“Do you want me to fish it out for you?” he offered, regardless that I had hurled the blame of my shitty situation on him. It really hadn’t been his fault, after all.Ihadn’t been paying attention and had been in a hurry.
“What? No,” I retorted, shaking my head. “Don’t bother. There’s no reason for us both to take a dip in the fountain today. I’ll get it.” Shoulders sagging, I resigned myself to today being the shittiest first day possible. I mean, every day after today had to be better.
Right?
Lying on my belly over the ledge, I leaned forward, arms stretched out toward the glinting screen reflecting in the water. I sensed his presence beside me, ready to catch my legs if I toppled forward. A sigh of relief breezed through my lips as my fingers clasped around my phone and I pulled it out.
“You might be able to revive it. Try soaking it in rice,” he suggested, seeing me stare at my phone hopelessly. “I heard that works sometimes.”
Where the fuck would I get rice? I didn’t have a bag lying around in my dorm. I’d have to go to the store and buy some, which I didn’t have time to do right now. And I still didn’t know where the hell my class was. Not that it mattered. I couldn’t go to class like this.
He angled his head to the side, an expression of intrigue and thoughtfulness on his features. “I feel like I’ve seen you before. Are you sure we haven’t met? Hooked up perhaps?”
I choked, and it wasn’t on fountain water.
This guy had a knack for being too close. He moved in without me being aware of him doing so. I got the feeling he rather liked making people uncomfortable with his presence, the direct stare of his eyes.
It worked.
“Mads?” someone called from behind me.
Holy fuck.
That voice. It couldn’t be. What were the fucking odds that my boyfriend would happen upon me at this moment?
Are you kidding me?
Sadly, it was no joke.
Groaning internally, I turned around, wishing once again that I could duck under a tree and hide. Micah Bradford stood gaping at me, his light blue eyes brimming with disbelief and confusion. His blond hair had grown darker over the summer and fell haphazardly down his forehead, ruffled just the way I liked it. He had the kind of face girls sighed over, including me. I had fallen for his charm not once but twice.
He glanced over me, taking in the wet clothes plastered to my body, and then his eyes promptly turned shrewd as they landed on the hand attached to my hip before raising up to the owner of that hand.
Why is the guy’s hand on my hip?
I couldn’t remember how it got there.
“Micah,” I breathed, the back of my neck getting hot. I jumped back, rubbing a hand over the nape of my neck. My hair hung in damp strands, tangling with my fingers. This was definitely not how it looked. Then again, I wondered what the fuck it looked like with me soaking wet. God only knew what kind of conclusion Micah drew.
Would he recognize the guy who I bumped into? Would he remember what we had done on the porch that night two years ago? He couldn’t possibly know what happened after, could he?
Things had been going so smoothly between Micah and me. The last thing we needed was a ripple in our semi-new relationship. We’d only been together five months.
And neither of us wanted a reminder ofthat night. It had been a boulder-sized hurdle between us for two years before things took a turn last year. It was amazing what a life-threatening situation could do to one’s perspective on life.
Brock Taylor, my roommate and best friend's boyfriend, was beside Micah. I’d known Brock for as long as I had Micah. They were childhood friends with my cousin Grayson, and along with Fynn Dupree, the four of them made up the Elite. Our group was interlaced in complicated knots.
Their longstanding friendship allowed them to assume unspoken roles. It only took a look, a nod, or often no gesture at all. They had each other’s back, no questions asked, which was exactly why Brock stared hard at the guy I had hoped to never see again while Micah focused on me.
Micah lifted a brow. “What happened? Did you go for a morning swim? Don’t tell me someone dared you to jump in the fountain. You know, rush week isn’t until the end of the month.”
Everything with Micah was a joke, but he had another side, one he only showed to those he was close to and could trust. I was one of those people. Not to mention, he knew I had no interest in sororities.
“Not intentional. I didn’t think you had class until later today,” I replied, not wanting to relive the awkward moment. He’d hear the details from someone by the end of the day. I wouldn’t be surprised if a gawker had captured it on video and it was already circulating around campus. That was how these things worked. The power of social media. It could not just drive you to popularity but also ruin you within seconds.
“I don’t. I’m on my way to the gym,” he informed me. Explained why Brock was with him, and why they were in school T-shirts and basketball shorts. Micah and Brock were both on KU’s football team. “I’m still waiting for you to tell me what happened.”
“Is everything okay?” Brock added, his voice deepening as he slid suspicious eyes to the other guy, who remained quiet, observing our interaction.