“I don’t have my work schedule for next week yet,” I tell him with a slight frown. Which is true, but I can almost guarantee my days off will be Monday and Sunday, as usual. Sometimes my manager changes it up, but rarely. She knows I need as many hours as I can get, and since I’ve started here, she’s made sure I get them.
“When do you find out?” he asks.
“Tomorrow night.”
“Well, let me know Friday in class, okay? If you want,” he adds, some of that fear of rejection slipping into his request.
I smile at him reassuringly. “I’ll let you know.”
“Cool. Glad I came in tonight so I could see you.” He nods and smiles.
“You see me every single day in class,” I remind him.
“Maybe I want to see you more.” His cheeks turn ruddy and he takes a sip from his mostly empty cup before awkwardly jumping to his feet. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“For sure,” I say. “Bye, Carson.”
“Bye.” He steps toward me. Then steps back, indecisiveness written all over his face, until finally, he practically lunges forward and pulls me into the quickest hug.
I rest my hands on his shoulders briefly—they’re not as broad as Jackson’s, not even close—before Carson lets me go, turns and exits the restaurant without a backward glance.
Okay. That was kind of nice, but odd. I think he worked up the guts to do it and then bailed in embarrassment?
Boys can be so weird.
And speaking of boys…
“When you gonna slip us a free basket of fries with our order, Ellie?”
I turn to see Diego, Eli, Jackson and Caleb standing there. It was Caleb asking for the free fries.
“Ask me next time you come in and I’ll see what I can do,” I tell him. I can totally get them a free basket of fries. I’d just use my employee discount and cover the cost, which is minimal. “How was your dinner?”
“Delicious as usual,” Eli says, his brows furrowing as he studies me. “Hey, I wanted to ask if you’re sure you can’t come to San Diego this weekend to see Ava?”
My heart drops and I slowly shake my head. I wish I could. “I have to work Friday and Saturday, so I can’t. I’ll see her when she comes during your bye week, though. Tell her I said hi. Give her a big hug from me.”
“I will. For sure.” He nods. Gives me a quick hug because Eli and I, we have an understanding. A mutual love for our girl Ava. I didn’t necessarily approve of their relationship at first, but I know how much he loves her, and how much she loves him. They’re perfect for each other.
“I’ll hold you to the fry promise,” Caleb tells me before he pulls me in and smothers me against his chest. I shove him off. “See ya, squirt.”
Not the best nickname, but whatever.
Even Diego hugs me. “You should come over sometime. I know Jocelyn would love to see you.”
“I’ll text her,” I say, smiling at him. I miss Jocelyn too. I saw her more last year when I didn’t go to Fresno State, which makes no sense, since we’re both here now.
My time is filled up with other things lately.
Jackson stops in front of me, his expression like stone. Oh, he seems so angry still. At me? He has no reason to be. “See you later?”
“Yes,” I say with a firm nod. “What time are you coming back?”
“Around nine-thirty? Or is that too early?”
“You don’t want to hang out with Chuck?” I frown.
He shakes his head. “I’m taking a nap when I get home. I’m dead on my feet.”
“Oh. Okay.” I nod. “Get here around nine-forty-five, okay? We probably won’t be here much past ten.”
“Okay. Cool. See ya.” He doesn’t hug me, which only makes it more obvious that something is going on between us.
The jerk.
“Jackson, wait,” I call to him.
He stops and turns to face me. “What’s up?”
“Did you call the mechanic today?”
“Actually, yeah I did. He said your part is coming in tomorrow, not sure when though. And the car should be done by Friday.”
“I hope so, since you’re leaving.”
“I can always leave you my car if yours isn’t ready.” He shrugs.
“No way. I am not driving your fancy Mercedes,” I tell him.
“Afraid you’ll wreck it?” He raises his brows.
I nod. I don’t want that responsibility.
“You’ll be fine.” He winks. On anyone else it would look cheesy. But not Jackson. “See ya later, El.”
