The Blythe College Complete Series Box Set

by Rochelle Paige

  I sat down at the table, stumped by how I would get out of this. I was a nervous eater, so I filled my plate up as I snuck glances at Jackson.

  “You don’t have to look so thrilled at the idea of me giving you a ride home,” he complained as he piled eggs and toast on his own plate.

  “Maybe I’m still waiting for that apology that you mentioned earlier. The one you owe me for being an ass when you assumed I was some booty call that you had to sneak out of your parents’ house before anyone saw me?” I whispered since I could hear his mom coming down the stairs and didn’t want to embarrass myself any further with her.

  “I’m so glad to see you both eating,” his mom said as she walked into the kitchen. “Jackson, you look none the worse for wear after feeling so ill last night. It’s a good thing that your immune system is so disgustingly strong or you’d be down for days with the bug that’s going around.”

  “It didn’t seem so good last night with the way I felt,” he complained.

  “Well then it’s a good thing Kaylie was there to rescue you, isn’t it?” she reminded him before turning to me. “Thanks again for bringing him home last night. I’m sure it wasn’t easy talking him into letting you help, especially since it meant you drove that beastly truck of his.”

  “I think he was just sick enough to listen to reason without putting up too much of a fight,” I said.

  “That’s good to hear. I hope you don’t mind that we’ve asked Jackson to give you a ride back to your dorm. My husband had an early morning meeting, and I need to run or I’m going to be late. And since he’s apparently going to be heading in the same direction, it seemed to be the perfect solution.”

  “That will be fine, Mrs. Silver,” I said. “Thanks for making me breakfast. I don’t get to have a home-cooked meal like this very often.”

  “Oh, please call me Megan. You just saved my Jackson from what could have been a disastrous night and are friends with Aubrey from what she told me when she let me know you were on your way over. And you’re more than welcome to come over any time you want a nice meal, sweetie.”

  “My mom really should have had more kids with the way she keeps trying to adopt all of the ones we bring home,” Jackson joked.

  “That’s a good thing. You remind me of my roommate’s mom. She’s always so welcoming whenever I go to visit.”

  “Thank you, Kaylie. That’s quite a compliment. I only wish Jackson appreciated me a little bit more,” she teased him as she poured us both a glass of orange juice.

  “You know I think you’re the best, Mom,” Jackson said as he jumped up to give her a quick hug.

  “And don’t you forget it!” she replied. “Speaking of forgetting, I hope you remembered to thank Kaylie for her help and to apologize for scaring her this morning. The poor girl had just woken up in a strange house and the first thing that happens is she’s accosted by my cranky boy in the hallway.”

  I giggled at her comment, happy to hear that she didn’t think poorly of me after finding us in Jackson’s room. “Nope, he hasn’t actually gotten around to that part yet,” I said. “He’s mentioned owing me an apology, if that helps any.”

  “Oh, you’ll get your apology. Don’t worry about that. And a thank-you for all of your help,” he said with a gleam in his eye that I just didn’t trust.

  “Perfect! Now I need to head out or else. I hope this isn’t the last time I get to see you, Kaylie,” she said as she bent down to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. “And you better behave, Jackson. Don’t go making her think that your mom didn’t raise you right.”

  “Even if he doesn’t, I already know you raised Aubrey right, so it will only reflect badly on Jackson and not you,” I joked as she walked out the door.

  “If you’re friends with Aubrey, how come I haven’t seen you around before?” Jackson asked between bites of his breakfast.

  “We’ve only really gotten to know each other recently. We have a dance class together.”

  “And does my sister know you’re also friends with Sasha? Because I’m pretty sure that would go over with her like a lead balloon,” he said, picking up his plate to take it to the sink. He gestured at my empty one and grabbed it on the way.

  “I never said I was friends with Sasha,” I pointed out as I helped him clear the rest of the table. “She’s just my neighbor at the dorm.”

