“How many chances do I have left?” I whisper.
“Just one.”
CHAPTER23
All in all,I have to say that dinner with Rob is pleasant. We joke and tease one another, and although we don’t talk about anything serious or profound, we have fun. Afterward, he insists on walking me to my dorm.
“You never know. This campus might not be the safest,” he says.
“I don’t know. I’ve never felt like I’m not safe here.”
“That’s good, but you can never be too sure.”
“I also don’t need you or any other guy to protect me,” I say dryly.
“That’s right. I think you did mention to me that you do karate, right?”
“Well, I did. I never looked to see if there’s a place nearby for me to train.”
“I would love to grapple with you.”
I grimace. “I legit do karate. It’s not for fun.”
“I used to train from the time I was five until thirteen or fourteen. I have a black belt.”
“Why did you stop training?”
“Because I was bored. I felt like I wasn’t being taught anything new.”
“So why not try a different school? Or a different discipline of karate?” I ask.
“I actually did look around for a different school, but…” He shakes his head. “It just didn’t work out for me, but maybe…” He brightens considerably. “I can look around for us now. What do you think about that? We could train together!”
I rub the back of my neck. “As much as that sounds like fun, and it really does sound like fun… I don’t have the money for it.”
“I probably shouldn’t spend the money on it either,” he admits. “Life sucks when you’re a grown up.”
I giggle. “Because you’re definitely an adult.”
“I’ve been,” he says simply. “Does that mean I always make the best decisions? Not at all, but I do what I have to, and that’s about all I can do, right?”
I eye him critically. He seems so serious, like there’s something deeper there.
“Rob, did you go on the cruise by yourself?”
“What makes you think that?”
“I never saw you with your mother or father.” I shrug. “Not that I saw you a lot on it. I could’ve missed your parents.”
“Why? Do you want to meet them?” He sounds bitter, almost cruel even, and I take a step back instead of continuing to walk with him toward my dorm.
He clearly doesn’t want me to meet them, so I offer, “No. I mean, we aren’t dating so there’s no need, right?”
“Right,” he spits out.
I grit my teeth. I hate that he can be so Jekyll and Hyde at times.
“Why are you so upset?” I ask.