I watch them leave, letting the promise of what might unfold later tonight swirl around me.
I can’t wait.
It’s almost ten, and Jackson still isn’t here to pick me up.
I text him repeatedly. Call him. No answer. No response.
I’d bet money he’s dead to the world and fast asleep, and I get it but...
How could he forget me?
Annoyed, I contemplate who I could ask to come get me. I hate to reach out to Gracie or Hayden. They’ve already done so much for me, and I don’t want to take advantage of their friendship. Any of the guys who were just here would probably come get me, but I don’t want to ask any of them either. They’re probably too busy or sleeping or whatever.
I don’t know. I’m being ridiculous.
Instead, I call up my new friend, who answers on the first ring.
“Ellie, hey. What’s going on?” Carson asks, sounding wide awake, thank God.
“Um, my ride didn’t show up and I’m stuck at work, needing to get home,” I tell him.
“Say no more. I’ll come get you.” I can tell he’s getting up from whatever he’s doing and walking around. “I can be there in ten minutes. You’re not stuck outside waiting, are you?”
“No, not yet,” I tell him, glancing around the quiet restaurant. We’re pretty much done. Most everyone who worked has already left for the night. I’m just waiting for my manager to wrap things up before she leaves for the evening.
And then I’ll have to wait outside.
“I’ll be there soon, okay? Hang tight.” He ends the call before I can respond.
Three minutes later and my manager, Donna, is exiting her office, pulling the door shut and locking it, a cash bag in her hand. “I thought you already left,” she says when she spots me.
“My ride never showed up,” I tell her with a shrug.
“Oh no. I can take you home after I drop this off at the bank,” she says, waving the deposit bag at me.
“Thank you, but I called someone else. They should be here any minute.” I glance toward the front windows and out at the parking lot, but no cars have showed up yet.
“I’ll wait in here with you until they arrive,” Donna says.
“I can wait outside,” I start, but she shakes her head.
“No way. I’m not leaving you alone in that parking lot,” she says firmly. “I don’t mind.”
“Thank you,” I say with relief, grateful that Donna is so kind. “I appreciate it.”
“Not a problem. Perfect opportunity for me to tell you what a great job you’ve been doing since you started working here. You fit in perfectly, and everyone really likes you,” she says. “Which isn’t always the case. They can be kind of cliquey here sometimes.”
“Aw, thank you. I like everyone here too. It’s a great place to work,” I say, meaning every word. No one acted unfriendly or rude toward me when I started. Everyone was very welcoming.
A car pulls into the lot and I smile in relief at Donna. “That’s my ride. He got here fast.”
“Perfect.”
Donna and I exit the restaurant, me standing with her as she locks the doors. I turn to see another car pull into the lot and realize in a panic the first car that showed up is Jackson.
It’s Carson who only just arrived.
Oh. Shit.
I pull my phone out of my purse to see I have a text from Jackson.
Sorry I fell asleep.
I’ll be there in 5 min
Damn it!
Donna must see the stress on my face. “Everything okay?”
“I think I have two rides,” I say with an awkward shrug. “Not sure which one I should get rid of.”
My heart wants to get rid of Carson; my head says I should tell Jackson to get the hell out of here.
Jackson climbs out of his car, striding straight toward me. He’s clad in a pair of gray, low hanging sweatpants that show off the waistband of his boxers—classic Calvin Klein—and no shirt.
No. Shirt.
My brain scrambles at his seeing his bare chest.
“El, I’m so sorry. You haven’t been waiting long, have you?” He jogs toward me, reaching out his hand to touch my elbow. His gaze cuts to Donna. “Hey. Thanks for waiting with her.”
“Of course,” Donna says, sounding amused. “See you tomorrow, Ellie.”
She leaves, heading for her car parked near the back.
Jackson frowns at me. “Wait, that isn’t her ride?”
He nods toward Carson’s car.
“No, that’s—”
The driver’s side window slides down, revealing Carson’s face. “Hey, Ellie.”
