Awakened in September

by Kelsey Clayton

  Her blunt attitude towards the matter shocks me. Dawson, on the other hand, just laughs and slips his phone in his pocket before coming over to us.

  “Hey. Holden, right?” He extends his hand to shake mine.

  “Yeah, and you are?” I hear Kayleigh chuckle beside us but I keep my eyes on him.

  “Dawson, but you already knew that.” He’s bold.

  I laugh slightly and nod. “Yeah, I did.” Releasing his hand, I cross my arms to look intimidating. “It’s so nice of you to get Kayleigh a job here. Funny, because she doesn’t even need a job.” My sarcasm does not go unnoticed.

  “Holden.” She warns but Dawson remains unaffected.

  “Well, you know what they say. Misery loves company.”

  His arrogance is galling and my eyes narrow. “Apparently. And you two work the same shift? That’s awesome.”

  “Careful bro, your jealousy is showing.”

  Every part of me wants to reach over the counter and grab him, but Kayleigh’s voice pulls my attention away. “Okay, can you two not? Please?”

  Dawson drops his façade and pulls out his phone, messing with it for a minute before handing it to me. “My girlfriend and I have been together for 4 years now. High school sweethearts.” He explains as I scroll through the plethora of happy photos. “I’m proposing over Christmas break on a vacation to Aruba.”

  I’ve met plenty of guys who aren’t faithful, but I don’t think any of them look this loved up in pictures with their girlfriend. I sigh and give him back his phone. “Sorry man.”

  He smiles. “Hey, I get it. I’d be the same way if Skylar became good friends with some random guy.”

  Kayleigh slightly panics and we both respond at the same time. “We’re not together.”

  The look on his face screams that he doesn’t believe a word of that, and a small laugh leaves his mouth. “Right.” He excuses himself to go do some work, leaving me alone with Kayleigh.

  “So, how about that phone number cutie?”

  I bask in the blush that coats her cheeks, but her smile drops as she looks behind me. I’m about to see what she’s looking at, but I don’t have to.

  “Seriously?” Bree’s voice sounds. I wince, keeping my eyes closed for a second and hoping this isn’t happening.

  I turn around and am faced with my very angry ex-girlfriend. “Bree, I didn’t know you were here. I swear.”

  “Just like you both swore you’re just friends.” She sneers.

  I go to put my hand on her arm but quickly realize it’s a bad idea. “Calm down. Let’s go somewhere and talk.”

  “No.” She growls. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you. You’re exactly what Kayleigh said you are – a selfish, egotistical, man-whore.”

  Hearing that Kay has said those things about me hits me where it hurts. I glance at her and remember that things are different now. My eyes focus back on Bree in a hard glare. “Leave Kayleigh out of this.”

  Bree becomes more enraged, if that’s even possible. “Now you’re defending her?!”

  It happens in slow motion. She rips the lid off her large iced coffee and splashes the contents all over the front of me. The ice bounces off me and lands on the floor while the liquid coats my body.

  “Fuck you, Holden.”

  She marches out the door but I’m too shocked to move. Taylor, however, is still standing there. She turns and smirks at Kayleigh.

  “I knew I was right about you, slut.”

  No one says a word as she goes to chase after her friend. I hear Dawson mumble something about a mop and he disappears. Kayleigh looks scared to say anything at all.

  “Are you okay?” She all but whispers.

  I pull my coffee soaked shirt over my head and use the dry side to clean off my face. I shake away the stray pieces of hair that have fallen into my face, but when my fingers hit it, I cringe. The coffee is mixed in with my hairspray, already making it sticky.

  “Suddenly, I have the urge to shower.” I try to lighten the mood.

  She frowns. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know she was here. They must have gotten here before my shift started.” She’s cute when she rambles.

  I shake my head calmly. “Kay, relax. You have nothing to apologize for.”

  She looks down at her hands. “I feel like I do.”

  Reaching forward, I lift her head and her eyes meet mine. She is breathtaking. “Not at all.”

  “Okay.” She responds but doesn’t look away.

