She points down the hallway, offering me a crooked smile. “Okay, well, here I go.”
“Good luck,” I grunt under my breath as she turns to walk down the hallway. With Meg going to meet her match, I’m officially the only one in the world spending this stupid night alone.
She gets halfway down the hall, and I call after her. “Meg?”
She turns to me.
“You’re wearing black.”
“So?” Meg huffs and scrunches her nose.
“It’s Valentine’s Day. Aren’t you supposed to be in red?”
“I don’t think that’s a law.” She waves and points behind her. “Uh, I gotta go. Have a nice night.”
I frown when she leaves, her blonde hair bouncing, her tight jeans hugging her legs. Her puffy coat covers her ass, but I don’t need to see it to know how fine it is. I’d had it in my hands on that September night after our date, and I’d studied it from behind when we’d run together. Megan’s match is a lucky guy.
I open my door, praying the room is empty, but inside, shirtless Chase rummages through my closet. He’s showered and shaved, and a bunch of colorful flowers lay on his bed. Stupid Valentine’s Day.
“What’s up, CC?” I throw my stuff on the desk and flop onto my bed. I’d hoped to be able to avoid the “Chase and Juliet First Valentine’s Day Celebration” show.
“I need to do laundry and have nothing to wear. Do you mind if I borrow something? Maybe… this?” He holds up my navy v-neck sweater.
I shrug and Chase pulls the sweater over his head. “What are you guys doing tonight?”
Chase smiles. “Dinner and a show. I didn’t tell Juliet though. It’s a surprise.” Bastard looks better in my sweater than I do, even though it’s a little big.
“Jules loves surprises.” I know everything about Juliet and share my knowledge with Chase when it helps.
“Yeah, I’m learning that about her.” The smile seems frozen on his face.
It’s good to see him happy, even if it’s because of Jules. My Jules, my best friend who wanted me all during high school and then followed me here. When I finally realized she was right, that we should try the dating thing, we got together. And it was great…until she dumped me for him. Even I admit they make a good match—would they match ninety-five percent? I don’t know. But I’ve gotten over it, and Chase accepts my friendship with Jules. Still, I miss having her to myself.
He picks a bottle from his dresser and squirts his neck. “Do you have plans tonight? How’d it go with the matchmaking?”
“Oh,” I say, sarcasm oozing, “there’s a perfect girl out there for me according to ACME grad students. Highest-rated match in the history of the program. Ninety-five percent.”
Chase’s jaw drops. “That high? So why do you look so crappy?”
“Because she didn’t show. Or she saw me and bailed.” I roll onto my back and study the ceiling.
“Maybe it’s the beard.” He’s joking, but people either love it or hate it. Chase makes it clear that he’s a beard hater every chance he gets.
I ignore his comment and run my hands through my hair. “I don’t mean to bring you down because obviously you’re on a Valentine’s high, but can I admit something?”
Chase sits on my desk across from me. “What’s up?”
I roll to face him and prop my head on my hand. “I’d love to find this girl. You know, live happily ever after and all that, but seriously, at this point… I just want to get laid.”
He stifles a laugh. “That’s okay, man. I get it. Maybe it’s time for you to go casual. Find someone you can just screw around with until you find the ninety-five match.”
I’ve never done casual sex. It doesn’t really appeal to me. Now though, I’m so twisted in my head that I think maybe Chase is right. “Do you think I’ll find the match?”
He shrugs. “You need a plan.”
“Like what?”
He thinks for a moment then points at me. “Maybe Winston or Rod can hack into the system and find out her name.”
“That’s so…” What’s the word I’m looking for? “Wrong.”
“Just sayin’, it’s gonna take some action on your part if you want to find this girl. If you matched her answers ninety-five percent, then you know stuff about her, right? She’ll be like you.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So, no offense,” Chase says, raising his eyebrows, “but you’re not exactly the most proactive dater. She’s probably the same way. If you don’t make a move, you’ll never find each other.”
