The Secret Crush

by Sarah M. Ross

  Ethan reached in, grabbing three. “No way I’m passing up homemade food. And these are my favorites!”

  “Toss one here!” Caleb chimed in.

  “Who brought them?” Piper mumbled behind a mouthful.

  Aisha shrugged. “I don’t know, but I’ll come to every meeting if there are yummy cookies! Hadley, can you make that happen?”

  I chuckled. “I’ll get right on that. As soon as I finish the thousand other things on my list. Okay, first we need to finalize the volunteer schedules and have backups in case people don’t show or get sick or something. It would be awful to have a Psycho room with no Mrs. Bates, ya know?”

  Two more days until part two of my plan was set into motion. As I sat on the leather couch, watching her take on this huge undertaking and handling it like a pro, pride swelled in my chest. God, she really was absolutely amazing. I wasn’t sure if there was anything she couldn’t do.

  Two. More. Days.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  THIS WAS IT. TONIGHT WAS the opening of the Gamma Delta Haunted Hayride and Haunted House. We’d spent countless hours planning every tiny detail, all for this moment. I honestly couldn’t believe that it had only been two weeks of planning and prep—it seemed like I’d been working on the project for a year. But tonight, we were ready to open the doors.

  Campus had been abuzz about the event, but the only thing my mind could focus on was my “secret crush.”

  After the coffee incident, I hadn’t heard anything in a few days, and I began to think it was a stupid prank. But then a large bouquet of forget-me-nots, my favorite flower, arrived. They were absolutely beautiful, reminding me every time I saw them sitting in the crystal vase that someone out there was thinking of me.

  I’d gotten another surprise only a few days later. It was a simple typed letter in my campus mailbox, tucked inside a cheesy grade school Simpsons’ Valentine that said, “I choo, choo, choose you.” Anyone who knew me knew my longtime love of The Simpsons, and I couldn’t believe that someone could even find the Valentine this time of year. The effort alone to find it made my heart swoon, but it was the note inside of it that brought out so many emotions; I didn’t know which one to feel first. It was, by far, the most beautiful thing I’d ever read.

  I stood, stunned into silence by the eloquently typed words, tears freely flowing down my face.

  I’ve known you now for over a thousand days, Hadley. Twenty-five thousand hours where your smile brightened the room more than the sun ever could, where your laugh was like a sweet melody whispered in my ear.

  I found myself wanting to tell you how I felt every second you were near, but I was a coward. Never bold enough to admit my feelings louder than a sigh, but please never doubt that they roared inside my head until I could hear nothing else but your name echoing off every beat of my heart.

  The first time I saw you, my soul and my heart rejoiced, whispering in unison, “She’s the one I’m going to marry some day.” Every time you smile, it brightens my day. Every twinkle in your eye makes me feel like I could walk through fire and be okay.

  You captured my heart without even trying, and now I’ll risk everything to show you mine.

  I’d read the note a thousand times since then. I had the words memorized, and as I walked into my classes or passed by people in the cafeteria, I wondered who was behind the words.

  Piper, as predicted, went crazy when I showed her the note. She vowed to find out who my secret crush was and started stopping random guys to ask if it was them. The only thing that resulted in was some very strange looks from guys all around campus.

  There was a crispness in the air. and the almost-full moon lit the area, adding to the eeriness of the night. I stood at the ticket booth as the first group of people came down the drive. The tractor moved slowly as it pulled the trailer teeming with hay and excited students behind it. The long driveway had been outfitted with haunting music, and volunteers from the Gamma house lined it every few hundred feet, jumping out and scaring people with axes or chainsaws. By the time they arrived at the ticket counter, half the girls were already clinging to each other as they forked over the twenty-dollar admission fee.

  Money was rolling in, only hours after opening, and we’d made close to a thousand dollars. I was giddy with how much we were going to be able to donate to Habitat for Humanity this year.

  “Hey, Hadley?” someone called over the intercom.

