The Deal (Off Campus #1)(32)

Our exuberant display draws several curious stares, but I don't care.  Garrett's joy is contagious. When he finally sets me down, I snatch the  paper from his hand. After all those hours I invested in his tutoring,  it kind of feels like this is my grade too, and my chest overflows with  pride as I skim through his A-minus-worthy words.

"This is amazing," I tell him. "Does that mean your GPA is back where it should be?"

"Damn right it is."

"Good." I narrow my eyes. "Now make sure it stays that way."

"It will-if you promise to help me study for every quiz and outline every paper."

"Hey, our arrangement is over, dude. I promise nothing. But … " As always,  I capitulate in the presence of Garrett Graham. "I'll help you maintain  the grade as a token of my friendship, but only when I have the time."

With a smile, he draws me in for another hug. "I couldn't have done it  without you, you know." His voice has gone husky, and I feel his warm  breath tickling my temple. He eases back, those magnetic gray eyes  focusing on my face, and then his head dips slightly, and for one  nerve-wracking second I think he might kiss me.





  

I abruptly step out of the embrace. "So I guess we are celebrating tonight," I say lightly.

"You're still coming, right?" There's a chord of intensity in his voice now.

"Did I literally not just say that?" I grumble.

Relief flits through his expression. "Listen … I wanted to run something by you."

I check my phone and realize there's only three minutes before class starts again. "Can you do it later? I should go back in."

"It'll just take a minute." His gaze locks with mine. "Do you trust me?"

Wariness ripples through me, but when I answer, it's with unwavering certainty that startles me. "Of course I do."

Gosh, I really do. Even though I've only known him for a short time, I trust this guy.

"I'm glad." His voice thickens, and he clears his throat before continuing. "I want you to have a drink tonight."

I stiffen. "What? Why?"

"Because I think it will be good for you."

"So wait, that's why you invited me to Dean's thing tonight?" I say sarcastically. "To get me drunk?"

"No." Garrett shakes his head, visibly frazzled. "To help you see that  it's okay to let down your guard sometimes. Look, I'm the DD tonight,  but I'm offering to be more than just your driver. I'll be your  bodyguard, and your bartender, and most importantly, your friend. I  promise to look out for you tonight, Wellsy."

I am oddly touched by his speech. But it's completely unwarranted.

"I'm not some alcoholic who has to drink, Garrett."

"I don't think that at all, dumbass. I just wanted to make sure you knew  that if you decide to have a beer or two, you don't have to worry. I'm  on it." He hesitates. "I know your friend had a bad experience with  drinking in public, but I promise, I'd never let that happen to you."

I wince when he says "your friend," but luckily, I don't think he  notices. A part of me wishes I never fed him that old this happened to  my friend excuse, but I can't bring myself to regret it. Only my closest  friends know about what happened to me, and yeah, I might trust  Garrett, but I don't feel comfortable telling him about the rape.

"So if you want to drink tonight, I promise nothing bad will happen to  you." He sounds so genuine that my heart squeezes with emotion. "Anyway,  that's all I wanted to say. Just … think about it, okay?"

My throat is so tight I can barely get a word out. "Okay." I exhale a wobbly breath. "I'll think about it."

*

Garrett

HOCKEY PLAYERS TAKE up every inch of available space at Malone's, a bar  that doesn't have much space to begin with. The place is so tiny that  most of the time it's standing room only.

Tonight there's barely enough room to breathe, let alone stand.

The whole team has shown up for Dean's birthday bash, and Mondays happen  to be karaoke night at the bar, so the cramped room is loud as fuck and  jammed with bodies. On the plus side, none of us had to flash our fake  IDs at the door.

I suddenly realize that in a few months, my fake ID will be useless. And  once I turn twenty-one in January, I'll be rewarded with more than just  legal adult status-I'll finally have access to the trust my  grandparents left me, which means I'll be one step closer to ridding  myself of my old man.

