Lab is torture. We're analyzing blood spatter patterns from a mock crime scene, and normally I'd be fascinated. Today, I can barely focus.
After the lab, I have two hours before my shift at the restaurant. I don't want to go home, so I head to the quad with my textbook, pretending to study.
I'm staring at the same page for twenty minutes when someone sits down beside me.
Too close.
I look up and groan internally.
Cole Crawford. My ex from junior year. We dated for three months before I realized he was one of the most arrogant, insufferable humans on the planet. When I broke up with him, he acted like I was the one being unreasonable because I didn’t want to date a future plastic surgeon. He expected me to stay home and be pretty.
"Hey, Sutton." He flashes that smile that used to work on me. "Long time."
"Hey." I don't return the smile.
"Heard you're living in the hockey house now. That's wild." He leans back, all casual confidence. "Is it true you got back together with Declan Hayes?"
My stomach clenches. "It's complicated."
"So that's a no." He grins. "Good. Guy's a tool."
"He's not—" I stop myself. Why am I defending Declan right now?
"You deserve better than some dumb jock. You need someone who’s smart enough to hold a conversation and has all of his teeth." His hand lands on my knee. "You should come to my place tonight. Have a drink. I’ve missed you."
I don't have the energy to tell him to back off. I'm too exhausted, too emotionally drained to deal with his obvious intentions.
Cole wasn’t a bad guy, but he was just so into himself. It drove me crazy.
"Sutton."
My head snaps up.
Declan is standing three feet away, holding two coffee cups. He’s wearing jeans and his Avalon Hockey hoodie. His hair is a mess. He looks like he hasn't slept.
His eyes move from me to Cole. To Cole's hand on my knee.
I see the anger and hurt.
"I brought you coffee," he says quietly. "Your favorite. But I can see you're busy."
He turns and walks away, dropping one of the coffees in the trash. He doesn't even look back.
Cole laughs. "Wow. That was awkward. If you were my girlfriend, I would have knocked my ass out."
I fight to keep from rolling my eyes. Cole wouldn’t raise a hand to anyone. Those were his moneymakers. And his fighting for me was laughable.
I watch Declan disappear into the crowd. I want to chase after him and tell him this isn’t what it looks like. I want him.
But I don't move.
Because he didn't fight. He saw Cole touching me, and he just walked away.
Just like always, Declan Hayes disappears as soon as things get rough.
"I have to go," I say, standing up abruptly.
By the time I get home, it's almost five. I skip my shift, texting my manager another excuse. I can't serve tables with tears streaming down my face.
