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“Oh god—” I start but don’t even finish my sentence.
I rush into the bathroom and find the floor covered with an inch of brown, murky water. My gaze moves to the ceiling, where I see the water spraying into the bathroom from what has to be a busted pipe.
I contemplate if I should try to stop the water, but the idea of getting covered in that nasty water makes me want to hurl. Right then, there is a loud creaking noise. I take a step back and just in time too, as a tsunami wave of water comes rushing into the room, splashing on me.
I gag, the smell and feel of the slimy water on my skin. All I can think is that I have to get out of here. I sprint back to the bedroom and grab some clothes, shoving them into my laundry bag, along with my blanket. I’m in the hallway when I realize I don’t know where the hell I’m going.
No one is going to let me stay with them, and I can’t sleep in the hall. Not if I want to live to see the next day. I stand there, my bag in my hand, my eyes on the ground.
Paranoia skates down my spine. I’m not sure if Quinton did this or if the maintenance guy fucked something up when he was fixing my showerhead, but the result is the same. I have nowhere to go at this time of night. Brittney is going to be at her place, and I don’t even know where that is.
With Brittney out of the question, there is really only one place I would be remotely safe.
I look down at the laundry bag and see Quinton’s room number written on the white cloth with a sharpie marker. My shoulders sag, and I let out a sigh. What’s the worst that can happen?
All he can do is send me away, I suppose.
The real question is, will he?
20
QUINTON
Using the sleek remote, I flip through the channels aimlessly until I finally stop at some old game show reruns. Nothing can keep my mind busy, distract me from the dreadful thoughts that haunt me every night. It’s especially bad when everyone else is sleeping, and nothing but quiet surrounds me.
Laughter coming from the TV cuts through the silence, and I toss the remote beside me onto the couch. Leaning my head back, I keep my eyes trained at the flickering light of the screen when a knocking sound meets my ear. It’s so faint that I think I might have imagined it. But when I turn down the sound and hear it again, I know someone must actually be at the door.
Getting up, I check the time on my phone, realizing it’s after three. Who the fuck knocks on our door at three in the morning?
With an equal amount of curiosity and annoyance, I cross the room and unlock the front door. I pull it open and find Aspen wrapped up in her blanket like a cocoon on the other side. She looks at me like a lost puppy left out in the rain, and I wonder what the hell she is doing here.
“I didn’t know if you were still awake,” she finally mumbles.
“I don’t sleep much. What are you doing here?”
“I’m…” she shifts on her feet, and the movement makes my eyes travel down her legs. She is barefoot, and the bottom of her blanket seems wet. “Never mind.” She shakes her head and spins around to walk away.
Before she can get far, I grab the blanket and pull her back, making her trip and fall against my chest. “Not so fast. Tell me why you’re here,” I demand.
“I don’t know why I came here. It was stupid. There’s nothing you can do. I’ll find somewhere to sleep.” She sounds so defeated. And I hate it. Something crushed her spirit, and because I had nothing to do with it, I don’t like it.
“Why can’t you sleep in your room? What happened?”
“The maintenance guy came to fix my shower earlier. Well, it did work for a few hours, at least. I think a pipe busted. My room is basically underwater and smells like a sewer. But that’s not your problem. Don’t worry, I’ll find someplace to sleep.”
“And where would that be? Going to spend another night in the gym shower?”
“I’ll sleep in the library,” she announces.
“The library is locked up right now, and you know it. All the places are locked up at night or common areas where anyone can do anything to you while you sleep helplessly.”
“I know.”
“You came here for a reason,” I taunt her shamelessly. “So ask.”
“Fine.” She rolls her eyes at me adorably. “Can I stay the night with you?” A genuine smile tucks across my lips. The thought of Aspen in my bed enters my mind, and blood pumps straight to my dick.
