Have I ever mentioned this infatuation to Brayden?
Ha!
Are you out of your fucking mind?
The dude is ridiculously protective of her. When she started at Western last year as a freshman, he spread the good word that if anyone so much as glanced in her direction, he’d pummel their asses.
And no, it wasn’t an idle threat.
We might go way back, but the warning pertains to me as well.
Jake, their father, was struck and killed by a drunk driver when Brayden was a senior in high school. The loss of him blew a gaping hole in all of their lives. Brayden never asked to be man of the house, but those are the shoes he was forced to fill much too early in life. Instead of shirking that responsibility, he embraced it, taking it seriously.
I force those thoughts away as Elle’s face transforms into a smile and she lifts a hand to wave before cutting across the sidewalk until she’s a few feet away.
“Hi!”
I tamp down the urge to reach out and tug her into my arms. It’s the very same impulse that demands I bury my face in her hair and breathe in the sweet scent of her.
“Hey.” Instead of giving in, I search her expression for clues as to what’s going on. “Everything okay?”
She blinks as confusion flashes across her face.
When she continues to remain silent, I nod toward the mathematics building. “You looked upset when you were leaving stats.”
Is it pathetic I know her class schedule by heart?
Don’t answer that.
“Oh.” Her teeth sink into her plump lower lip before worrying it.
My gaze drops to her mouth, and it takes every ounce of self-control to stop my cock from stirring and making its presence known. We’ve barely exchanged a handful of words and already I know this conversation was a shit idea. The last thing I want is for Elle to realize the effect she has on me. I won’t bother to pretend that getting through the rest of senior year hinges on her remaining oblivious to my feelings.
At this point, it’s my dirty little secret that I keep buried in the darkness.
I clear my throat and jerk my gaze from her pink-slicked, cupid’s bow of a mouth. I can only imagine what it would be like to nip at it with my teeth.
Or have it wrapped around my cock.
Fuck.
This was definitely a bad idea. I need to get the hell out of here before I totally lose it. Although, I’m not going anywhere until I get to the bottom of what’s going on.
“Is there a problem?”
Her shoulders wilt as color invades her cheeks. “I failed my latest stats test.”
“Oh.” Well, hell. I shift my stance as guilt surges through me. “I’m sorry to hear that.” We’ve met up several times at the library since the beginning of the semester. Spending time alone with Elle is both heaven and hell, which is when I realized that I couldn’t do it any longer and stopped offering my assistance.
Now I feel like a complete asshole. She obviously needs the help.
Her dark brows pinch together as she shrugs. “I’m a hopeless case when it comes to math. No amount of studying seems to make a difference. I just came from speaking with Dr. Holloway. He suggested I drop by during office hours next week to go over my test.”
“That sounds like a great idea. I’d offer my assistance but...”
“Don’t worry about it,” she says. “I know how busy you are with football and classes.”
Yeah...
“If you still need help,” I blurt like the masochistic dumbass I am, “just let me know and I’ll rearrange my schedule. I’ll figure something out, all right?”
The way she beams is like being hit with a ray of undiluted sunlight. I really need to get out of here before this conversation spirals any further out of control.
“Thanks, Carson. I really appreciate that.”
Just as I’m about to retreat, her fingers drift to my forearm and squeeze the bare skin. Tiny electrical pulses surge through every nerve ending. If I don’t get away from her, I’ll end up doing something I regret.
Her eyes widen when I jerk out of her grasp and her arm floats back to her side.
“No problem,” I bite out. Even though I’ve got a good forty minutes before the start of my next class, I mumble, “I should get moving.”
Unaware of the effect she has on me, Elle slips her phone from her bag and glances at it. “Okay. I’m meeting up with Madison, Sierra, and Kari to look for costumes for the Sig Ep party Saturday night.”
My lips flatten at the thought of her attending a rowdy frat party. “You’re going to that?”
“Yup. The girls are dragging me with them.” She glances at me with curiosity. “What about you?”
Up until two seconds ago, I had zero intention of going anywhere near that place. The Sig Ep’s are known around campus for throwing the craziest bashes with a ton of free-flowing booze and a wide array of party favors.