Declan chuckled. “I think he'd mind much more if I didn't let him ride home with yourfriend.”
“My friend is off-limits, just so you and Paul know. I've narrowed her matches down to two guys, and he is not oneofthem.”
He lifted his hands in surrender. “You’re allbusiness.”
“Always.”
Twenty minutes later,Declan and Paul were walking Morgan and Lacey to their dorm building. Morgan had insisted they didn't need the escorts, but the guys wouldn't take no for ananswer.
“I know it's too late for guys to come up to your room. We're not trying anything like that. I just want to make sure you get to your roomssafely.”
“But how do I know you're not the dangerous one?” Morgan countered, feeling quite clever until Declanresponded.
He leaned in. “Maybe you should have thought of that before you got inmycar.”
Darn. He had a point. Morgan was making bad choices left and right. Meanwhile, Declan, Jerk-face McHotPants, was racking up points like achamp.
Declan had kept a respectable distance from her the entire walk from the parking lot, acting the perfect gentlemen. Not that the same could be said for Lacey and Paul. They were all over eachother.
“You know,” Morgan said as they stopped outside the girls' dorm to say goodnight. “I almost regret not giving you thegiftcard.”
His warm hand found her shoulder. Morgan wanted to melt into the feel of his skin against her own. “It's not like you could have let me win. I know it was a randomdrawing.”
Morgan bit her lip, and Declan pulled hishandaway.
His face grew serious. “It was a random drawing,right?”
“Of course, it was,” she said quickly, causing Declan to relax visibly. “You're going to think this is funny though. You were the real winner, but I thought you were such a jerk, so I decided to pick asecondname.”
“What?”
“But now I see that you're adecentguy.”
“Unbelievable.” His face was hard again. “You think you are giving me such a gift calling me decent, don't you? Like you're some kind of goddess atop her mountain, passing out judgment on all thepeons.”
“I…” she started, but Declan keptgoing.
“I’ve barely passed into decent guy territory because I didn't let you drive home drunktonight.”
“I wasn't going to,” sheargued.
“But you're one to talk. You decided I wasn't worthy of your prize. I don't even want to know what else you don't think I'm worthy of. Am I even in your little Date Maker database?” He said the last part making air-quotes.
Morgan didn't answer. She was too embarrassed to admit he was right and stared at the sidewalkinstead.
Declan let out a self-deprecating laugh. “Of course not.” He ran his hand through his hair and started to walk away. At the last moment, he stopped and looked at her, his gaze seemingly searching her soul. “It's not even about the gift card. Did it ever occur to you that some people might feel embarrassed about using a dating service? One that is so personal? One you can't hide behind a computer screen for? You have no right to decide who gets a match, and whodoesn’t.”
He stormed off, and Morgan watched him go. She wasn't sure if Lacey and Paul had watched the entire exchange between the two of them, or if they had been busy swapping spit. But what she did know, was several seconds later, Paul was running after Declan, and Lacey was standingbesideher.
“I think girls' nights might be overrated,” Morgandeadpanned.
Lacey laughed and put her arm around her shoulder. “Not all of them. Now, let's gotobed.”
ChapterSix
The next morning,Morgan woke up with a terrible headache and list a mile long of things to do before school started back up the next day. The first item was finding a way to get hercarback.
Lacey was snoring softly in her bed, and Morgan didn't want to wake her. Not after the way she had ruined the previous evening. Her face burned thinking about how everything hadplayedout.
