Fuck. My pulse spiked.
He tossed me a look. “Maybe I’ll cop a feel the next time.”
I pretended to groan. “One more notch on my badass peg. You better cop a feel next time.”
“Is that all I am to you? A notch on the bedpost? I feel so used, Stoltz.”
Okay. My last name. We were back on familiar ground here. But my grin was still a little shaky.
“Get used to it, Banks. I’m only disguised as this plain Jane. Inside there’s a wild woman just waiting to be let loose.”
He didn’t reply.
He stared at me for a few more seconds, then straightened from the doorway. “There’s nothing plain about you, Summer. Don’t let some dickhead like your stepbrother make you think like that.” He saluted me with his coffee. “I’ll make you something special. There’ll be no turning back for you after this morning. You’ll be a coffee lover.”
He left, and I felt a tiny bit faint. “Only a coffee lover?”
Caden gave me a ride back to my dorm, and there was nothing awkward about it.
Nope. Not at all. Just friends here. Here was me, getting a ride back from a pal…who was gorgeous and I was currently fantasizing about. Yep, just platonic. Nothing more.
I was lying to myself, but I still enjoyed the looks I got when I exited his Land Rover and headed inside. More than a handful of girls did double-takes when they saw Caden.
I had a couple classes that day, and one I made it to was Intro to Physiology. I picked my seat and sat back, then shot upright as Marcus came down the aisle with two friends. It was a big class, but I know I would have noticed him in here. What was he doing?
He saw me and glared as he passed my seat.
Whatever. I wasn’t his enemy. I wasn’t Kevin. I looked away, slumping forward on the desk. I could feel his hot gaze on the back of my neck the entire class. If he could’ve given me a sunburn, I had no doubt he would’ve. The girl next to me tried talking to me. I must’ve responded because she didn’t seem to think I was rude, but if someone had asked me what we talked about, I would’ve had no idea. Where had Marcus been the first two weeks?
The girl must’ve noticed that I kept sneaking glances back at him. “You got a thing for Marcus Banks?”
“No.” I frowned. “How do you know him?”
She gave me a wry look. “Everyone knows him, and his brother.”
“I didn’t know he was in this class.”
“He wasn’t. A friend of mine has a mad crush on him. Don’t ask me how, but she knows his schedule. He switched hours for some reason, so he’s in here with us now.”
“Oh.” Joy.
When class was done, she stood with me. “Hey, uh. Would you like to study together sometime?”
I was going to say yes, but Marcus’ gaze found mine and I forgot everything else. His jaw set in a determined look, and I gulped.
“I gotta go,” I told the bewildered girl. I hot-footed out of there and didn’t slow until I was a few buildings away. Looking back, I didn’t think Marcus had followed me, so I calmed a little.
I needed to catch up on some studying, but Avery stopped by my room later that night. I thought maybe she’d ask about Caden, but she didn’t. She wanted to gossip about Kevin.
I had to remind myself that was a good thing. If she only came to talk about Caden, it would be weird. I told her what I knew about the Kevin situation. He was still with Maggie, and he was moving in with her parents. I’d agreed to be a lame ass and help him move this weekend.
I never called my dad, though. The line was drawn there.
I was surprised when Avery said she’d help too, and when she showed up that Saturday morning, she’d gotten a few others to help, including a couple guys. Kevin and Maggie were shocked, but Maggie and Avery hugged at the end of the sweaty day.
I wondered then if Avery came more because of their friendship, rather than just to help me. Over the next few weeks, I was right. Maggie started coming over to the dorm to see Avery, a lot. At the same time, I settled into a pattern of going to classes and eating dinner or lunch with Avery and the girls. I began to study with my physiology classmate, and sometimes some of our floormates sat with Avery and me at lunch. Of course, her friends weren’t ecstatic about that, but it was Avery. Everyone loved her, and to their credit, I’m sure my floormates were confused when they saw me with her. I don’t think they realized we were friends outside of the dorm.
One night, I was heading out to see Caden as Maggie was coming into the dorm. I asked Avery later if she’d told Maggie about Caden and me. She shook her head, and I was relieved.
My friendship with Caden wasn’t a secret, but it wasn’t something I broadcasted. I knew other girls would misinterpret how much time I spent at his place. I hung out there most nights. Sometimes I studied. Sometimes I watched movies, but I mostly watched sports and drank beer with his fraternity brothers. They never hit on me, and they never acted weird when they saw me. I was accepted.