  Dawson emerges from the back and comes around to clean up the mess. “Oh, how nice of you to take your shirt off.”

  I’m too focused on Kayleigh to see what he’s doing, but she grabs a straw and throws it at him. I use her distraction to lean over the counter and place a quick kiss to her lips. “I’m going to go get cleaned up. I’ll see you later?”

  She nods, flustered. “My shift is over at five.”

  “Perfect.” I make my way towards the exit. “We can go out to dinner after work.”

  Her smile is all I need to for everything to be worth it.

  I WALK IN THE front door of the frat house, hoping to go unnoticed. Unfortunately, luck isn’t on my side. Jesse, Caleb, Jason, and Riley are all sitting in the living room. Their jaws drop when they see me soaking wet.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Jason asks first.

  I roll my eyes. “Super pissed ex-girlfriend.”

  Caleb barks out a laugh. “Bree did that to you?! Damn. What the hell made her do that?”

  “Uh, I went to Dolce and unintentionally flirted with Kayleigh in front of her.”

  The three of them look surprised, but only Jesse has the guts to say anything about it. “Since when do you go visit a girl at work?”

  “Since when do you flirt with a chick in public?” Jason adds.

  Snickering at their disbelief, I walk towards the stairs. “As much as I’d love to chat about the recent changes to my love life, I have coffee to wash out of my hair.”

  I can hear their whispers as I make my way up and into the bathroom, but I don’t care to listen. If I can’t make sense of the mysterious hold she has over me, I doubt they’ll be able to either.

  BY THE TIME KAYLEIGH gets home, all I want to do is spend every second with her. Unfortunately, I get called downstairs for a frat meeting. Some idiot decided to leave one of our parties and got a DUI. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, we need to meet with the Dean to prove it wasn’t our fault.

  “Alright then, just so we’re clear. None of you noticed he left. We collected the keys of everyone who was drinking that night but he lied and said he didn’t drive here.” Jesse repeats the story back to us.

  Everyone nods and the meeting ends. I figure now is the best time to tell him about Kayleigh. After today, there is definitely no chance of her going back to the dorms any time soon.

  “Hey Jess. I need to talk to you about something real quick.”

  He nods and we walk into the kitchen, each opening a beer. “What’s up, H?”

  I nervously run my fingers through my hair. “You may be seeing a lot of Kayleigh lately.”

  “Well, I kinda figured that. You two getting serious?”

  Shaking my head, I take another sip of my drink. “She’s going to be living here until Bree sorts out a roommate swap.”

  His eyes widen. “A little soon to be moving in together, isn’t it?”

  I chuckle. “Cut the shit, Jesse. We’re not getting married, and this isn’t permanent.” That last detail makes my chest hurt a little.

  He laughs and pats me on the shoulder. “I know, man. I’m just fucking with you. It’s cool, just if someone asks – lie. We could get shut down if admin finds out.”

  “Will do.” Turning to leave the room, I see Caleb leaning in the doorway, looking stunned. “What?”

  He purses his lips and shakes his head. “Nothing. Just didn’t expect it, that’s all.”

  I decide to ignore him, still pissed by his recent actions, and go u
pstairs to Kayleigh. As soon as I get in my room, I see her lying on my bed – sound asleep. She’s still in her uniform which tells me it wasn’t intentional. The exhaustion from work must have tired her out.

  Carefully, I pull off her shoes and pants, then tuck her into bed. I could get lost in watching her sleep. The way she looks so innocent and peaceful – it has my heart doing backflips. This girl is a force to be reckoned with.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Kayleigh comes into the room, slamming the door shut and grumbling to herself. “Fucking bitch. I can’t fucking believe this. Stupid fucking student housing. Ugh. Fuck!” The last part comes out more as a shout than anything.

  “Uh, is everything okay?”

  She startles, almost as if she didn’t realize I was in here. When her eyes land on mine, they soften.

  “Yes… No. Maybe? I don’t fucking know.” Throwing her purse down on the floor, she runs her fingers through her hair frustratedly. “Bree went to the housing office and they basically told us to suck it up. But of course, she won’t. She’s determined to make my life a living hell.”