  “Well aren’t you just a good girl then?” he asked. “You run to the rescue of someone who I’m sure is the neighbor from hell and you help strange guys make it home to their parents when they get sick in the bar.”

  “I didn’t run to Sasha’s rescue. I came over to ask you guys to keep it down so I could get some sleep and stayed when I realized that it was never going to happen anyway until you left,” I argued.

  “And do you pick up strangers in bars often?”

  “You weren’t a stranger, Jackson,” I reminded him. “And I didn’t pick you up.”

  “You got in my truck, came to my house, and slept in my shirt. Seems pretty damn close to picking me up in a bar. We just missed out on the really good parts.”

  “No, the really good part is going to be you thanking me and apologizing for accosting me in the hallway before you take me back to the dorm, where I can pretend this morning never happened.”

  “Hmmmm,” he murmured. “I think I can do better than a half-assed apology like that. What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t treat a friend of Aubrey’s right? I’ll just have to think of something on the ride back. You ready to go?”

  “Yes, absolutely! Please, let’s go right now!”

  Chapter 4

  Jackson

  I wasn’t sure what to think about this Kaylie chick. I’d thought she was hot when I’d thrown Sasha’s door open and found her standing on the other side, glaring at me in her pajamas. The fact that I’d even noticed her in the middle of that clusterfuck was kind of a surprise. Then, when I realized it was her legs I was staring at from underneath my t-shirt this morning, I swear I was tempted to toss her on the bed and bury my cock deep inside her. No way in hell was I actually going to do it, but I was pissed at the thought that I might have gotten wasted enough to bring her to my parents’ house and then not been able to remember anything about the whole night.

  When my mom explained what had really happened, I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved that I hadn’t gotten in her panties the night before or frustrated because that meant I might have blown my chance to get in them after how I’d acted this morning. Which didn’t make sense because I usually couldn’t care less who ended up in my bed as long as they followed the rules while they were there. I liked being in charge, in control. Only she’d seen me at some of my worst moments lately, and now the tables were turned. She had the power because she’d done me a favor when I needed it.

  I glanced over to see Kaylie looking out the window. She seemed pretty immune to my charm. That alone was enough to make me interested in her, since all the other girls on campus seemed so easy to get into bed. Or maybe she had decided that I was a total douche since she’d seen me yelling at Sasha and then I’d treated her like shit this morning. My mom was right, dammit. I did owe her an apology and a thank-you. And one of the things I really hated was owing anyone anything.

  “So what exactly happened last night?” I asked to get her attention.

  “Nothing bad. Char thought she’d over-served you, but I realized you were sick. I sent Aubrey a text and she thought it would be best if I drove you back to your parents’ place. It was late, I was really tired, and your mom suggested that I spend the night. You were awake and alert for everything after that,” she listed out for me.

  “And you drove my truck?”

  That question caught her attention, and she turned in her seat to face me. “Yup. I think that was the best part. You didn’t seem too happy to give up the car keys at first, but you were feeling so bad that you just climbed in and fell asleep while I was driving, baby boy.”

  “That’s pretty
bold, using my mom’s nickname for me. You sure you want to go there?” I asked.

  She laughed at my warning. “I don’t know, Jackson. Are you going to call me little girl anymore? Because even when you were sick you still managed to call me that. Turnabout is fair play and all that.”

  “See, now that’s where you’re wrong. I’m not really into being fair. I like the odds stacked in my favor.”

  “I guess it’s just too damn bad for you that they aren’t then,” she teased.

  “That’s the nice thing about odds, Kaylie. They can change at any time.”

  “It doesn’t mean they will shift in your favor though,” she pointed out.

  “Is that a challenge?” I asked, sorely tempted to prove to her that I could come out on top with this thing that was simmering between us. Because I certainly wouldn’t mind getting literally on top of her. She was a tempting sight riding next to me, even in her Roost t-shirt and jeans with no makeup on. There was just something about her that pulled me in.

  “Nope,” she answered.