A knock on the door interrupts us and Jules bounces in. She looks amazing, as usual, tall and smiley, all hair and body wrapped in a tight dress with heels. “The two men I love most on Valentine’s Day.” Her eyes light up when she looks at Chase.
“Are those for me?” She moves toward the bed to grab the flowers. “They’re gorgeous.”
“You’re gorgeous.” He reaches for her, and I roll over, grabbing a book from the pile next to my bed to pretend to read.
“You look beautiful, Jules,” I say with my face in the book.
“Thank you both. That’s Ben’s sweater. It looks great on you.” I roll my eyes when I hear her kiss Chase.
When the click of her heels moves to me and she taps me on the back, I cringe and sit up.
She’s scowls and scrunches her nose. “You look like shit. When are you going to shave?” Jules is also a beard hater. She crosses her arms over her chest and doesn’t let me answer. “Didn’t you meet your match today?”
I rub my bearded chin, mostly to piss her off. “That would be a no.”
She glares at me as she waits for me to tell her more.
“Let me ask you something.” I point at her. “Do you think I’m proactive?”
Behind her, Chase smirks and turns to the mirror to mess with his hair.
“In what regard?” She juts a hip.
“Well…” I pause for effect. “Women.”
Jules laughs.
“Is it that funny?” I reach out to tug her long hair.
She shakes her head and moves out of my range. “Oh Ben, you are the least proactive person I know when it comes to women. It’s my fault though.” She swings her hair over her shoulder and runs her finger under her eye. “I spoiled you. I spent so many years chasing you that you forgot how to do the chasing.” She puckers her lips and air kisses me, then smiles wide.
She’s right. I’ve never worked to get a girlfriend, even though I haven’t had many. I always knew in the back of my mind that Jules was there for me too. The thought of pursuing this ninety-five percenter seems daunting, but with my best-friend-hottie-ex-girlfriend as a secret weapon, maybe I’ll be able to hunt her down. Screw fate.
“Jules?” She moves across the room and starts groping my roommate, but I need her attention for another minute. “How’d you like to help me with a new project?”
“Oh, Christ.” Chase shakes his head. “You’re going to get her all worked up, Ben. Not tonight. You two can conspire tomorrow about finding Ben’s perfect woman.”
“Perfect woman?” Her eyes are back on me.
For four years, she tried to convince me she was my perfect woman.
Chase stops me from answering. “I’ll fill you in. Let’s go. I have surprises. Oh, and we’re not coming back here tonight.” He raises his eyebrows. “In case, you know, you want to hook up with some random girl…”
His voice trails off, and Jules gasps. “Ben doesn’t do that, Chase.” She smacks him on the arm then turns to me. “Don’t listen to him. I’ll help you find your girl. You hold out for perfection.” She smirks at Chase. “Like Chase did.”
Jules walks out, and before Chase shuts the door, he leans back in and lowers his voice to a whisper. “Seriously, fuck around if you want. Just use protection and be nice. There are plenty of girls out there who’d be into that.”
Then he closes the door behind them, and I’m alone again.
Chapter Two
; Megan
I knew the library would be a great place to hide out on Valentine’s Day night. Besides the employees, it’s empty. I crawl into a cubby in the basement, trying not to panic that the library powers-that-be will forget I’m here and lock me in.
After I throw my bag on the cubby desk and lean back in the chair, I dig out my phone and call my dad.
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Daddy.” I use my sweetest voice.
“Princess!” The sound of his deep voice makes me smile. “How’s my best girl?”
“I miss you.” I don’t just say it—I mean it. I wish he were here to talk face-to-face.
“Come home, then. You don’t need an education.” I know he’s kidding, but I also know he’d love to have me with him in the city.
“Ha. Are you in the middle of a date?” Dad never dates, or if he does, he doesn’t tell me about it. Women throw themselves at him all the time though, recognizing him from television or from his football years.
“No. How about you? Did your match work out? When am I going to meet my future son-in-law?”
“No time soon.” I recall the events of the day, highlighting my ninety-five percent match to Ben.
“Ben from the dorm?”