Hannah walks in about twenty minutes after the guys and me. I didn't  pick her up because her rehearsal ran late and she insisted she was fine  taking a cab. She'd also insisted on going back to her dorm first to  shower and change, and when I lay eyes on her, I whole-heartedly support  that decision. She looks fucking gorgeous in her leggings, high-heeled  boots and ribbed T-shirt. All black, of course, but as she gets closer,  I'm on the lookout for her trademark flash of color-and I find it when  she turns her head to greet Dean. A huge yellow hairclip with little  blue stars holds her dark hair back. Half of it is still loose and  frames her flushed face.

"Hey," she says. "It's sweltering in here. I'm glad I didn't bother with a coat."

"Hey." I lean in and smack a kiss on her cheek. I would have loved to  target those luscious lips, but even though I consider this a date, I'm  pretty sure Hannah doesn't. "How was rehearsal?"

"The usual." She offers a glum look. "The usual being shitty."

"What did Cass the Ass do this time?"

"Nothing major. Just acting like his jackass self." Hannah sighs. "I won  the argument about where to put the bridge in the arrangement, but he  won about the second chorus. You know, for when the choir comes in."





  

I groan loudly. "Oh, for fuck's sake, Wellsy. You caved on that?"

"It was two against one," she says darkly. "MJ decided her song  absolutely required a choir for maximum effect. We start rehearsing with  them on Wednesday."

She's very obviously pissed, so I squeeze her arm and say, "Do you want a drink?"

I see her slender throat bob as she gulps. She doesn't answer for a  moment. She just looks into my eyes, as if she's trying to mentally bore  her way into my brain. I end up holding my breath, because I know  something important is about to happen. Hannah is either going to place  her trust in my hands, or she's going to lock it up tight, which would  be the equivalent of a bone-jarring hip-check, because damn it, I want  her to trust me.

When she finally answers, her voice is so soft I can't hear her over the music.

"What?"

A breath escapes her lips, and then she raises her voice. "I said, sure."

With that one teeny word, my heart inflates like a goddamn helium balloon. Hannah's trust, meet Garrett's hands.

I fight to keep my happiness in check, settling for a nonchalant nod as I  lead her toward the bar counter. "What'll it be? Beer? Whiskey?"

"No, I want something tasty."

"I swear to God, Wellsy, if you order peach schnapps or something girly like that, I will officially unfriend you."

"But I am a girl," she protests. "Why can't I have a girly drink? Ooh, maybe a piña colada?"

I heave out a sigh. "Fine. That's better than schnapps, at least."

At the counter, I order Hannah's drink and then proceed to scrutinize  every move the bartender makes. Hannah also watches him with eagle eyes.

With two of the most vigilant patrons on the planet monitoring the  piña-colada-making process from start to finish, there's absolutely no  doubt about the drug-free status of the glass I place in Hannah's hand a  few minutes later.

She takes a tiny sip, then smiles up at me. "Mmmm. Yummy."

The joy in my heart damn near overflows. "C'mon, let me introduce you to some of the guys."

I take her arm again and we wander toward the rowdy group at the pool  table, where I introduce her to Birdie and Simms. Logan and Tucker spot  us and walk over, and both of them greet Hannah with a hug. Logan's hug  lasts a little too long, but when I meet his eyes, his expression is one  of innocence. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.

But hell, I'm already competing with Kohl for Hannah's affections, and  the last thing I want is my best friend throwing his hat in the ring.

Except … am I competing? I'm still not sure what I even want from her. I  mean, fine, I want sex. I want it very, very badly. But if by some  miracle she decides to give it to me, what then? What happens after? Do I  stick a flag in the ground and claim her as my girlfriend?

Girlfriends are a distraction, and I can't afford any distractions right  now, especially when two weeks ago I was in danger of losing my place  on the team.

There aren't many things my father and I agree on, but when it comes to  focus and ambition, we happen to be on the same page. I will go pro  after I graduate. Until then, I need to concentrate on keeping my grades  up and leading my team to another Frozen Four victory. Failure is not  an option.

But watching Hannah hook up with some other guy?