Callie blinks, clearly in a state of shock. “Kayden?”
My eyes snap wide. “Holy shit.”
The infamous Kayden Owens, a guy from Callie’s hometown. Callie stepped in to help Kayden one night right before she came to Laramie, stopping his father from beating the shit out of him. That story made me love her even more, and I secretly wished that she had lived in Mapleville so she could have done the same thing for me.
She abruptly snatches hold of my hand, dragging me toward the entrance, and I suddenly remember Mr. Sexy Eyes. My gaze darts to the stairway, but my mood plummets when I can’t find him anywhere.
Callie grips onto me as she steers us inside, letting go as she leans against the wall, struggling to regain her composure. “That was Kayden Owens,” she says between deep breaths.
My eyes wander back towards the grassy courtyard, where Kayden stands talking to a hot guy who looks like he’s got his panties in a bunch. “The Kayden Owens. The one you saved, right?”
“I didn’t save him.” She bites on her thumbnail. “I just interrupted something.”
“Something that was about to get ugly.”
“Anyone would’ve done the same.” She tries to walk off, but I grab her elbow and pull her back.
She’s not getting away that easy. She needs to understand exactly how amazing she is.
“No, a lot of people would’ve walked by,” I tell her. “It’s a common fact that a lot of people will turn their heads in the other direction. I know this from experience.”
My heart tightens in my chest and for a faltering moment, I’m back in the dirt with fists and feet flying at me. The air smells like hate and in the center of the violence, my body aches.
“I’m sorry you had to go through that,” she says softly.
“Don’t be sorry, Callie. You have your own sad story.”
Offering me a sympathetic smile, we start down the hallway toward a line forming in front of a table stacked with neon pink flyers and pamphlets and plates full of baked goods.
“He didn’t even recognize you.” I shove my way through the crowd to the front of the line and snatch up a pink flyer, along with two cookies. Sugar cookies. My fave.
“He barely acknowledged me, ever.” She shakes her head when I offer her a cookie.
“Well, he should recognize you now.” I nibble on a stale cookie. “You did save his ass from getting beat.”
“It’s not that big a deal,” she says, shrugging me off. “Now, can we please change the subject to something else?”
It’s the second time she’s asked me that today, and I decide it’s probably time to give her a break.
Finishing off the rest of the cookie, I link arms with her and spin around, stopping abruptly when I slam into someone so hard it knocks the wind from me.
“Jesus.” I step back, scowling overdramatically.
When I see who I ran into, though, annoyance turns to holy shit my skin is on fire. Because Mr. Sexy Eyes in all is hotness is standing in front of me, rubbing his forehead.
“Sorry about that,” I quickly apologize, quickly checking him out. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“It’s okay. It was kind of my fault… I wasn’t watching where I was going, either.” He lowers his hand to his side and his gaze flicks between Callie and me, slowly calculating something before offering a lopsided smile.
I return his smile, but can’t think of anything to say. It’s been so long since I’ve flirted that even thinking about doing so sends me back to that night. I can almost feel the grit of the dirt in my mouth, can almost taste the foul tang of blood.
Choosing a course that’s completely out of character for me, I seal my lips shut and walk around him.
“Dude, we both must be cursed today,” Callie says as we push our way through the mob.
“Cursed?” I ask, still slightly distracted over what happened with the sexy stranger. I already wish I could have a do-over, go back and say something. It’s been way, way too long since I flirted and I really do miss it.
“Yeah, with running into people.”
“Oh, yeah, right.” I barely comprehend what she said, my thoughts instead swirling over the guy, who he is, whether he’s a freshman, if he’s thinking about me like I’m completely obsessing over him.
I think about him a lot through freshman orientation, but unfortunately don’t see him again. Maybe it’s for the best. I’m still a little iffy on whether I’m ready to try dating again. Plus, I don’t know if this guy is available or even interested. He looked like he was interested, but I don’t know for sure.
Besides, the cast only came off weeks ago and the wounds and scars are still as fresh as the memory behind them.
Chapter 3
Greyson
I’ve always considered myself pretty lucky. I’ve had a good life, filled with mostly happy memories, and I have two of the most supportive parents. Still, I struggle with coming out of my shell. I’m not shy or anything, but I’m not the chattiest person, either. It makes it difficult to start freshman year at a college clear across the country from where I grew up, but after receiving a photography scholarship from the University of Wyoming, I decided to give a new location a try, embark on a new adventure.
After spending my first weekend cooped up in the one-bedroom apartment my parents helped me rent, I’ve started to question whether I made the right choice.