Because I was a TA, an RA and a… FA, I stayed in one of the biggest residences on campus. The frat party was three buildings down, close to the end of the campus, and the place where Natasha stayed was a ten-minute walk away.
Evan Hanson walking to a girl’s dorm? That shit never happened, but it was happening tonight. In fact, I hadn’t even thought twice about it. The only thing I’d thought about was the look on Natasha’s face when she’d told me about her writing. The passion had flowed from her and onto me. She was already vibrant and animated, but when she’d talked about her craft…
It was September, so the chill was starting to set in. The blunt air seemed to permeate the material of my university jacket as I walked across the yard. That was when I noticed a group of girls wearing almost nothing, despite the weather forecast.
“Hey, handsome!” they called out.
My attention was barely diverted.
The girls continued to call after me, but when one girl in particular stepped forward and summoned my attention, I paused.
“Evan Hanson.” Her voice was a purr of familiarity.
I turned around, dreading coming face to face with Kelly, but knowing that the sooner I got it over with, the sooner she’d leave me the hell alone. Maybe.
Her eyes lit up and sparkled the moment I put my focus on her. Kelly was the girl I’d drunk-fucked last year behind the campus club. The only reason I remembered her was because she never failed to make herself known, like she was doing now. She was the kind of girl who was at all the bars and parties. I knew for a fact that a few of my buddies had taken a turn with her because her name came up at the frat house; but for some reason, I was the one she wouldn’t give a break. It had gotten so bad, she’d started telling people I was her man. I guess she hadn’t gotten the memo that one-night-stand typically only lasted one night. Perhaps it didn’t help that I’d given in to her several times. Or she’d given in to me, but things were different now. Natasha was on my radar and she wouldn’t be a drunk-fuck. I had long-term visions in my head when I thought about Tasha.
Kelly was sexy as hell, though. Her daddy was Ecuadorian, her mother was southern, and Kelly was pick of the litter. She had magnetic blue eyes, slim-thick curves and a rack that drew men, like she was the Pied Piper of sex. She was the exact kind of girl I was used to dealing with, which was why I’d already had a few rounds with her, and with the way she was dressed, I knew she was heading for the party.
“Yeah,” I grunted out, turning my body a little but still facing the direction in which I was heading.
She emerged from the depths of the group that hovered around her and strutted forward. The minions trailed close behind. My eyes dipped to see her hips rocking from side to side and the minute she approached, she zipped open my coat and ran her fingers down the front of my shirt. “Where you been? It’s been a long time since we hooked up. I’ve been thinking about you.”
I took her wrists and placed them against her chest with a smile. “I’m flattered,” I said smiling at her, “but I’ve been busy.”
“Busy with other girls?” she insinuated, raising a brow.
“Yeah,” I confirmed, unapologetic. “In fact, I’m rushing to pick up my date for the frat party right now and I don’t wanna’ be late.”
“Who? That freshman bitch I saw you talking to yesterday? She’s really not your type, Ev. Come on, you can do a lot better than her.” She traced her hands over her curvy figure, like she was Exhibit A, but I was barely moved.
“That freshman bitch has a name,” I said, as calmly as I could, “and if you want the truth Kelly, she’s quite a few notches above you.”
Her jaw tensed.
I nodded in the direction of the frat house. “Looks like you girls are heading to the party too.”
“We are,” she confirmed, wetting her lips.
“I guess I’ll see you there, with my date,” I said, bringing the small talk to an end. “But if I don’t, make sure you have a good time. I’m sure you will.”
Before she could respond, I turned and marched away, thinking of all the reasons Natasha was so different from her and the million others just like her on this campus.
I hustled to Natasha’s modest dorm and rang her room from the phone in the lobby.
“I’m here,” I said, looking deeper into the building, as if I’d see her through the walls.
I felt her smile through the phone. “I’ll be right down.”
When she appeared around the corner a few minutes later, my heartbeat increased until I thought I wouldn’t be able to catch my breath, and something rippled the edges of my stomach.
Fuck, she was beautiful. She was wearing tight-ass jeans, a sequined top and a fitted blazer. Sexy boots were on her feet, making her seem a lot taller than she actually was, which was a disappointment. I’d allowed myself to imagine her tiptoeing up to meet me in the middle when I kissed her lips for the first time. The shoes were sexy though, so on second thought, I wouldn’t mind altering the fantasy.
“Natasha…” The only thing I could do was breathe out her name.
“Hey,” she replied, and then we stood there staring at each other like fools. She looked down to observe her attire, like she didn’t know what she had on. “Do I look okay?” she asked, suddenly self-conscious. “The last thing I’d want to do is show up looking like a freshman at my first frat party.”
There I went, laughing again. “You look stunning,” I murmured, and then I shook my head, clearing it. “I can’t wait to walk into the place with you on my arm.”
A blush crept over her cheeks and we walked away, hand in hand.
Chapter Ten
Jaxson
It was cold as fuck outside. The good day that I had crooned about, the one the weatherman had foretold, had quickly evaporated and given way to an early morning chill that reached the marrow in my bones. It wrapped around my entire body, icing me from the inside out. I hadn’t even put my clothes on properly. The only thing I could think of was getting out of that hotel room, away from Simone and into the privacy of my car so I could call Emma and put a few fucks in her – and not the kind she wanted.
I ripped the zipper of my jeans up and fumbled with the belt, before buttoning the jacket closed. I marched over to my car and glared at the messages Emma had been sending all day.
Emma, 2:02 AM: Jaxson! Where are you?
Emma, 2:04 AM: Why aren’t you answering me?!
And then she’d sent a picture of Javi.
What the fuck was her problem?
Slamming the car door, I swiped the screen away and dialed her number.
This was what she wanted – attention. It was why she’d been calling and texting all day. It was why, the minute I’d ended us, she’d turned psycho-bitch on me and stalked my ass to the point I’d considered getting a restraining order on her.
But I couldn’t do it. As much as I wanted to cut her off and block her out of my life, I couldn’t because of my commitment to Javi. Despite the fact getting pregnant had been a mistake of the highest order, I’d never once considered being an absent father. Emma and I were all wrong. We never should have happened, but we had and Javi was the result. He hadn’t asked to be here. Still, the amount of times Emma had used him to get at me was borderline abusive.