  “That’s it? You don’t have anything else to add?” Usually girls prattled on endlessly, trying to get my attention.

  “Yeah,” she said before pointing to the left. “You’re gonna want to turn here for my dorm. Just in case you forgot.”

  Damn, she cracked me the fuck up. She really didn’t seem to care what she said, how she looked, or if I was flirting with her.

  “No backseat driving allowed in my truck, Kaylie.”

  “I’m not even in the back seat. Besides, that was navigating,” she said with a big grin on her pretty face.

  “Smartass. I know where your dorm is.”

  “Better a smartass than a dumbass,” she giggled.

  I couldn’t help but laugh at her comment. “I don’t think I’ve heard it put that way before, but I guess it’s true,” I said as I pulled into the parking lot.

  “That’s what my dad used to always say to my mom when she got sassy with him,” she whispered. She’d turned back to look out the window again, her arms wrapped around her body.

  “Used to?” I asked, startled by how fragile she suddenly looked. The sassy girl from a moment ago had disappeared in a blink of an eye with the mention of her parents.

  “Yeah,” she answered, not offering any more details.

  I parked in front of her dorm and twisted my body so I was facing her before unlocking the doors so she could get out. “Well then I better not be a dumbass anymore. Because I’m pretty sure that’s what you think I am.”

  That seemed to startle her back to the present. “Not at all!”

  “Okay, how about a douche then? You didn’t have to come to my rescue last night, but you did. And I appreciate it. The last thing you deserved after helping me out was me jumping to the wrong idea about what happened and trying to kick you out before anyone else saw you. I’m sorry about that by the way.”

  “It’s okay. I get that you were really out of it last night and didn’t know what was going on this morning,” she said, completely willing to let me off the hook.

  “No, it’s not okay. I would want to kick someone’s ass if they treated Aubrey like that after she helped them out. Then again, I’d probably kick hers first for driving off with a guy she didn’t really know.”

  “I’d love to see you try to kick Aubrey’s butt for doing whatever she wants.”

  “Oh, trust me. My little sis knows just how far she can push me. But that’s beside the point. I owe you one, and I want to pay you back. How about dinner?” I asked.

  Kaylie’s jaw just about dropped at my offer. “Ummm, I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Jackson,” she said.

  And now she’d shocked the shit out of me. I hadn’t had a girl say no to anything I’d offered in a very long time. The weird thing was that I kinda liked it—this push and pull between us. It wasn’t easy, but it was fun.

  “But how else am I supposed to even things up between us?”

  “Who said you had to?” she retorted.

  “Me. I did. And my mom. Aubrey would too. You don’t want me to get into trouble with my mom and sister, do you?” I asked, laying on the guilt.

  “No, I wouldn’t,” she sighed. “But does it have to be dinner? My schedule is pretty crazy right now.”

  “I’m sure you can squeeze me in. My mom already did the breakfast thing, and lunch doesn’t really scream ‘Thank you.’”

  I hesitated for a moment, contemplating his offer. “Fine. You can take me to dinner tomorrow night,” she conceded.

  “Awww, c’mon. Not tonight?” I knew that I was pushing it, but I just couldn’t stop myself.

  “I have a shift at the bar again, so that wouldn’t work unless you want to do an early-bird special at the local diner with all the senior citizens.”

  “Yeah, I think I’ll pass on that. Tomorrow night it is then. Pick you up at six?” I replied, wanting to nail down the details.

  “Sure. Now that we have that out of the way, can you let me out? I’ve got stuff to do today before I have to go to work,” she said, gesturing at the lock on her door.

  I watched her climb out of the truck and walk into the dorm. Damn, her ass looked good in jeans. I wouldn’t mind if my thank-you dinner turned into a night of me giving her something to be thankful for, that was for sure.

  As I pulled out of the parking lot, my cell rang with my sister’s ringtone. “Hey,” I answered.

  “Morning, Jackson. You feeling any better? I tried calling the house to check on you, but nobody answered.”