Jackson’s entire demeanor goes cold. His hand drops from my elbow. “What the fuck?”
“You didn’t respond to my texts and calls,” I tell him, my voice low. “I panicked. I thought you forgot about me.”
“I would never forget you, Ellie,” he says, his tone fierce.
“You did tonight,” I point out.
“I’m here now, aren’t I? Jesus.” He runs both of his hands over his head, his fingers sliding through his hair. In this position, the muscles in his arms bulge and flex, his biceps huge.
Regret slams into me, hard and swift. I should’ve never called Carson. I should’ve called Eli and told him to wake up Jackson. I totally messed up.
“I honestly didn’t think you’d show up,” I whisper, wincing when I hear Carson’s car door slam.
Oh God, I really hope this doesn’t turn into a confrontation.
“Ellie,” Carson says, hurriedly walking over to where Jackson and I are standing. “You okay?”
He glares at Jackson, who glares right back.
Carson has balls. Jackson is clearly taller and bigger, his muscular chest on complete display. Which is a total distraction for me, I have to admit. I keep sneaking glances at him. He’s all rumpled and sexy, like he just rolled out of bed, which he totally did. If I could rewind the last fifteen minutes and change how this has all unfolded, I so would.
But I can’t. I’ve created this big ol’ mess and now I have to clean it up as best I can.
“I’m great. Uh, just a miscommunication.” I smile at Carson before I turn my gaze to Jackson. “He can take me home.”
“The fuck he will,” Jackson growls as he goes to stand behind me, his hands curling around my shoulders. “I’ll drive her home.”
His commanding voice tells me—and Carson—that he’s not going to back down.
I whirl on him, giving him a shove. “Stop being a macho asshole. I’m going home with Carson.”
“Ellie, come on,” he starts, but I shake my head.
“Nope, I’m riding with Carson. You can go home.” I flounce away from Jackson before he can say another word, my entire body shaking. I follow Carson to his car, opening the passenger door and climbing inside. He drives a silver Chevy Malibu. A nice, practical car.
For a nice, practical guy. How fitting.
“That’s the guy from the party, right?” Carson asks, once he’s in the driver’s seat and about to back the car out of the lot. “Is he actually your ex or something?”
“He’s just a friend. He was supposed to pick me up, but he forgot,” I say nonchalantly, like it’s no big deal.
“Oh.” Carson nods, still a little confused. “Okay. He seemed kind of mad.”
Major understatement, but I don’t correct him.
“He’s fine.” I wave a hand. “Don’t worry about him.”
The thing is, Jackson didn’t actually forget me. He just fell asleep, like I originally thought. And he seemed really pissed that Carson was here to get me. I probably shouldn’t have gone with Carson, but I felt bad for dragging him out here. Plus, I was still mad, thinking Jackson forgot about me, and then he showed up. Enraged and hot and bossy…I just reacted. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me. Which is silly and petty but…
I’ve made my choice, and I sort of regret it. What I’ve actually done is made everything worse, but it’s too late now.
We make idle small talk while Carson drives me home, but I’m distracted. I swear to God, we’re being followed. By Jackson. And maybe we are.
Or maybe I’m reading too much into things. He wouldn’t follow me. He doesn’t care that much.
By the time we’re at my apartment complex, I’m exhausted. “Thank you for coming to my rescue,” I tell Carson. “Sorry that was such a pain with Jackson.”
“It’s cool. Tell him I didn’t mean anything by showing up,” Carson says, ever the polite one.
I smile and climb out of his car. “I owe you.”
“You don’t owe me anything. I didn’t mind coming to get you. I swear,” Carson says.
“You’re the best,” I tell him with a weak smile. “See you tomorrow.”
I shut the door and he watches me approach my apartment building, only leaving when I wave, and he must view it as me reassuring him I’m safe.
What a nice guy. He’s such a good guy.
Seriously, what am I doing, wasting my time with Jackson?