“Yep, that would be him.” Hot Ben, the football-player-turned-hero-guy who kisses like he has a secret playbook on it.
“Makes sense. You two seem to have a lot in common.”
“On paper, yeah, except he dumped me already.”
“How’d he react to the match?”
“I didn’t tell him. He thinks she didn’t show up.” I cringe, waiting for my dad’s disappointment. It doesn’t come.
“Well, whatever you think is best.” His voice lowers, like he’s not paying attention to me.
I frown, wishing more than anything that I could see his face to get a read on his emotions. “What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“I just miss you.”
I believe that, but I know from the tone of his voice, the little quiver he thinks I can’t hear, that he’s not telling me the entire truth. “You can talk to me, you know.”
“I do need to talk to you, sweetheart, but not tonight. Go have fun tonight—just not too much fun.”
I roll my eyes.
“I see you rolling your eyes, young lady.” I smile into the phone. “Meet me for breakfast tomorrow? Nine?”
“Tell me now…” I won’t be able to sleep if he doesn’t.
“Tomorrow. I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
After we say our goodbyes, I hang up and debate taking the train to our Manhattan penthouse across the river. I know something’s wrong, but I also know that if it was serious he’d tell me. People think it’s weird that my dad is my best friend, but to me, it makes perfect sense. He’s never lied to me, he’s always there for me, and he takes care of me. I try to do the same for him.
I shake off the uneasy vibe and decide to trust my dad, and then I text Maggie to see if it’s safe to return to the Lovers’ Lane that is my floor.
While I wait for her response, I glance at my books and groan. There’s no way I’m going to study while the rest of the world is hooking up, so I open a movie on my phone and prop my feet up on the desk of the cubby.
As the movie loads, Maggie texts me saying that she and Win just got back from dinner and he’s going to spend the night. She insists I can return whenever I want. Blech. If Win’s spending the night, I won’t be going back to Sheridan any time soon. I swipe out of my messages and plug in my earbuds.
As I settle into Netflix, someone taps my shoulder. I jump about ten feet out of my seat and turn to see Ben standing behind me looking all sexy and casual in his jeans and flannel and man beard. Despite my best efforts, I’m loving his grungy look.
I pull out my earbuds and smack his arm. “You have to quit sneaking up on me.”
His smile sends a jolt to my heart. “What are you doing here?”
Shit. I’m supposed to be meeting my match. “He stood me up.”
“What?” Ben’s eyes double in size. “Why? He must be an idiot.”
I glare at him. “Says the guy who dumped me after one date.”
“Hey. Easy now. Maybe he got scared off by your goth outfit.” He grins as he leans over the side wall of the cubby, bending his elbows and lining his forearms on the edge. I study the curve that forms from his neck, over his shoulders, over his biceps, to his forearms. I’m in trouble.
I force myself to meet his gaze, which is no less calming. My face flushes, and now I’m hot. “What are you doing here?”
“Hiding from our floormates.” He rubs his hand over his beard, which he does a lot these days. It seems to be a new nervous tic. “This night is a fucking disaster when you’re single.”
Don’t I know it. “Agreed. And good luck with hiding. I guess I’ll see you later.” I hope he gets the hint and leaves. He’s way too cute to be that close to me, especially on Valentine’s night. I turn back to my phone and replace my earbuds.
He doesn’t budge. Instead, he pulls out one of my buds and peeks over my shoulder. “Whatcha watching? The Notebook?”
“No, smartass. I’m watching this new zombie film.”
His face lights up. “The one about the sisters?” He drags a chair next to mine and plugs one of my earbuds into his ear.
His big body invades my space as he settles next to me. My skin tingles and my flush heats up my neck. My self-protective instincts also kick into high gear, so, like an eighth-grader, I shove him. “What are you doing?”
“I’m watching with you.” His eyes dance as he looks around the library. “Actually…”
Before I can react, he pulls the phone from me, and my earbud goes flying. He grabs my stuff from the cubby and takes off in a flash. “What…? Where are you going?”