  “Yeah, what’s up?”

  “Someone threw up over in the zombie section. Apparently they were drunk already and having a zombie chase them made the girl toss her cookies.”

  I sighed. “Just great,” I said before clicking the walkie on again. “Okay. I brought some extra supplies just in case. They’re in my car. I’ll grab them and bring them over. Just close off that section and lead people through the Purge room instead.”

  “Will do.”

  Piper grabbed the clipboard and walkie talkie from me as I trudged over to my car. I’d hidden my car behind the refreshments stand, so it only took me a few minutes to get the supplies needed. I entered the haunted house through the back, trying not to disrupt the experience for others with my flashlight.

  Creepy music and screams echoed all around me as I made my way to the zombie room. I laughed as a guy with a fake chainsaw jumped out in the next room, making one of the girls fall to the floor. Apparently, we were doing a good job of giving people their money’s worth.

  The theme song from the Jason movies filled my ears as I walked deeper into the house. Smoke from fog lamps swirled around my feet while a mix of strobe lights and black lights completed the spooky effects. If I hadn’t helped create it, I would have been really nervous to go in by myself.

  I finally found the zombie room near the back of the house. It was probably my favorite room. One of the set designers from the theatre department had been in charge of this area, and it looked straight out of my favorite television show. It was very realistic, making me think Daryl and Rick were right around the corner somewhere.

  The area had been cordoned off, like I’d instructed. I ducked under the tape and headed inside. I turned off the fog machine hidden behind a bloody corpse as I shone my flashlight over the floor, trying to find the mess I needed to clean up.

  It took a few second for the smoke to clear enough for me to see, and when it did, I was shocked.

  “What in the world…” I mumbled. My brow furrowed as my eyes scanned the room. There wasn’t anything. No vomit, fake or real, anywhere. There wasn’t anything at all.

  I began to reach into my back pocket for my walkie talkie when a large hand clasped my shoulder and pulled me close.

  A scream ripped from my throat, but it was drowned out by all the other ones that filled the house. My heart pounded in my chest as I squirmed to get free.

  “Shh, it’s okay, Hadley,” a man’s voice whispered. I stilled, trying to figure out where I knew the voice from. It was hard to hear with all the other noises, and his whisper was low, but I knew it was familiar somehow.

  “Who are you?”

  He didn’t answer my question. “I’m sorry to bring you here under false pretenses, Hadley,” he murmured against my ear, his warm breath tickling me and sending chills down my arms. “And I certainly didn’t mean to startle you. I simply wanted a few minutes alone with you.”

  “Why?”

  “Because some things can’t be fully expressed in a note. Some things are better said face-to-face.”

  My eyes widened as I realized this was my secret crush. The guy who had been sending me messages and flowers and drinks for weeks now.

  “It’s you.”

  “It’s me,” he whispered back.

  He let go of my shoulder, sliding his arm down my own before he wrapped it around my waist, holding me steady. My skin sizzled everywhere he touched, even through my clothes. I wasn’t sure if it was the mystery of not knowing who he was or the sultry voice that lingered in my ear, but my heart was racing.

&
nbsp; My back was pressed against his chest. It was solid and broad as his frame engulfed my tiny one. “Why won’t you tell me who you are?”

  “I want to.” His voice never rose above a whisper, making it impossible to know who he was. He moved his face against my hair and neck. My eyes slid shut as he held me there. “There is so much I want to say, Hadley, but it’s not time yet.”

  “Please, just tell me.” Between the sweet things he’d done, his romantic words, and the way he set my body on edge, I was more than ready to know who it was. I reached my hand around, feeling for him.

  His free hand found mine and he entwined our fingers, gently brushing his thumb over my knuckles. “If I reveal myself to you now, Hadley, you won’t see all of me.”

  “I will,” I assured him. “I promise. My mind is completely open. Just tell me.”

  “I waited three years for this chance, Hadley. You can wait a little bit longer.”

