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I pulled back around to face the table we were sitting at with a sigh, realizing this really was the fifth time I’d scoped out the student union’s food court, searching for Beck, even though I knew he wouldn’t come near campus.
Damn, I was an idiot.
“I don’t know,” I admitted, only to whirl to her. “Are you sure he’s going to be okay out of the apartment today?”
Yesterday—Sunday—hadn’t been so bad. I’d only had to work in the morning at the store and Logan had been home then. He’d offered to stick around so Beck wouldn’t have to vacate the apartment. But today—Monday—we’d all had classes. So Beckett had waved me goodbye at the door when I’d left, letting me know he’d return in the evening when I was home again.
“I’m sure Beck will be fine.” Tess patted my arm, totally placating me. “He’s an adult. He can take care of himself for one day.”
I rolled my eyes. “Except the last time he left the apartment, he was beat up by the freaking cowboy.”
“The cowboy?” Tess shook her head and frowned in confusion. “Wait. Back up a second. Do you mean your cowboy? How the heck does he fit into all this?”
Ah, crap. I’d forgotten I hadn’t told her how my year-long cowboy obsession had fallen through. I mean, seriously though, how much humiliating stuff could I reveal about myself? It was bad enough she knew I was a voyeur. I didn’t want her realizing just how awful my snap judgement in that guy had been too. I liked Tess thinking good things about me, like I was loyal and stood up for people I believed in, not that I was a stupid idiot who made such bad choices.
But as she blinked at me, waiting for an answer, I sighed. “It turns out the cowboy’s name is Chance Fairfield. And he did belong in the same fraternity as Beckett.”
“Fairfield,” she said slowly, wrinkling her nose as if trying to recall why that name sounded familiar.
“As in Melody Fairfield,” I explained dryly. “The girl who cried rape on Beck. The cowboy’s her big brother.”
“Oh…” Tess’s mouth fell open. Then she gulped. “Oh my God, really?”
“Yeah.” I nodded. It needed no more explanation than that.
“Oh man.” She shook her head as if she couldn’t quite comprehend what I’d just told her, or maybe she comprehended it just fine and was realizing just how much this had to be affecting me. “Bailey, I—”
I lifted a hand to stop her, not wanting to hear the pity. “It’s fine,” I said, standing and grabbing my lunch tray to turn it in at the washing station.
Tess hurried after me. The best feature about her was that she didn’t press issues, something I appreciated greatly at the moment. Except as soon as we stepped from the student union, she looped her arm through mine, surprising me enough to send her a startled glance.
“Seriously, Bailey. Are you going to be okay? So much has been happening to you lately.”
An empty hopelessness weighed down heavily inside me. And for the briefest moment, I wondered if I really would ever be okay again. But just as quickly as the sensation came, it passed and I waved a hand. “I’ll be fine. You just worry too much.”
“I know, but this time it feels…”
When her voice trailed off, I glanced at her to realize she was squinting and staring past me at something. “I-isn’t that him?” She whispered the last word as if scandalized.
I whirled around, expecting to find Beckett. I was actually fully prepared to storm to him and demand to know what he was doing here on campus, endangering himself.
But Beck wasn’t the him Tess was referrin
g to.
Chance Fairfield strolled down the sidewalk toward us with none other than his sister Melody at his side. He hadn’t noticed us yet, but it was only a matter of seconds before he did.
“Holy hell,” I breathed. “Search for the guy for a year and nothing. But suddenly when I don’t want to see him anymore, he’s freaking everywhere. And with her of all people.”
“Her?” Tess’s eyes widened at they landed on Melody. “You mean…?”
I nodded. “His sister, yes.”
At that moment, both brother and sister looked up, spotting us.
“Let’s go this way,” I told Tess, hooking my arm through hers and dragging her off in any direction that would help us avoid the Fairfields. Except the cowboy darted into our path.
I tried to evade him again, steering Tess a different direction. But she wasn’t prepared for the sharp change in course and stumbled into me, slowing us both down enough for the cowboy to make a barricade of himself right in front of us. We jerked to a halt, Tess gasping her surprise at the way he glared at me.
