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“That’s the one.” His eyes are dancing between me and Conrad.
Sighing, I peek over my shoulder. Conrad is standing with Mateo and Jules, and he is looking this way exactly like Ian described. Breaking his stare-down with Ian, Conrad turns to me and raises an eyebrow. That single motion alone sets off a fury inside me. The fact that even after everything he told me Saturday night, he thinks he has the right to be angry that I am talking to another guy is laughable.
Turning back to Ian, I roll my eyes. “My ex. And yes, he was the drama.”
Ian studies me for several seconds. “Something still going on there?” He releases my hand but doesn’t move his too far.
The question catches me off guard. While our breakup was only a little over a week ago, I am struggling with my feelings for Conrad and how I need to try to move on from those feelings I have because of hisfamily obligations. Telling Ian there is nothing going on between Conrad and me feels like a lie after what happened Friday night. Clearly, there are still going to be feelings and attraction between us, and dismissing that makes my throat tighten.
“I’m sorry, Ian,” I admit, trying hard not to make eye contact. “Our breakup was recent, and I think I was trying so hard to move on from him by going on that date with you.”
He sits back and nods, observing me. “I see.”
“Going out on our date wasn’t fair to you, Ian. You’re sweet and I had a good time, but I don’t think I’m anywhere near ready to start dating right now,” I tell him honestly. Being in love with a man while going on a date with another isn’t fair to either of us.
Ian’s eyes soften. “I get that. Before coming to Braxton, I was in a long-term relationship. It sucks.”
I laugh at our bonding over broken hearts. “‘Sucks’ is a pretty perfect way to put it.”
“To heartbreak,” Ian announces, holding up his water bottle. Smiling, I tap my juice against his drink.
“Incoming,” he mutters and before I can ask him what he is talking about, a shadow casts over our table.
“Em, a word?” Conrad is standing to my right with his arms crossed and his lips pursed. His tone is stern and while he asked it as a question, the way he spoke left little room to tell him no.
Looking between the two men, I feel like I’m in the middle of a “whose junk is bigger?” testosterone duel. “Um, sure.”
“I’ll catch you later, Emree.” Ian smiles at me as he stands and leaves.
Once we’re alone, besides the dozen or so other coeds sitting around us, Conrad grips my arm as he takes a seat beside me. “What the hell was that?”
Pulling my arm from his tight grasp, I glare at him. “Get your hand off me, Conrad.”
His nostrils flare. “That’s the guy you were out with Friday night. You dating him now? Moving on that fast?”
The condescending tone infuriates me more than I have ever felt before. “Fairly certain you gave up the right to ask me questions like that the moment you ended things,” I grit out through clenched teeth.
Conrad takes a deep breath and lets it out through his nose. “Just fucking tell me, Emree. Are you dating that prick?”
Standing, I square my shoulders and narrow my eyes at him. “Maybe I am, or maybe I’m not. Being broken up means I don’t have to explain a single thing to you.” I hitch my backpack over my shoulder. “Have fun with yourfiancée, Conrad.”
Without another word, I storm off and pass Liliana as she bounces her way through the courtyard, pinning me with a death glare.
22
CONRAD
Slick with sweat, I wrap my arms around Emree’s shoulders as she snuggles into my side. We’re both out of breath and trying to come down from the high of such explosive sex. She kisses my jaw and I look down and stare into her wild blue eyes.
Cuddling after having sex with a girl has never been something I wanted to do, but I find myself enjoying this part of my time with Emree. It’s intimate and I feel this connection to her that I have never felt before.
“I’ll never get tired of this,” she whispers to me.
“What, great sex?”
She laughs and I feel it through my body being this close to her. “No, not just that. But seeing you like this. You’re always so tense. I love being able to see you at your most relaxed.”
She tucks her head back against me and I close my eyes, taking in her words. If she only knew what was causing all this tension…
