.
These were the only hands I wanted on my body.
