Page 7 of Campus Crush
I blinked out of my sudden stupor and jumped out of my seat, scampering behind the nearest bookshelf. I stared at the wall, chest heaving, as I was thrown straight back to a time that felt like it belonged to someone else.
The party at The Den, the notorious football house, was packed wall-to-wall with people as Sam and I looked around the space, our Natty lights in hand. Now that I was on my third one, it was finally bearable to taste.
“Oh, look, there he is.”
“Who?” Iasked Sam, looking in the general direction she seemed to be focused on.
“Ryan Donovan.” Oh, right, the hot quarterback she was obsessed with and likely the whole reason we were at this party to begin with. “Right there talking to the guy that’s on the hockey team.Foster.That’s his name.”
I stilled when she said his name and then my heart started racing as my gaze landed on the only boy who had ever made me catch my breath.
Foster Kane.
He was in my English 101 class, and in just the couple of weeks we’d been in school, he’d shown me that I was not, in fact, immune to the charms of a hot jock.
Foster was insanely attractive with his over-six-foot athletic build, his dark brown hair that curled ever so slightly around his ears when it grew too long, and his bright blue eyes.But even better than that was that Foster was smart.
In our English class he was always well-spoken.He answered the questions thoughtfully.He engaged in discussion.He was a unicorn as far as I was concerned.
A hot jock who was smart and seemed kind.
To say I’d had a crush on him would be an understatement.
For the first time all night, I was excited that Samantha had talked me into coming to this party because now maybe instead of being the girl who always sat back and watched as cool and exciting things happened to other people, I would get to be the girl something cool and exciting happened to.
We made our way over to the guys and I snuck a glance at Foster as Sam chatted with Ryan.
He pointed at me, his eyes narrowed like he was trying to remember how he knew me. “You’re in my English 101 class, right?”
My heart felt like it took off in flight. “Uh, yeah, that’s right.”
The lighting wasn’t great in here, but I could have sworn I saw a flush on his face. “Can you remind me of your name again? I’m not the best with names.”
“I’m Abby.”
“Abby.” He said it like I’d just given him the answer to a question on a make-or-break test. “Well, nice to put a name to a face, Abby. I’m Foster.”
As if he needed an introduction. “I know,” I said, giggling.
And then pure mortification hit me because that totally made me sound like a stalker.
I cleared my throat. “I just mean, I know who you are, as in, I’m good with names, and I was paying attention in class, and so I know who you are.” I clamped my lips shut to stop my rambling.
His smile told me that he found it endearing, but my cheeks were hot from embarrassment.
This could not be happening.
Foster Kane couldn’t be in the tutoring center right now.
What the hell would he even need a tutor for?
I glanced around the corner at him, my heart now racing like I’d just gone for a mile run while being chased by a bear.
Seriously, why was he here? I mean, okay, of course he was here because he probably needed a tutor, but he wasFoster Kane. Everyone knew he was smart and funny and hot and perfect.
Maybe he was here to pick up a date with one of the staff. My stomach cramped at the idea, and self-loathing flooded my veins like poison.
It’d been well over a year since I was in the same roomwith him, and I hated that my heart still raced at the sight of him. I’d done everything in my power to avoid him since that horrible night freshman year.