Another car pulls into the lot, and I immediately recognize it. A Mercedes. Jackson, of course. As if he’s been lying in wait for Carson to leave before he makes his approach. Anger courses through my veins and I march back out to the parking lot, heading straight for Jackson’s car. He climbs out of the driver’s side, his expression thunderous as he slams the door as loud as he can.
“You followed us? I knew it!”
“Why did you leave with him? Huh?” He throws his arms out, impressing me momentarily with his wingspan. Oh my God, if I could punch myself in the face right now, I so would. “You knew I was coming.”
“That’s the thing. I had no idea if you would show up or not. You never responded,” I remind him.
“I did respond. I was a little late, but damn it, I showed up. You gotta have more faith in me, El. Like I said, I will always be there for you,” he says.
“Why? Am I your charity case, Jackson? You always want to run to my rescue. My knight in shining armor. Your job isn’t to save me, I hope you know,” I retort, crossing my arms.
“I don’t think of it as a job. I always want to help you. What the hell is wrong with that? You’re making it into an accusation, like it’s a character flaw,” he says.
“It is! You want to be my hero, and I don’t need one. I just want you to be my friend,” I throw at him.
He stops short, his hands on his hips, his gaze dark. “Just my friend?”
I sink my teeth into my lower lip, releasing it quick when his gaze drops to my mouth. “Y-yeah.”
“You don’t sound too sure of that.” He takes a step toward me. Then another one. I’m frozen in place, my breaths coming too fast, my heart in my throat. He stops directly in front of me, so close he’s practically standing on top of my feet, but I keep my head bent. Too scared to look in his eyes. Or stare at his chest. It’s a fabulous chest. One I want to rest my head against so I can listen to his heartbeat. “That’s all you want from me?”
“What do you want from me?” I ask the ground, hating how shaky my voice is.
His fingers slip beneath my chin, tipping my face up. His eyes are blazing with a mixture of emotions, none of them familiar. His expression is pained. He seems tortured. Confused. Mad.
Hungry.
I feel all those same emotions as I wait for him to say something. Anything.
“I don’t know,” he whisp
ers, dipping his head so his mouth hovers just above mine. “I know I want to kiss you so fucking bad right now. I want to sprawl you out on the hood of my car and strip you naked. I want to put my mouth on you and make you come. Make you forget that little asshole, once and for all.”
I’m speechless, my gaze ensnared in his. I can visualize everything he just described perfectly, and I want that.
All of it.
Every last little bit.
“Why do you do this to me?” he asks after I haven’t responded.
“Do what?” I whisper.
“Make me want things I shouldn’t.” He lightly strokes my chin with his fingers. “Tell me to go home.”
“Why?” I frown.
“If you invite me into your room, I might do something we’ll both regret,” he admits.
I cannot begin to imagine he’d do anything I’d ever regret. Not when it involves me with him.
God, he’s confusing.
“Maybe I want it,” I tell him, feeling bold.
He smiles. Kisses me. Far too quickly for my liking. “You don’t,” he whispers against my lips. “I’m in a bad mood. I might take it too far.”
A shiver slips down my spine at the promise in his voice. I have a feeling I’d like it when he takes things too far. “You don’t scare me, Jackson.”
“I should.” He takes a step backward, as if he needs the distance. “You should go to bed, Ellie.”
My heart rattles in my chest, as if it’s trying to escape its cage. I’m so turned on, I can barely think straight. “You’re coming with me?”
He shakes his head slowly. “Not tonight, sweetheart.”
“Oh.” The disappointment is real. Slowly, I turn and start walking toward my apartment. I can feel Jackson’s heavy gaze on me the entire way, and it’s only when I’m actually at the door, my key in the deadbolt and turning it, that I glance up to find him still watching me.
I offer up my hand in a little wave.
He nods.
Climbs into his car.
And drives away.
Twenty-One
Jackson
I never thought I had it in me, but seeing Carson show up to drive her home, knowing Ellie lost all faith in me and actually had a backup plan, left me feeling out of sorts.
The Sophomore Page 18