“Fine. But let’s brainstorm a direction and we’ll type as we talk.”
For the next two hours, we shared ideas, combined them, and shockingly composed a hell of a paper. Though I’d never say it out loud, Chase was a lot smarter than I expected.
“I’m not sure how they did things at your old school, but you need to submit essays through the university portal,” he said.
“Done.” I sent it off to the professor through the portal. “We had that in Maine, too.”
He gathered his stuff. “Why’d you transfer here, anyway?”
Surprised by the personal question, I shrugged. “I wanted to be closer to home.”
“Where’s home?”
“Chantel didn’t tell you?”
He shook his head as he slung his backpack over his back. “We don’t do a whole lot of talking.”
Of course, they didn’t. “I’m from Cedarville. It’s a small town about forty-five minutes from here.”
He nodded.
The urge to ask where he was from came over me, but I refrained for fear of the evil Chase rearing his ugly head.
He pushed himself to his feet. “You ready?”
I gathered my bag as he ejected the movie and brought it back to the desk, dropping it in the returns box.
He met me at the door, surprising me by opening it and holding it for me. We journeyed through the now-deserted sixth floor toward the elevator. The elevator eventually arrived, and we stepped in, closed alone inside once again. I shuffled my feet, maintaining a comfortable distance between us. I hated that I could hear his steady breathing, and that damn cologne had followed me, taunting me with its freshness.
The elevator stopped on the main floor and the doors opened. Relieved to be free of the closed-in space, I walked toward the exit. We stepped outside and descended the steps together. “I’ll see you in the morning,” I said.
“Fuck that.”
My brows shot up.
“You’re not walking back to the dorms alone.”
“I’m not?”
He shook his head, taking off in the direction of my dorm.
“I’m fine,” I said, following after him. “I’ve got mace and a phone.”
He stopped and spun toward me, anger brewing in his eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Excuse me?”
“Do you make a habit of putting yourself in unsafe situations for a reason?”
“What are you talking about?”
“The scene at the frat house.”
I threw my hands out to my sides. “The scene you made?”
He dragged his hands through his hair. “Stop trusting people you don’t know. It’s like you’re hell bent on throwing yourself into the lion’s den.”
My face scrunched. Lion’s den? “What does that even mean?”
“It means you’re too trusting.”
I rolled my eyes. “Look, I’m not your girlfriend. I’m not even your friend. So, you need to stop telling me what to do.”
He ground his teeth together and his jaw ticked.
“I’ll take that ticking in your jaw as you understanding.” I spun away from him and hurried toward the path that led to my dorm, leaving him in the dark. I didn’t turn around, though the sound of snapping branches along the path gave me pause numerous time. But my need to prove I was strong urged me on.
When I finally spotted the light at the front of my dorm, I breathed a sigh of relief. I reached the door and scanned my I.D. card. The door unlocked and I stepped inside. Once I stood safely alone in the front foyer, I looked through the window out into the darkness. About fifty yards out, I spotted Chase turn away from the building and walk in the opposite direction.
He’d followed me home?
Why?
CHAPTER SIX
Chase didn’t show up to History through Film the following morning. I wondered if he was avoiding me, since our encounter the previous night ended so badly.
When he still wasn’t there Wednesday, I began to get curious. Maybe it wasn’t me. Maybe something else was going on with him. But if I asked Chantel, I’d be raising questions I didn’t want to have to answer.
On Friday, when he still wasn’t there, I could think of nothing else throughout Professor Irons’ lecture. Our last conversation played through my mind. Why had he wanted to get the paper done so early? He’d blamed having something to do—likely fraternity rush stuff I assumed, but that wasn’t happening at eight o’clock in the morning.
***
My legs bounced restlessly as Chantel joined Valerie and me for breakfast on Saturday morning for the first time ever. Our normally light conversation seemed forced and awkward with Chantel there.
“We’re partying at Kappa Sigma tonight,” Chantel said.
“I haven’t seen Chase around lately,” Valerie said.
My head whipped in Valerie’s direction. She noticed he’d been missing too? I hadn’t mentioned it to her. Hell. I hadn’t mentioned anything about him to anyone.
“Why would you?” Chantel snapped at her, making me thankful I hadn’t been the one to bring it up.
Valerie’s eyes grew distant and her shoulders sagged.
A sinking feeling formed in my stomach. I hated the way Chantel spoke to Valerie.
It was as if no one had the guts to speak up to her. I guess I understood their fear. Her sugar-sweet personality definitely had the tendency to switch like lightning. No wonder why she had a thing for Chase. His split personality mirrored hers.
***
“You’re coming, right?” Chantel asked as she returned from her shower later that night.
“Nah. I’m just gonna stay in tonight,” I said, knowing I’d been banned from Kappa Sigma. And, since I hadn’t seen Chase since Sunday night’s incident, running into him when drinks were flowing freely seemed like a bad idea.
She shrugged. “Suit yourself.”
Thirty minutes later, there was a knock on the door. “Can you get that?” Chantel asked, as she curled her hair in the closet mirror.
I rolled off my bed and pulled open the door. A group of sorority girls filed in, filling the room. Laughter and chatter overtook our once quiet space, and girls drinking from red cups made themselves comfortable on my bed—where I’d been laying.
“Why aren’t you dressed?” Valerie’s roommate Tina asked me.
I leaned against my desk. “I’m staying in tonight.”
“Why?” another girl asked as if I’d lost my mind.
Valerie leaned against the desk beside me. “Please come.”
“I’m just not feeling it. Next time.”
Her lips twisted regrettably. I was starting to see she liked having me around. I’d become a sort of buffer between her and the others. “Text if you change your mind.”
I nodded, feeling guilty for not being there for her.
Within minutes, the girls were up and heading out. Valerie looked over her shoulder. “You sure?”
I nodded. “Have fun.”
Once the room had emptied out and silence filled the small space again, I switched on the television and chose a movie to stream. I climbed under my blankets and settled in, watching my movie in peace. Once it ended, I contemplated beginning a new one.