  “Yeah, I'm fine. Just dropped your friend off at her dorm and I'm on my way back to the frat house,” I said.

  “Ugh! I hate you so much. I can't believe that you were basically comatose last night and are perfectly fine this morning. You know that if I come down with so much as a cold I’m knocked out for days. So unfair!” she complained.

  “You snooze you lose, sis. That’s what happens when you’re the runt of the litter,” I teased.

  “Litter!” she laughed. “Dude, you better not let Mom hear you comparing her to a dog or your ass is grass. And there are only two of us, so it’s not like I’m the runt. I’m just younger and prettier than you.”

  “Since you mentioned young and pretty, what do you know about Kaylie?”

  “No!” she yelled in my ear. “Not just no, but hell no. You’re my brother and I love you dearly, but you know that I absolutely hate when you mess around with one of my friends. And I could easily see her becoming one of my few close friends. So do me a favor and don’t go there, okay? There are lots of other girls on campus who I’m sure would be more than happy to entertain you for a night or two if you’re ready to jump back on the crazy train again. Pick one of them instead. Hell, pick a few of them and have a party for all I care.”

  “I didn’t say I was going to mess around with Kaylie. I just asked what you know about her because I’m taking her to dinner to thank her for helping me out last night,” I defended.

  “I know how you are with girls, Jackson. Although I don’t know when the last time was that you had to buy a girl dinner first. Just don’t go there with her, okay? She’s really nice and I don’t want her to hate me when you screw her and toss her aside.”

  “Damn, sis. Give me a little bit of credit here. I owe her one and am just paying her back with a meal, okay?”

  “You don’t have any credit left with me when it comes to my friends, Jackson. I have had too many girls try to become my friend because they want to get closer to you, only to come crying to me when they realize that a night of sex is just that to you and they haven’t bagged you as their boyfriend.”

  “And that’s why you should be thanking me instead of ragging on me about this. Any chick who plays games like that with you deserves to be used,” I reminded her.

  “I know, but Kaylie is different. She’s nice and likes to help people instead of use them to her advantage. My being your sister didn’t factor into our friendship until last night
when she helped me out by making sure you were okay.”

  “I thought you’d be happy that I was taking someone like her to dinner, even if it was just to pay her back,” I pointed out.

  “Of course I want you to date someone nice, but you don’t date. You just mess around. Besides which, she isn’t the type of girl who has one-night stands anyway. So go sniff somewhere else.”

  “Jesus, Aubrey. Sniffing around?”

  “Hey, you started it with the whole litter comment. But seriously, don’t fuck up my friendship with Kaylie just because you want to get laid. Okay?” she asked.

  “I hear ya, but I’ve gotta run. Got things to do and places to sniff. Talk to you later, sis,” I said before hanging up on her.

  I didn’t really have any idea what was going to happen at dinner tomorrow night with Kaylie, but I was interested in her in a way I hadn’t been with another girl before. I knew my sister didn’t keep track of my sex life, but it was pretty clear from our conversation that she didn’t know that I’d refrained from one-stands this year. At first it had been because I was focused on Lex being on campus, but once she and Drake had hooked up, I’d realized that it didn’t hold the same appeal it had before. Sure, the sex was great and I missed the release that I’d get. But I’d spent plenty of time fucking around, and I wasn’t sure that’s what I wanted to do anymore. But that sure as hell didn’t mean I’d turn down a night in Kaylie’s bed if she offered.

  Chapter 5

  Kaylie

  I crept into our room as quietly as I possibly could, hopeful that Charlotte had fallen back asleep after she’d gotten my text letting her know I was okay and had just fallen asleep last night since I’d been so tired. I hated when she was pissed at me, and I totally got why she was angry right now. I sat down on the bed and pulled off my shoes. I could use a little more sleep myself since it was going to be another late night at the bar.

  “Don’t think for a second that I don’t hear you over there,” I heard Charlotte mumble from under her covers.