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She tapped to open the email.
On top was the school’s crest. Her eyes jumped around, skimming over random sentences and phrases.
Dear Ms. Lory,
Congratulations! You have been accepted…
…full academic scholarship
room and board included…
College of Journalism.
Response needed by…
Look forward to seeing you this fall!
The room was spinning, her phone trembling in her hands. She’d done it. She’d gotten a full ride. At a college hours from home. Journalism. At Bennette. Where her grandparents wouldn’t be over her shoulder. Where she could be somewhere that her mother had once been.
Where Auden would be a senior.
The last part made her cringe. Bennette had seemed like the best choice for a number of reasons that night. Great journalism program. Still in the state. But she couldn’t deny that Auden being there hadn’t played some role. She’d knowsomeone.
But he’d probably think she was a total stalker. A silly little freshman chasing after a nothing kiss on a summer afternoon.
An engine cut off outside her window. Nana and Pop were home.
Her gut twisted. She couldn’t do this. This was a ludicrous idea. A selfish idea. She was going to crush them with this news.
She needed to delete the email. Decline the offer. Throw out the temptation.
She closed her eyes, breathed, thought about how she’d felt in that moment when she’d grabbed Auden and kissed him, when she’d taken control of her own life for just a blink, when she’d stepped outside of her safe world and taken a risk.
She nodded to herself, clutched her phone to her chest, and then went downstairs.
CHAPTERONE
One year later
Auden pressed his chin to the top of the boxes he had in his arms, hoping the whole pile wouldn’t topple over as he bumped his hip against his car door to shut it. He was running late because he’d overslept and would definitely get an earful from both his mom and sister about it. He probably should’ve come up with some excuse for why he couldn’t help Maya move into the Wainwright dorms, but she’d been forced to tag along when he’d moved into the freshman dorm at Bennette and had been promptly traumatized by Mo, the hairiest guy on campus, streaking down the hallway right past her, so Auden figured he owed her. Mo’s furry ass was a hard image to erase from the memory bank.
And really, Auden didn’t mind helping his sister. He just dreaded seeing Maya’s roommate. The last time he’d seen O’Neal Lory was when he’d acted like a goddamn creeper and kissed her in his parents’ kitchen. She’d kissed him first, technically, but he knew he’d made that happen. He’d gotten in her space, given her a look that crossed the line, basically dared her to do it. Then he’d taken it to a different level once she’d put her mouth on his, kissing her deeper, pushing up against her,getting hard.With the most innocent and sheltered girl he’d ever known.
That would’ve been bad enough, but the part that haunted him was that he’d liked it way too much. He hated the fact that her innocence had turned him on, hated that he’dlikedthat he’d been her first kiss. He was a fucking asshole.
When he’d told his best friend, Lennox, about it after he’d returned to school, Len had been unimpressed with Auden’s crisis of conscience.So you have a thing for virgins? Sounds like she was into it and she’s of consenting age. No big deal. Add it to your list.
But Auden didn’t want to add it to his list. Hislistwould already give his family heart attacks if they knew about it. He should’ve never acted that way with O’Neal. The girl had been through enough. After the kiss, she’d hauled herself out of the kitchen like the cops were on her tail, and whether it was purposeful avoidance or not, he’d never run into her at the house since. When he came home for visits, she was nowhere to be found. And at Maya’s graduation, he’d only seen O’Neal walk across the stage and give her valedictorian speech. She hadn’t stayed for the reception, so he hadn’t even gotten a chance to apologize.
And she for sure hadn’t told Maya what had happened because his sister would’ve not taken that news quietly. Maya would’ve set his shit on fire for even thinking about messing with one of her friends. Maya was a decent sister most of the time, but she liked her vengeance Old Testament style. He tried to keep the peace.
But he couldn’t do anything about any of it now. O’Neal would be here, and he would have to be polite and act as if it’d never happened because their families were going to be there.Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Lory, so good to see you again. No, I never stuck my tongue down your precious granddaughter’s throat. I know she’s not allowed to touch boys. No, of course I’d never get a hard-on in her presence and press it against her.He groaned. He needed to get his sister moved in as quickly as possible and then get back to Bennette so he could get his apartment settled for senior year. He could deal with an hour or so of awkwardness. Probably.
He carried the boxes over to the two-story white brick building that served as the honors dorm at Wainwright and stepped through the double doors that had been propped open with cinder blocks. A whirlwind of noise engulfed him as soon as he entered. Dads asking how many more boxes. Moms directing foot traffic. Girls shouting greetings at friends they hadn’t seen since last semester. Items toppling out of people’s arms. Doors squeaking open and slamming. Christian pop music drifting out of someone’s room. It was like an alternate universe version of his move-in experience at Bennette. Same level of noise, same crowded hallways, completely different vibe. No one would be streaking down the hallway here.
“Auden!” His mom’s familiar voice caught his attention in the chaos, and he peeked around the boxes to find her waving at him from the other end of the hall. “Over here. Room 4B.”
She disappeared into the room, and Auden weaved through the crowded corridor as best he could, dodging girls with carts and boxes. A few smiled his way, but he was too preoccupied to smile back. When he passed room 3B and knew his sister’s was next, he took a fortifying breath.Here we go.
