“Better. What about them?”
“Well… some of the guys who live there are a lot like… well, the Omega guy you threatened.”
“Sorry about that.”
“Are you?” His steps slowed until we stopped.
“What?” His eyes were locked on mine, making it feel like we we’re the only two people in existence.
“Are you actually sorry about threatening him or choking him?”
“Honestly?”
“Yeah, I’d rather have the truth than lies. Always.”
“Always, huh? Even when a truth might be a little… discerning?”
“Always,” I repeated. “I mean, if you think your answer is going to freak me out, you must think I’m stupid.”
“Never.” He frowned. “Little bird, I’d never think that. I’m just saying…” He exhaled roughly.
“I saw you do it, yet I’m still letting you walk me home.”
“Why is that? Shouldn’t that have freaked you out?”
“I asked you a question first.” He stared at me for a long moment.
“No. I’m not sorry,” he answered. “I bet if someone had put Harrison in his place long ago, fewer girls on campus would be weary about being around him because he would have learnedhis lesson about respecting women.” Damn. That was a good answer. But it wasn’t just words. It was something, judged that by the way he held himself and the way he spoke, he genuinely wholeheartedly believed.
“You didn’t freak me out,” I answered softly and for some reason started to walk. He caught up to me and took my hand back in his.
“What’s this about?” I asked, swinging our tangled hands slightly.
“I like holding your hand,” he admitted. I almost tripped over my own two feet. Thankfully, Jason was there to stop me from falling on my face a second time, when his free hand wrapped around my waist and pressed my body to his side.
“You okay?”
“Hmm…” I mumbled, looking away because I knew I was blushing like a schoolgirl. I shimmied out of his hold and started to walk.
Without letting go of his hand.
When we reached our building, he opened the door for me, and I brushed my body against his. My head dipped into the collar of the sweater he’d let me borrow for one last sniff of whatever cologne he wore. It smelled good.Hesmelled good. Our time was coming to an end, and if I was honest, I wasn’t ready for it.
“Hungry?” He pointed to the dining hall. I opened and shut my mouth. “My treat,” he offered. “Please?”
“You can go. I’ll be okay walking myself up—“ I started to say, but he shot me the cutest set of puppy dog eyes I’d ever seen.I mean, how could I say no to him now?
7JASON
“You are not going to—“ My lips twitched, making her think I was relaxed and joking around, when in reality, the blood in my veins went hot as I watched her dip a warm crispy fry into the soft serve ice cream and bring it up to her lips.
Again.
The little show she cluelessly was giving was fucking sexy.
“Mmm,” she moaned. The unintentionally erotic sound shot through me like really good whiskey. “So good.” She sighed happily.
I had no idea the dining hall in the athletics building could have ever been the backdrop for the perfect first date, but fuck me, it was. Not that she knew this was a date at all, much less the first of countless ones we’d have in the future because Sadie was mine. I’d known it already, but every second around her only confirmed that she was going to be the girl I was going to marry.
