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“Ah, had a late night?” He questions suggestively.
I shake my head and chuckle. “Nah. My bed messed up my back a bit so I needed a massage.”
“And you couldn’t get a girl to do it for you?”
Internally cringing, I glance over at Kayleigh. I really hope she’s not paying attention, but with my luck, she is. Still, I have a reputation I need to uphold. “I needed an effective one, not a sexual one.”
The professor comes in, silencing us immediately. We all take our seats as the lecture begins. To be honest, I barely pay attention to any of it. I spend most of the class staring at the back of Kayleigh’s head, wondering how she got her hooks in so deep without even trying.
I was doing well with staying away from her. It wasn’t easy, and the image of her has stayed burned into my mind, but I was managing it. Now, I have to see her every Tuesday morning. I don’t know if that makes me excited or completely miserable. The only thing I do know, is that my chances of forgetting about her are all shot to hell now.
Before I even know what hit me, class is being dismissed. We all get up and I watch as she heads out the door. Jordan attempts to talk to me but I quickly dismiss him and race outside. When I see her no more than 100 feet ahead of me, I jog to catch up.
“Kayleigh.” I call out, and it’s like déjà vu.
She turns around and groans when she sees me. “What do you want, Hayden?”
“It’s Holden.” I correct her again, but she just smirks. She’s doing it on purpose. I scratch the back of my head nervously. “Uh, I missed class last week, and I was wondering if I could borrow your notes.” It’s a half assed lie, but it was all I could think of under pressure.
Her eyes narrow on me. “You have friends in the class. If that’s really what you wanted, you would have just asked them instead of chasing me down.”
“Wow.” I look down at the ground and nod, admiring her honesty. “Okay, you caught me.”
“I figured. So, are we done here? Because I’ve got somewhere I need to be.”
As I stand here, looking into her eyes, my chest physically hurts. I want her so bad I’m forgetting how to breathe and yet, she can’t stand to talk to me for more than two minutes. I just wish I could turn back time and not make such a fool out of myself. If she only knew that the guy she sees me as, isn’t me at all... Wait. That’s it.
“Can we just start over?” I suggest.
She watches me curiously. “And why would I do that?”
For a split second, I consider telling her everything that goes through my mind when I see her, but there’s no way I could ever get those words out of my mouth. So, instead, I resort to plan b.
“Because I’m dating your roommate. Bree means something to me, and I’m sure it’s the same for you. It’s only fair to her that we get along.” She sighs, and I can tell she’s thinking about it. I take a chance and place my hand on her arm. “Come on, Kayleigh. Give me a shot. You’ll see I’m not who you think I am.”
Just when it looks like she’s about to cave, a voice interrupts us.
“Holden.” A girl I recognize from Saturday’s party stands next to me. “I forgot to give you my number the other night.” She places a piece of paper in my hand. Once I have it, she reaches up and kisses my cheek. “Call me, sometime.”
She walks away and I wince when I notice the judging look on Kayleigh’s face. Why is the universe so against me when it comes to this girl? Seriously, the one time I actually want to be with someone, and everything is working to make sure it will never happen.
“Alright, I can explain that.” I try.
She scoffs and shakes her head. “Don’t waste your breath. I see you’re exactly who I think you are.”
Despite my calls of her name, she once again walks away and leaves me standing alone in a crowded courtyard. Fuck!
I’M SITTING IN THE kitchen, replaying today’s altercation in my head on a loop. If that bitch hadn’t gotten in the way, Kayleigh and I might, at the very least, be acquaintances right now instead of her hating my guts. Anything would be better than that.
“Woah.” Jason’s voice echoes through the room. I look up to see him coming in with Caleb in tow. “What’s got you all doom and gloom?”
I shake my head. “It’s nothing.”
He hums. “I might believe that if I haven’t known you for the past two years.” Coming around and sitting next to me, he places a hand on my shoulder. Caleb sits across the island from us. “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?”
Sighing, I look down at the countertop. “It’s really not a big deal.”
“Oh, my god.” Caleb breathes. “It’s a girl.”
