“Oh, okay then.” She stood. “I didn’t want to impose.”
“It’s your dorm too.” I was banking on Prescott being in Jacob’s. I don’t want to leave her alone with these guys. She doesn’t know them, and I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her.
Jacob’s face fell a little, but that was it. “See you later,” he called over his shoulder as we headed to the door. You’re right. She’s your new roommate, so we shouldn’t leave her behind. Maybe we can find some time alone tomorrow.
My stomach dropped. This was not how things were supposed to go. I wasn’t ready.
Once we were outside, Beth’s shoulders relaxed. “I’m glad you were okay with me leaving with you. Those guys are hot, but I’d rather not be the only female there. There’s no telling what I’d have had to listen to.”
“That’s why I wanted you to come with us.” I had almost said the real reason but caught myself in the nick of time.
“Yeah, they talk a big game.” Jacob shook his head and took a deep breath. “They’re harmless, though.”
“What’s your class schedule?” It would be nice to have a class or two with someone I know.
Beth held up a finger for each class. “I’ve got Composition One, Calculus, Biology, and Art. What about you two?”
“I have Precalculus, Chemistry, Composition, and Dance.” I’d been a cheerleader back in high school, and I’d regretted it the whole time. My senior year, I’d wanted to quit, but the coach had begged me to stay. The team had been half wolf shifters, and we were more athletic than the human girls. The coach had had no clue about it, but she’d known I was one of her best. Jacob had asked me to try out for cheer here, but I wanted to blend in and maybe even fade into the background. It was easier that way.
“When’s your Composition class?” Beth grinned and crossed her fingers.
“Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at nine.”
Her face lit up, and she clapped her hands. “We have at least one class together.”
“And I have Chemistry with my girl.” Jacob winked at me.
“I’m assuming you mean the class?” Beth glanced at me out of the corner of her eye.
“Yeah, I am.” Jacob chuckled, thinking she was trying to be funny.
I knew better. How had she already figured out that I wasn’t in love with him?
We were walking through the courtyard back to the dorm when a tingle ran down my spine. I turned around but didn’t see a damn thing out of the ordinary.
It was official. I was losing my mind.
Jacob’s forehead lined with worry. “Hey, are you okay?”
Why was he always asking me that? “Yeah, sorry.” I looked over my shoulder again. “I just have the heebie-jeebies. Must be nerves.”
Beth shrugged as she followed my gaze back to the Student Center. “I don’t feel anything.”
“Me neither.” Jacob squeezed my hand reassuringly. “It’s been a crazy day, so it’s probably just your nerves. I wouldn’t read too much into it.”
He was right, but that Aidan lookalike still had me rattled. It had to have been the lighting or something. It didn’t make sense to run into him at a university and not back home where our packs lived right next door to each other. It had to have been stress or the unfamiliar surroundings.
“You’re right.” I forced my head forward. “I do need to call it an early night.” It was getting dark. I pulled my phone from my jeans pocket. It was almost nine, and the sky was black. “It’s crazy how today has already flown by.”
“We had a four-hour drive to get here,” Jacob said comfortingly. “That’s why.”
He had a point. “True.”
When we reached the women’s dorm, I turned to him and gave him a small smile. “Goodnight.”
“Night.” He brushed his lips with mine. When he pulled back, he ran his fingers through my hair. “I’ll come by and grab you for lunch tomorrow after class.”
“Okay, that sounds good.” I walked to the door.
“See ya,” Beth called as she followed me.
I’d expected her to bombard me with questions or comments, so her silence threw me. The lobby was full downstairs, and as we walked by, Caroline sat straight in the chair and called out, “Emma. Come join us.”
Great, this was not what I wanted to do, but it would be rude to ignore her. “Hey.” I forced my usual fake smile and grabbed Beth’s arm when she tried to run off.
“Hey, they’re talking to you, not me,” Beth grumbled as my iron grasp didn’t weaken.
Caroline huffed and smirked. She crossed her legs, her black miniskirt leaving little to the imagination, and crossed her arms over her chest, which emphasized her boobs in her white, low-cut shirt. She was sitting on a couch with Jules on the other end and two girls who looked like their clones sitting on the ground in front of them.
This was the last place I wanted to be. I’d just left high school where I’d been forced to be around girls like them. “What’s up?”
“How long have you and Jacob been together?” She bit her bottom lip, waiting for my answer.
Of course, this would be about him. “About two years. Why?”
“And he’s still that in love with you?” She frowned as if she had hoped our relationship was a recent lustful thing.
“Apparently so.” Beth laughed and looked off to the side.
“What’s so funny?” Jules asked, frowning.
“That you think you have a chance.” Beth rolled her eyes. “He doesn’t see anyone else but her. I could tell that within the first five minutes.”
“We also want to be her friend.” Caroline lifted her hands as if in surrender and wrinkled her nose as if Beth smelled. Caroline patted the sofa in the spot between her and Jules. “Come join us.”
I didn’t feel like hanging out and making the same type of friends I had back home. This was supposed to be a fresh start, and I didn’t want to be popular. “Nah, I’m good.” I nodded toward Beth. “We’re gonna go set up our room, but thanks for the invite.” I turned my back to them and pointed to the stairwell. “Let’s go.”
“Yeah, okay.” She smiled, almost taken aback by what I’d done.
“Oh, well. Maybe tomorrow?” Caroline sounded unsure.
“We’ll see.” Being part of the in-crowd wasn’t all it was cracked up to be. Most of them were living their glory days. They’d peak early and either land a rich husband or always believe they were worth more than they actually were. That’s the main lesson Aidan had taught me. We were disposable, and I was nothing special.
As we reached the stairwell, Caroline whispered, “Why’d she choose that weirdo over us?”
They didn’t think we could hear, but we could.
Beth’s eyes flashed with anger as she paused.
“They aren’t worth it.” I grabbed her arm and tugged her toward the steps. “Let’s go get some rest. Tomorrow is a brand new day.”
All night, I tossed and turned. Every time I closed my eyes, his face popped into my head. At first, he looked the same as the last time I’d seen him over four years ago; then he morphed into the man I saw today. I could still visualize the gold flecks in his eyes and smell his piney scent.