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5
Elizabeth
I make my way out to the patio with my caramel macchiato, eager to enjoy the lovely day. Fall weather in the South can be so unpredictable. It was still suffocatingly warm two days ago. Today the air is crisp, the vibrantly colored leaves setting a charming scene as they dance in the wind.
Cat showed up unannounced this morning, insisting on taking the kids for the day. She said it was her birthday gift to me, that she wanted me to get out of the house and pamper myself. My first instinct was to refuse. She’s been so good to me through all of this. Much better than I deserve. But I could really use a day to myself.
I snag a seat at one of the empty tables and take my book out of my bag, sipping on my coffee. The caramel goodness slides down my throat as I begin reading, humming with contentment. I’m lost in the pages when the screeching sound of a chair moving across the patio catches my attention. I look up through my lashes, and the same cocky smile from last night greets me.
“You have got to be kidding me,” I mumble, slamming my book closed.
He’s back in his bad boy attire. Leather jacket, white T-shirt, jeans that fit like they were made for him, and boots. It’s such a contrast to the buttoned-up guy from the restaurant.
“It’s nice to see you too, Lizzy.” Brenden appears unfazed by my outburst, making himself comfortable in the chair across from me.
I sit back and cross my arms, trying my damnedest to hide any evidence of my increased heart rate. But a flutter takes flight in my stomach, the traitorous flush on my neck crawling up to my cheeks.
His laughter fills the space between us as he eyes my demeanor, and damn if it doesn’t make me want to laugh right along with him. I bite down hard on my lip to keep my composure. This guy seriously needs to back the fuck off. His charm is alarming, and I’m disturbed by how well it seems to work on me.
“What the hell do you want from me?” I ask, cutting my eyes to him.
“I just wanna take your time.”
There’s a slight melody in his tone as he answers, and it reminds me of a game I used to play with Xander. Emotions threaten to take over, but I take a deep breath and push them away.
“Sam Hunt fan, are we?” I scoff.
“Nah, he stole that line from me.”
The conviction behind his words causes a smile to spread across my face before I can stop it.
“Look at that,” he muses, his eyes glowing with excitement. “She does know how to smile. And damn it’s beautiful.”
I purse my lips in attempt to hide my smile, averting my eyes as my lips spread wide again.
It’s unsettling how easily he seems to break through my walls; completely insane that I feel more like myself right now than I have in years.
Maybe I’ve officially gone crazy. I don’t even know this guy, and he keeps showing up everywhere I go. Instead of running away screaming, I’m sitting here thinking about how oddly comfortable I feel around him. Laughter comes bubbling out of me, solidifying my thoughts.
Brenden freezes for a moment, brow lifting in surprise before his lips curve into a lazy smile. “Wow, and she has an amazing laugh to match that beautiful smile.” He shifts his body forward a bit.
“Do you always hit on married women?” I snap, hoping my harsh tone will mask the heaviness in my breath.
“No.” He lets out a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck as his face falls, his eyes darkening as he looks off into the distance. By the time he brings them back to focus on me, his cool demeanor is back in place. “Just calling ‘em like I see ‘em. I’ve been wondering about that smile since the first time I laid eyes on you. It exceeded all my expectations.”
I stay quiet, unsure what to say at this point. Brenden’s eyes never leave me as silence falls between us, and I shift uncomfortably under his gaze. The softness emanating from his stare tugs at something in my heart, stirring things inside me that’ve been dormant for a long time.
Feeling overwhelmed, I try to bolt. But the tightness in my chest makes it hard to breathe, my spinning head keeping me seated. I don’t realize what’s happening until everything begins to go black.
“You know the party’s inside,” an unfamiliar male voice says, taking a seat next to me on the front porch of the frat house.
I ignore the guy in hopes he’ll go away, but he only tries again.
“I, uh…I think we have bio together. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with Professor Pratt at 10:30.”
Not allowing my eyes to land on him, I turn, raising an eyebrow as I frown. If ignoring him won’t work, maybe being a bitch will. Sighing, I wish for the hundredth time I hadn’t come to this damn party in the first place and return my attention back to the banister.
“You’re not going to make this easy for me, are you?” he asks, humor in his voice.
