Page 54 of Campus Crush
I bit my lip. She was right. Again.
Maybe it was time to stop looking for reasons to keep Foster Kane out of my heart.
Because the truth was, he was already there, and seeing him for the first time in three weeks only confirmed what I’d already felt.
I missed him, and it was time to take a leap.
TWENTY-NINE
I wasn’t typically a nervous person.
I was usually confident and sure when it came to my academics and my job.
Socially, I was maybe a little awkward, but the only times I could recall being truly, gut-wrenchingly nervous both involved Foster.
And tonight was one of them.
When Foster walked into The Old Pine, I swore every head in the building turned his way.
He wasn’t alone. Liam and Drew flanked him on either side with Gordy trailing behind them, looking less than thrilled to be there. They all seemed to command attention without even trying. Foster wore dark jeans and a sapphire blue button-up that made his blue eyes pop even from across the bar. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showcasing his muscular forearms, and those now-familiar butterflies took off in my stomach at the sight.
“Holy crap. Talk about fucking eye candy,” Sam whispered beside me. “Is there some kind of rule that you haveto be hot to play hockey? Because damn, those boys are fine.”
I couldn’t disagree with that assessment, but I only had eyes for Foster. When his gaze swept the room and landed on me, his face broke into a smile that made my stomach flip.
“Act cool,” I muttered to myself.
“What?” Sam asked.
“Nothing.”
Foster and his friends made their way over to our table, and I tried to look casual, like my heart wasn’t threatening to beat out of my chest.
“Hey,” Foster said, his eyes roaming over me appreciatively. “You look amazing.”
I smoothed my hand over the deep purple fabric of my top and tried to remember how to breathe. The V-neck wasn’t even that low, but under Foster’s gaze, it felt borderline scandalous.
“Thanks,” I managed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. “You too.”
Drew slid into the large U-shaped corner booth beside Sam. “Hey, Abby. Foster hasn’t shut up about you all day.”
Foster shot him a death glare. “Dude.”
“What? It’s true.” Drew turned to me with a grin. “It was all ‘Abby this’ and ‘Abby that.’”
My eyes widened, and I glanced at Foster, who looked like he wanted the floor to open up and swallow him whole.
“Ignore him,” Foster said, sliding in next to me. “He was dropped on his head as a child. Multiple times.”
“It’s true,” Liam added, squeezing in beside Drew. “I was there for at least three of those times. But it’s also true that our captain here is a smitten kitten.”
“You’re both assholes,” Foster muttered, but there was no heat behind it.
Gordy, who seemed to be the quietest of the group, took the remaining seat beside Liam. “I apologize in advance for anything these three might say or do tonight,” he said to me with a small smile.
I laughed, feeling some of my tension ease. “Noted.”
Sam, ever the social butterfly, kept the conversation flowing. She asked the guys about their hockey season, which led to animated stories about their games and practices. Drew and Liam were natural storytellers, acting out plays and mimicking their coach’s expressions. Even Gordy joined in, his quiet demeanor giving way to dry humor that had me laughing more than once.