  Excitement pools in my stomach when I think about her not leaving any time soon. Still, I need to play it cool. I walk towards her and wrap my arms around her waist. “Hey, relax. You’ll just stay here, yeah?”

  The hesitation on her face tells me she may not want that. “Are you sure that’s okay?”

  “It is as long as you’re okay with it.”

  She smiles shyly, making me melt at her innocence. “I am. I just don’t want to overstay my welcome.”

  “Impossible.”

  “You mean you’re not sick of me, yet?”

  I can’t help but chuckle. “Oh, you’re the worst. I simply enjoy the more difficult things in life.”

  She giggles. “Is that so?”

  “Definitely.”

  Leaning down, I press my lips to hers in a slow, sensual kiss. However, it quickly becomes intense when she laces her fingers into my hair and pulls me closer. Our tongues come together perfectly and I know for a fact that I’d be perfectly content if she never left at all.

  WALKING UP TO THE dorm building feels strange. I follow Kayleigh inside and up the stairs, pausing when we get to the door. She needs to grab some of her things. I could tell by the way she kept putting it off that it was upsetting her, so I decided to come help. She puts the key into the lock and turns the knob. We both step inside.

  “I haven’t been in here since the night you tried to end things with me.” I whisper, taking in the room that hasn’t changed.

  She groans. “Don’t remind me. That was utterly embarrassing.”

  “Embarrassing? Why?”

  Grabbing a bag, she starts taking clothes from the dresser and packing them. “Because. I was all vulnerable and upset. I probably looked like an idiot, crying over my friend’s boyfriend.”

  Before I can stop myself, I turn her to face me. My hand rests on her cheek and I stare into her eyes. “You always look beautiful. You have no idea what that night did to me. I don’t think I slept a wink for days.”

  “R-really?”

  I don’t answer, instead choosing to bend down and kiss her softly – hoping the way my lips move against hers will tell her everything I can’t manage to get out. When I pull away, she’s visibly flustered. She shakes herself from her thoughts and goes back to packing. Her lips stay positioned in a small frown.

  “We could always have sex on her bed. I’m sure that’ll show her.” I jokingly suggest.

  Kayleigh laughs, throwing her head back before pushing me away. I don’t care how crazy I sound. I will always do and say whatever it takes to make her laugh like that.

  THE LAST PARTY BEFORE Thanksgiving is always massive. Everyone wants to have a good time before they go see their families. The mood in this place is electric, as we’re all excited to have a short break from school. Kayleigh stays close to my side like she usually does but I’m not at all complaining. I wrap my arm around her, mentally warding off any guys here who think they may have a chance with her. Mine.

  “I’ll be right back.” She says into my ear.

  I nod and watch as she walks away, heading for the bathroom. Once she’s out of view, I turn back to find Laci in front of me – a smug expression on her face. I roll my eyes and take a sip of my beer.

  “What do you want?”

  She smirks. “To say I told you so.”

  “Oh, you did, did you?”

  “Yup.” She pops her lips. “I’m glad you two finally got together. You’re clearly gone for her.”

  “We’re not together.” I state blandly.

  Her eyebrows furrow. “You’re literally all over each other.”

  “Friends.”

  “Fucking Christ, Holden.” She runs her hand through her hair. “Please don’t tell me you gave her the whole ‘I don’t do relationships’ speech.”

  I shake my head. “I didn’t have to. This was all her doing.”

  “I don’t know whether that makes me think she’s a complete crazy, or glad that you’ve finally met someone who can fuck with your head the way you do with everyone else’s.”

  “General consensus is both.” I shrug. “Now get out of here before she sees you. I’d actually like to get laid tonight, thanks.”

  Laci laughs but still listens and goes to enjoy the party. Within a few minutes, Kayleigh is back at my side. I pull her close to me and relish in the way my touch causes the tension to leave her body.

  “Holden. Come play me in a round of beer pong!” Caleb shouts from across the room.

