I push my toes against the other end of the tub and come back up. Droplets of water fall from my skin, and everything comes back into focus, including the loud voices sneaking up the hall. Everleigh thought it’d be a fun idea to get everyone together since we’re all officially back on campus, but Sylvia ran with it, going as far as inviting people outside of our circle. If this were freshman year, I’d be looking forward to letting loose and seeing everyone, but as circumstance has it, I’d rather be alone—and avoid Webber.
Every day, the secret I’m carrying weighs heavily on me, making it difficult to get in even the smallest breath sometimes. But…I have to push all of it aside and go out there, put on a smile, and pretend like my heart hasn’t been ripped out of my chest by the one man who was always supposed to protect it. All while facing the guy who’s managed to test my trust further.
Glancing at the door, I convince myself it’s okay to stay engulfed for another five minutes. The burn from the hot water has long since faded, turning it lukewarm, so I sit up and carefully get to my feet. Already, my body feels a thousand times better from pushing myself through back-to-back yoga sessions this morning. My legs aren’t as sore, and my mind is as clear as it’s going to get.
I reach for my towel beside the clawfoot tub where it hangs from a crystal knob screwed into the wall. The pads of my fingers barely brush the soft terry cloth when the door swings open and startles me to the point that the towel slips from the knob to the floor. I stumble back—as much as the tub allows anyway—and water sloshes around my legs. It takes a split second for me to realize that the person coming into the bathroom, whose eyes are glued to his phone, is not someone I recognize. He doesn’t notice me, too engrossed with whoever he’s typing a text to.
He fails to hear the tiny gasp that escapes from my throat.
I use my arms to cover myself because my towel has inadvertently morphed into a throw rug, and I have nothing else to cover my most private parts. Words fail me so I settle on clearing my throat to give me and my very naked body away.
Blue eyes, the color of an ocean, snap to mine when he finally notices he’s not alone. The bathroom door behind him clicks shut, making it impossible for him to just back out. He doesn’t make the attempt anyway.
Oh no.
He stands there and stares.
My entire body blushes every shade of red and pink under the sun.
I keep my arms rigid, hoping like hell my nipples and crotch are covered enough.
I’d wave my hands in the air if it didn’t mean succumbing to full-on nudity in front of a stranger.
His eyes trail down my body, and it lights me up like Rudolph’s nose. I’m burning from head to toe. Not just because he unabashedly eats me up with his gaze but because I don’t know how to feel about it. His worn jeans and solid gray shirt are simple and understated, but his curved jaw and striking face make up for it.
He’s someone I can definitely see myself getting caught up with.
I swallow at the lump in my throat as he quickly snaps into action and twists on his heel, his brain finally catching up to his surroundings. He tucks his phone into his pocket and his palms find the wall beside him, where he turns and hangs his head between his arms. “Sebastian told me this is where I could find the bathroom.”
I use the opportunity to bend and retrieve my towel, wrapping it around my body and knotting it as best as I can, despite the permanent blush atop my skin. “There’s a half bath off the foyer near the kitchen,” I mumble out in a sheepish tone.
“He pointed in the direction of the hall,” he explains, still facing the wall. “I thought this was the one he was referring to. I didn’t realize.”
Considering the foyer opens to the hall where all our bedrooms and this bathroom are located, it appears to be an honest mistake. Still, embarrassment flourishes inside of me and refuses to leave.
“I wasn’t paying attention,” he admits in a soft, gruff voice. Way softer than his appearance lets on. It does nothing for the mortification zipping through my veins.
“You didn’t see the light coming out from under the door?”
“No.” His voice turns the slightest bit harsher. Like he’s annoyed at himself over not being more aware of his surroundings. “I just told you that I wasn’t paying attention.”
My heart hammers in my chest from such an awkward interaction. So much that I’m ready to dart past him and out of the bathroom. If it weren’t for having to brush against him to get to the hall, I would.
But he continues to stand there, palms splayed on the wall, chin dipped to his chest like he isn’t blocking the only viable exit.
“Okay, well, are you going to stand there and hang out or…”
He shakes himself out of his stupor and reaches for the doorknob like he’s suddenly come back to life. Jesus. Who is this guy?
“Yeah, consider me gone.” The gap in the door widens, and just like that, he slips out. A brand-new balminess covers my skin, one that rivals the heat from the bath water. I have no idea what that was about, but I assume he’s here for the party. Knowing that only adds to my reluctance to get dressed and go out there.
As if him walking in on me and staring isn’t bad enough, now I have to go out there and face him.
The guywho busted into the bathroom and nearly saw me naked is none other than Sebastian’s cousin, Colson. Imagine my surprise, when I find out that tidbit of information after getting dressed and joining the crowd in the living room. Seeing him standing around and making small talk with my friends only amplifies the awkwardness that comes from the newfound knowledge.
The Universe definitely looked at the situation and said,“How can we make this worse?”
A few days ago, Sebastian announced via group text that his cousin was taking the spare in the boys’ apartment and that we might see him around. Too much in my head, I didn’t link up the likelihood he’d be included in tonight’s plans.