  My head tilted back, and I leaned on his chest. His thumb continued, now sliding up and down my forefinger. Tiny swipes back and forth, each one like a flame licking my hot skin. My fingers tingled with the need to touch him back, but I couldn’t move. All the noise from the other rooms seemed to fade away as he held me there. And even though I didn’t know who he was, I felt at home in his arms. Like it was where I belonged.

  “Close your eyes, Hadley.” My eyes slid shut upon his command. “No peeking.”

  I nodded, keeping my eyes tightly shut as he spun me around, facing him. My lips parted slightly as he reached up and cupped my face in his hands. I held my breath, anticipating whatever he was going to do next. My pulse raced as the seconds ticked by. God I hope he kisses me, I prayed.

  “I want you to do something for me, Hadley.”

  “Okay,” I murmured.

  “When everything is over tonight. When the last guest has gone home and the lights are all out. When you’re back in your dorm and the world is quiet, I want you to glance out your window and look out at the stars. At how brightly they shine down from millions of miles away. And then I want you to remember what I’m telling you right now.”

  He moved his face against mine, his breath like a warm caress against my cheek. “You, Hadley, shine brighter than them all. You radiate beauty and warmth and passion and determination. You put them to shame, Hadley.”

  I sucked in a breath as tears pooled at his beautiful words. And just then, when I was filled to the brim with so much emotion I could explode, his lips came down on mine.

  I sighed in contentment as his warm and soft lips pressed against my own with the briefest of kisses, leaving me craving more.

  But before I could even flutter my eyes open, he was gone.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE REST OF THE WEEKEND was a blur. I was so busy between coursework for my classes and volunteering every night for the haunted house, I barely had a chance to see Hadley again. But when I would glance her way and catch her staring up at the sky, I knew she was thinking about what I’d said.

  And I knew it was only a matter of time until she was mine.

  When my alarm rang on Monday morning, I wanted to throw it against the wall. I’d been up well past midnight, studying for a statistics quiz, and I knew I needed at least three more hours of sleep to function. But it wasn’t an option.

  The hot water cascaded down my body as the steam filled the shower. I stood there for several long minutes before deciding I needed to get out or I’d be late. I toweled off, then threw on a long-sleeve Henley and a pair of jeans that I didn’t think smelled too badly. I pulled a hat low on my head before grabbing my bag and a can of Red Bull from my dorm fridge, then hurried out the door.

  I trudged into the humanities building, downing the tiny can as I walked. Pulling out my phone to check the time, I wasn’t watching where I was walking and almost ran directly into Aiden.

  “Hey, man! What’s up?”

  I nodded toward my classroom. “About to fail this quiz. You?”

  He laughed. “I hear ya! I got way too drunk at the Phi Kap party on Friday and was hungover most of Saturday, which suuucked. Then with the haunted house thing Saturday night, I’m way behind. I just went to office hours to ask my professor for an extension on a project I have due.”

  “That blows. Did he give it to you?”

  “Yes, thank God.”

  Someone cleared his throat behind me. I turned to see Professor Rubio staring at me. “Are you planning on joining us for class today, Mr. Thorne?”

  “Yes, I am. Sorry!” I replied, waving goodbye to Aiden as I jogged into class and took a seat.

  CHAPTER NINE

  DR. MCDANIEL STOOD AT THE front of the auditorium, explaining the differences between investment grade versus high yield debt, but the words went in one ear and right out the other. My mind was too preoccupied. For days now, the only thing I could focus on was that kiss the other night from my secret crush. That brief moment where his lips met mine. It wasn’t the greatest kiss I’d ever received since it was so short, but it was by far the most memorable. And I really hoped there’d be more.

  After class was dismissed (and I’d only taken about three sentences of notes), I met Piper for a quick lunch in the cafeteria. I filled my plate with a chicken Caesar salad, a big bowl of pineapple, and a diet Coke, before finding a table and waiting (as usual) for her to arrive.