  I want to say no. Him and Kayleigh have been close lately and it’s driving me up a wall. He’s playing some kind of game, making her think they can be the best of friends. I don’t trust his intentions though. He’s always wanted her, and the fact that I have her irritates him to no end.

  Turning to Kayleigh, I find she’s already staring back at me. I give her a look, mentally asking if she wants to. She shrugs. I guess we’re playing beer pong.

  We get into the backyard and I find it’s Kayleigh and me versus Jason and Caleb. The irony of the last time we played this game isn’t lost on any of us.

  “It’s like déjà vu, only the teammates have changed.” Jason basically reads my mind. “Should we use Kayleigh as a prize again?”

  “No!” I growl, hearing Kayleigh say it as well. Caleb, on the other hand, says yes at the very same time. I glare at him harshly, a warning for him to back the fuck off. He does not want to make this a battle. I can assure you, he won’t win.

  “This isn’t tug of war, and I’m not a rope. Let’s just play.” Kayleigh’s voice breaks our stare down.

  She grabs the ball and tosses it directly into the other cup. I laugh softly and press my lips to the top of her head. She stills and I know it’s because we usually keep the affection behind closed doors. I couldn’t help myself, though. She’s too perfect.

  By the time the game is done, with Kayleigh and I taking the win of course, we make our way over to the fire pit. I sit down and watch as she looks like she’s about to walk past me. I can’t allow that. I grab her by the hips and pull her down into my lap. She doesn’t fight it and lies between my legs before lolling her head on my chest. I’m glad she’s not resisting this. It feels too good not to have it.

  The guys are talking about going home for vacation. Caleb is happily ranting about how much fun he’ll have or some shit. I don’t really pay too much attention as I work my fingers into Kayleigh’s shoulders. The soft moan that leaves her mouth makes my dick twitch. Thankfully, I’m the only one who hears it.

  “What about you, Kayleigh? You excited to go home?”

  Her whole body tenses up. “Oh, no. I’m just gonna stay here.” And okay, what?!

  My actions come to a complete halt as the area goes silent. She shifts uncomfortably. Shit, her anxiety. This will have to wait until later. “Hey Jase, did you get what the chemistry assignment is for over break?”

 
The change of subject topic works and he starts going on about how ridiculous it is that our professor gave us anything to do at all. Kayleigh tilts her head back and smiles at me sweetly. I wink, loving the light blush that coats her cheeks.

  A short while later, she drifts asleep in my arms. I don’t dare to move – too afraid to wake her and make this moment end. I’m looking down at her, watching the way her lips part enough for her to breathe and her chest rises and falls steadily. I haven’t even been paying attention to the conversation Caleb and Jason are having. I’m too wrapped up in everything this girl is.

  “Careful, H.” Caleb remarks. “Anyone catches you looking at her like that, they may think you’ve gone soft.”

  I look up and notice that Jason isn’t here anymore. “Maybe I have.”

  His eyebrows raise and he smiles. “I never thought I’d see the day.” Once he takes a sip of his beer, he continues. “I’m sorry, man. I’ll back off. I didn’t know it was that serious between you two.”

  My fingers run lightly through her hair. “It’s not serious.”

  “Huh?”

  “Her and I. Don’t get me wrong, she’s incredible, but we’re not… she’s not my girlfriend.”

  “Wait, you mean to tell me that you two aren’t dating?” He’s shocked. “She’s been basically living here for like two weeks.”

  “I know.” I laugh. “But we’re just having fun.”

  He hums, smirking at me knowingly. “Is that what you want or what she wants?”

  I open and close my mouth, looking like a fish out of water. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t play dumb.” He rolls his eyes. “I’ve seen you with plenty of girls the past three years. None of them have had the kind of effect on you that she does.”

  Fuck his observation skills, and fuck him for knowing me so well. All I can do is sigh. “I don’t know, man. She’s different. I can’t explain it.”

  “Well, if the way she looks at you is anything to go by, she feels the same way.” I notice the way her breathing isn’t as steady, but she’s probably just having a bad dream. I keep my attention on Caleb. “So, why aren’t you two together?”