“You’re beautiful!” he exclaims.
“Oh, no, I’m sure I look terrible.” Fact: I’m an ugly crier. “But thanks for trying to make me feel better.” I wipe the last few tears from my face. “And thank you for helping me get rid of him.” Heat rises from my neck to my cheeks, most likely giving me a magenta-hued blush.
He reaches down with a gentle hand, wiping away one stray tear from my cheek. “Of course, I want you to feel better, but I meant what I said. You’re a beautiful girl.”
I shrug because it’s not worth arguing about right now. I look up again at the gorgeous man. He can’t be real. He has to be way over six feet. Not to mention, it feels like he’s entirely constructed out of muscle and steel. He’s got a baseball cap on backward. So cute. His brown curls peek out from the sides and on his forehead drawing my attention to the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen. They remind me of a summer sky. Below those is a strong, straight nose. Don’t get me started on his amazing smile. It’s addictive. So much so, it makes me smile right back even though I just caught my… Bradley with Brooke.
“Havin’ a bad day, Pixie?”
Pixie? What does that mean? “You could say that,” I mutter.
I let my eyes move back down his body toward his feet. He’s wearing a purple Northwestern Wildcat tee. The shirt is working really hard to contain his extra wide chest and shoulders.He’s got to be twice as broad as me, and that’s saying something. His loose athletic shorts hang low on his trim hips. Michelangelo could sculpt this guy, and people would flock to see it. It’d be way better than the famous sculpture ofDavid.
“Seriously, are you okay?” he asks.
I nod. It’s then that I notice the crowd that’s gathered around us, no doubt thanks to the scene created by Bradley and me. My face burns, which I know means it’s three shades of red with embarrassment. My knight must notice this because he takes my hand and pulls me into a more secluded area of the lobby. We stop in a spot that is sort of a reading nook—like a place to study when your roommate is intolerable. It’s a place I’m sure I will utilize my first semester here.
He leans his back against the wall while pulling me to him until I’m standing between his long legs. Next, he places his hands on either side of my face and bends so he can look directly into my eyes. My breath catches in my throat. He’s so tall, I’m sure he’s bent in half. I don’t know why but I ask the dumbest question ever. “How tall are you?”
“I’m six foot four.”
“Wowza. That’s tall.”
Luckily, he ignores my inane comment. He’s close, but I don’t mind his proximity. “Are you okay, Pixie?”
I nod and blink my bloodshot eyes at him. Needing to break the intensity of this moment, I’m tempted to ask him more stupid questions like, “How much do you weigh?” Because the guy is massive—but I really don’t want him to ask me the same question.
“Your name is Stella?”
“Yes.” I peer up at him and blink. “What’s your name?”
“I’m Alex,” he says with another brilliant smile.
I’m about to reach my hand out to shake his, but I decide now’s not the time. So, I just say, “It’s nice to meet you, Alex.”
“It’s very nice to meet you too, Stella. I’m just sorry it’sunder these circumstances. But I’m glad I ran into you no matter the reason.”
I let out a relieved sigh. “I thinkIran intoyou. I hope I didn’t hurt you.”
“Not possible, Pixie.”
There it is again. What does this guy mean by ‘Pixie’?
“What was the deal with you and that guy?” His smile is gone as he continues, “Did he hurt you?”
“Not physically. He’s my boyfriend.” I correct myself. “I mean, hewasmy boyfriend.” Now he’s my ex-boyfriend. “I just caught him cheating on me with my new roommate.”
“Oh shit, that sucks. I’m really sorry to hear that.”
He sounds so sincere, it makes my eyes water, but I will the tears back. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine.” And I will be… eventually. “Thank you so much for helping. I just hope it was enough to keep Bradley away from me. I don’t want to talk to him right now.” Orever.
“Well, he’s pretty determined to talk to you. Maybe you need to let him. Once. Then you can let him loose.”
“I don’t know. We’ve known each other our entire lives. Our moms are best friends. I’m sure this thing isn’t over until everyone has given me a piece of his or her mind.” Why am I rambling to Alex about my history with Bradley? I’m sure he couldn’t care less. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you have better things to do than listen to all of this drama.” I start to pull away. “Thank you again, Alex.”
“Where does that guy live? Does he live in this building? Do you think he’s going to harass you?”
“No.” I shake my head. Bradley’s too busy with his fraternity and friends to spend his precious time “harassing” me. “And he lives at the Sigma Alpha Epsilon house.”