He doesn’t answer or turn around as I follow him through stacks of library books into the bowels of the basement. Maybe I check out his butt. Maybe I check it out more than once. Okay, I focus on it. I’m only human. I don’t catch up to him until he stops at a couch—a long, blue, leather couch.
“What the…? How’d you find this?”
“This is where the med students hang out. It’s way more comfortable than the chairs. Now let’s get back to the movie.” He launches himself and lands on the couch, cute-butt-first, with a thump.
I cross my arms over my chest as Ben taps my phone. “You’re suggesting that I sit here, on this couch, with you, on this night, and watch a movie?” Is he out of his mind? There’s no way I can be that close to him and not want to touch him, and touching him is the last thing I should do. God, that flannel looks so soft. And it would get my mind off my dad. I shake my head. No, Megan, no. “No.” I say it out loud hoping I’ll listen to myself. “Nut-uh.”
Ben grins. “It’s just a movie, Meg-an.” He sings my name, using his competitive, sarcastic, challenging tone. Bastard.
“It’s a movie I want to watch alone, Ben-jam-in.” I mimic, scowling.
He plugs an earbud into his dumb ear. “Calm down. I’m not leaving you alone to fester about shitty guys and this made-up holiday, so we may as well be comfortable. Unless you want to go back to the dorm and listen to the Valentine’s Day love fest?”
Ben stares, and my blush, as well as my competitive streak, kick into high gear. I definitely don’t want to go back to the dorm, so if he’s going to harass me all night, we may as well be comfortable. “Oh… fine.” I sputter the words, and he waves his arm at the couch, inviting me to sit next to him.
I plop down with a sigh, pulling my knees to my chest to shield myself from his evil awesomeness. The couch is big but so is Ben, and our arms end up touching. The flannel is as soft as it looks. I take a deep breath and sink into the plush leather.
“See? Isn’t this nice?” He rests his head on my shoulder.
Ah, nice, yes.
“Wait.” I jerk my shoulder to break contact. “Hands off. Stay on your own side, Riley.”
He laughs but sits up str
aight. As we watch the little phone screen, our arms stay in contact and I focus on the flannel and the muscle it covers.
An hour later, I wake up with my face to the ceiling. I lift my head from the back of the couch, stretching my neck as I look around. My phone and earbuds are on the floor, and Ben’s hairy head is on my lap. I give him a shake.
He snuggles into me, murmuring. The weight of his head warms my lap, and I’m tempted to let him stay. His calm, heavy breaths bring my focus to those pink lips, barely visible, peeking through the new beard. A lock of hair covers an eye. I could watch him sleep for days, enjoying the feel, sight, and smell of him.
Watching him brings me right back to that night in September—clothes flying off, our bodies pressed against each other. I fidget at the memory. God, I’m horny. I don’t trust myself to keep up my guard here, on this night. Especially with his dumb face in my lap.
I argue with my hormones, reminding myself that my first attempt with Ben didn’t end well. How it felt when he was dating Juliet. How terrible it had been to see them together all over the damn campus. Why would I attach myself to someone to go through those emotions again? I don’t need drama, especially boyfriend drama with first-date-dumper Ben.
So have a seat and settle down, hormones.
Still, when I look down at his sleeping face again and find the scar over his eyebrow, I want to touch it. I took a cleat to the face a few years ago, he’d told me. I stretch my finger to trace the scar then quickly withdraw my hand. My gaze moves to his earlobe, and my hormones win a round as I consider bending down to bite it. It would be so easy.
Oh my. I have to get him off my body.
I nudge his shoulder. “Ben?”
“Hmm?” He flips over so that his face pushes into my stomach. When he wiggles, his chin rubs me in just the right spot. This is so not good. I stiffen then let my head fall back to look at the ceiling. This is so good…
When he moves again, I jolt to reality. “Off.” The word sounds stronger than the emotion behind it.
He rolls onto his back and hangs his legs over the side of the couch. “Huh?”
She Runs Away (The Sheridan Hall Series Book 2) Page 2