  Halfway through my salad, Piper finally showed up. “That test took a lot longer than I thought it would. I mean, he had four essay questions on there. Four! And don’t even get me started on the stupid true/false section where you have to correct the false answers. Ugh. I swear, Professor Geiger has it out for her students. I’d bet money she gets some sort of sick, perverted pleasure out of how many students she can fail a semester.”

  I popped a bite of pineapple in my mouth. “So do you think you passed?”

  “Oh, hells yes, I passed. I studied my ass off for that test. I’ll be pissed if I get anything lower than an A.” Piper stole one of my croutons before running and grabbing her own lunch.

  She plopped her tray down on the table with a heaping plate of fries and a double bacon cheeseburger. I swore, the girl was the size of a stick and yet could still eat anything she wanted. I hated her for that.

  “Oh my god, Hadley. You’re not going to believe who I just saw in line. Crap. Don’t turn around, okay?”

  I immediately turned around. (Because seriously, what else would you do when someone tells you not to turn around?). Standing in line, waiting to pay for his food, was my ex-boyfriend, Brent.

  My eyes widened as I took him in. He looked as good as always—tall and broad, with defined muscles that used to hold me tight. He’d cut his hair a bit shorter than I was used to, but the new style looked good on him. Then again, there wasn’t a whole lot that looked bad on him.

  I turned my head away, praying he didn’t spot me. “Oh, my god. What’s he doing here? I thought his mom made him live at home for a year because of the whole scandal. Why is he eating on campus?”

  Piper grabbed my hand. “We can leave if you want. Do you want to leave?”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m okay. I’m just surprised, that’s all.”

  “When was the last time you talked to him?”

  “It’s been months. He tried to call a lot right after everything went down, but I refused to talk to him. It hurt too much, thinking about what he did.” My hands clenched, shredding the napkin on my lap. I took a deep breath and made an effort to relax them. “After a while, he just stopped trying. I think the last time I saw him was in the spring, just before finals. We passed each other on campus. He politely said hello and apologized again for everything, and then he walked away. He didn’t ask me to take him back or even forgive him.”

  I dared a glance back over in Brent’s direction. He caught my gaze, and his eyes crinkled a bit as he smiled. He gave me a small wave. I waved back to be polite before returning to my food, pretending to be enamored by the salad.

  Seei
ng Brent again brought back way too many emotions. Catching him with Becca was still so fresh in my mind. We’d been sorority sisters for two years, and I’d thought she was my friend. When I left class early with a massive headache and headed back to Brent’s to lie down, seeing them in the shower together had ripped my heart to shreds. She’d transferred to State after that (thank God). I was pretty sure I’d never be able to erase the image of his hands and lips all over her body from my mind.

  “Hadley?” Piper whispered. “He’s coming over. Do you want me to stop him?”

  I was immediately shaken out of my thoughts at her words. I wiped my mouth with a napkin and shook my head. “No. It’s okay.” At least, I hoped it would be.

  “Hey, Hadley,” Brent began, standing in front of us.

  Piper’s finger drummed softly on the table, and she had a stabby look in her eyes. I knew she was ready to intervene at a moment’s notice. I took a deep breath and stood, facing him.

  “Hi, Brent.”

  “I, um, I just wanted to come over and tell you what a great job you’ve done with the fundraiser this year. It’s all anyone can talk about. You should be really proud of yourself.”

  “Thanks. I had a lot of help, though.”

  Brent’s eyes swung over to Piper, who was staring daggers at him. “Yes, well, in any case, you’re doing a fantastic job. I just wanted to tell you that.”

  “Thanks.” I wasn’t really sure what else to say. We stood there, awkwardly, for a few seconds until Piper stood, too.

  “Hadley, we have class in like ten minutes.”

  “Right.” I nodded, grabbing my tray.

  “I’ll see you later, Hadley.” Brent gave me a little smile before turning and finding a table with a few of the other guys on the football team.