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With a nod, I take another step back. “Take care, Shorty.”
Spinning away from her, I head back to Hockey House.
No point lingering out here. She’s safely at her dorm, and I can’t avoid the inevitable. It’s time to go home and face the heat and hassles from my buddies before tackling this month-long torture.
Thank God hockey is starting up soon. I can throw all my energy into it. If I work my ass off, I might just get through the next four weeks without exploding.
CHAPTER5
MIKAYLA
I watch the big guy walk away and have to bite my lip to stop myself from calling him back.
“I lied! This isn’t my dorm! I have no place to go, Captain Hero!”
But I can’t let myself say it.
He’s too hot and… he laughed at my trash talk. He grinned at me as if I was likable. He stayed with me despite my every attempt to shoo him away, and then he went and lowered his voice to this husky timbre that sent my insides into chaos while telling me that accepting help doesn’t make me weak.
Hecould make me weak, though.
If the throbbing between my legs and the mass of butterflies in my belly are any indication, he could turn my body, mind, and soul into putty.
It’s good that he’s walking away.
I don’t want to be attracted to some tall hunk of a man.
I’m at Nolan U to study and earn my degree and pursue my dreams. No one else is going to do that for me, and I won’t let myself get distracted by Empire State Buildings. Even if they do smell good and laugh at my lame superhero code names.
“The Jock? Tall Man? Ugh!” I tip my head back in disgust. I could have done so much better than that. My dad introduced me to comic books when I was six, and I was hooked from day one. Sure, I haven’t read any in a while, but still…
My chest seems to cave in, this unwanted pain pinching me as I picture sitting on Dad’s knee while he introduced me to all his favorite characters. He used to read to me every night.
Until he didn’t.
Until the only sound in the house was Mom’s fussing and Megan’s whining… and the clock that ticked above my bookshelf.
I haven’t touched a comic book in years. How am I supposed to read them without him? Who the hell would I talk to about Captain Marvel and Black Widow? Who would I dissect storylines with?
With a short sniff, I turn on my heel, staring up at the five-story dorm and having no idea what it’s even called.
I just needed to get the guy to hand me my bag back.
The way his muscles flexed when he held it away from me…holy hotcakes. I wanted to nibble every inch of his rounded biceps, run my fingers over his hard chest… maybe even my tongue.
He was way too damn sexy, and it’s good that he walked away. It’s good that I don’t know his name.
I nod, trying to convince myself of this, yet I still turn and look over my shoulder, searching the dimly lit street for him.
He’s gone. And now I have to find a place to sleep.
My old dorm is another few blocks away, but it’s unusable right now and probably won’t be fixed for months. Besides, Mom really wants me to join the sorority and… Shit, she’s going to be so let down when I tell her. She was desperate for me to become a Sig Be sister, just like she was. And I thought I could do it—be the good daughter and finally do something right for a change—but they’re asking too much. I can’t go hurting some guy just to score a permanent place in the house. That’s so wrong.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I fight off the burn of irritation and break into a run. Tall Man would not be impressed that I’m careening through campus on my own at this time of night, but what choice do I have?
I need to find a place to crash. At least I’m running, right?
The bag whacks against my leg, growing heavier by the second, but I push on until I’m a puffing mess and slowing to a walk outside the hockey arena.
