COLTON
ELEVEN YEARS AGO | ALDEN UNIVERSITY
I lovewhen everything just works out.
Like magic, that gorgeous girl from the front row of my game walked intomyhouse. Glossy brown hair, striking blue eyes shining out from olive skin. Through the glass, her lips kept tipping up into these soft smirks that threw me for a loop. At the game, she had her hair tied half back with a ribbon made into a bow holding it up. Here, she wore an oversized bow on top of her head as part of her Halloween costume.
Not like magic, I got trapped in a conversation with my roommate Mikey.
“It’s just really lame that he’s not here,” he huffed, talking about our other roommate and teammate, Guy Stelle. “She showed up and it’s like she’s the only person who exists.”
“Uh huh,” I said, watching the front row girl make her way through the party in what looked like a Powerpuff Girls costume. I was dressed as an angel, while Mikey was the devil. What a night to meet someone, Halloween.
The devil himself spoke again. “We should go over there and bring him back.”
I zoned back into what he was saying. “Wait, what?”
“Yeah,” he said, getting more indignant. “We shouldn’t just let Stelle waste these precious years being with some girl from high school. He should be with us. Bros before hoes.”
I sighed and grimaced. “And to do that, we need to go physically remove him from her dorm?”
Mikey looked at me like it was obvious. “Well, yeah?”
I put my arm around his shoulder and walked him to the keg. “I think,” I said, “you should say hello to this lovely person. What’s your name?”
The girl before us had pin-straight blonde hair, a sexy nurse costume, and an empty cup in her hand. “Gina.”
“Gina,” I said, “this is Mikey. He’s a little under the weather and could use a medical professional like yourself to check him out.”
I clapped Mikey on the shoulder and excused myself.
I was on a mission. I breezed through the party, squeezing between werewolves, mummies, and an assortment of topical costumes that needed far too much explanation.
Then I found her. But when I did, she looked like she’d seen a ghost. The hand holding her red Solo cup shook, her face had paled, and she was backing toward our kitchen. I put myself in her path, my hands gentle on her upper arms. “Hey, cutie.”
She jumped and spun, those blue eyes enormous and glassy like she might cry.
I didn’t know her, but seeing her shattered like that broke me. “What’s the matter?”
She forced a smile, laughed, and patted my chest. I laughed along with her even though I had no idea what could be funny when she looked so distraught.
“Hey, I’m—” her wheezed breath was so forceful that I could see her upper ribs— “sorry. I have to go.”
“Hold on, hold on.” She seemed on the verge of a panic attack. Her palm still faced me from where she touched my chest. I surrounded her petite hand in mine. It was freezing. “It’s okay. Just focus on me.”
Her brows lowered, her eyes still big and round.
“Yeah. That’s it. Good. I’m Jones.” My thumb stroked the back of her hand. “Colton Jones.”
Her face brightened slightly at my James Bond-style intro.
“Gennari,” she said. “Violet Gennari.”
I nodded. “Stay with me, Violet. You’re okay.”
Her gaze softened and her hand slackened in mine. This was working. This was good. “Okay,” she whispered.
I peeked down into her cup, still half full. “Your drink looks like it got warm.”
