“I’m so confused,” I mumbled.
“I know.” He dropped a kiss on my forehead. “Just take the comfort. You can go back to hating me in the morning.”
“’Kay.”
“Dude!” the voice from the other side of the door shouted. “Get your dick out of her and open the fucking door.”
Ash gritted his teeth, his jaw working as his eyes darkened.
“Come on. Just lean on me, and we’ll pretend you got sick, okay? No one needs to know about this unless you want to go to campus police.”
“No.” I didn’t dare meet his gaze. He shifted me so I was tucked up against his side as he held me up.
“Okay. No police.”
The asshole on the other side of the door pounded again. I jumped at each impact.
Ash pulled me toward the door, unlocked it, then opened it.
“Oh.” The guy looked between us. “Shit. Is he okay?”
“Too much to drink.” Ash tugged me out of the bathroom. “Sorry we took so long.”
I kept my eyes on the floor as we made our way down the hall. Ash had to practically carry me down the stairs. Everything was so loud. Shouting voices, laughter, music… it was too much, and I curled against Ash’s body as he dragged me out of the frat house.
Outside, he deposited me on a low retaining wall and pulled out his phone. He sat next to me, wrapped one arm around my waist, and pulled me close again.
“What’re you doing?” I asked.
“Getting an Uber.” He tapped on the screen with his thumb.
“I hate them,” I murmured and leaned against him.
We were within walking distance of the dorms, but it would take that much longer to get home because of our stupid living arrangement.
“I do too.” He put his phone back in his pocket. “Shouldn’t be too long.”
“’Kay.” I leaned more heavily against him and closed my eyes.
We sat there for what felt like an eternity.
I was barely aware of Ash pulling me to my feet and folding me into the back seat of a car. He kept his arm around me, the weight of it familiar and safe, and I dozed against him.
Then we were walking again. Up the stairs. So many stairs.
He carried me into my room and carefully laid me on my bed.
I snuggled under the covers, hugging my pillow, and gave in to the exhaustion pressing down on me.
14
ASH
Ibolted awake, sitting straight up. My chest was tight, and my mind raced, still hazy from sleep, as I looked around the dark room. What had woken me?
An anguished cry echoed through the silent apartment.
Jules?