studio door. “This is what gets us through. This is our happy place.”
I hug him again, breathing him in until he pulls back and looks me in the eyes again. I look at his lips and bite my own, fighting the urge to kiss him. When he reaches out to touch my cheek, I remember.
I don’t want Chase. I want Ben. Ben. Ben. I say the name over and over. Ben is why I’m here at NJU. Ben . Yet it’s Chase standing here with me in this new, exciting place, whose lips are so close to mine. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. I have to remember who I am, why I’m here.
When I open my eyes, I’m back. Juliet Anderson. Evander, Pennsylvania. I smile at Chase. “I’m so glad we ended up in Sheridan together, Train Boy.”
He lets go of me. “Me too, gorgeous. And it’s Sexy Train Man .”
Chapter Six
Chase
On the ride back to campus, Juliet dozes off with her head resting on my shoulder. I bury my nose in her hair and inhale the floral scent. I never want to wake her.
By the time we arrive at NJU, we’re too late for lunch, so we head straight to the Student Center for coffee and junk food instead of going to the bookstore. Back on campus, Juliet becomes her playful, somewhat arrogant self and teases me about Tina. “I know girls like her. All, ‘Chase, we have art together,’ and ‘Chase let’s sit next to each other and talk about pencils.’” I try to act annoyed but can’t help smirking at her ridiculous impression. “Then suddenly it’s, ‘Chase I love you and want to have your babies.’”
I cringe at the word “babies,” then bend down and pull a handful of grass to throw at her. She squeals and runs away. Of course I chase after her. Her body twists out of my grasp, and I can’t catch her until she stops dead in her tracks.
Her face glosses over and she stares past me. I turn and see the object of her attention. Ben and Megan walk out of the Student Center, holding ice cream cones and smiling.
I’d almost forgotten about him.
Juliet’s entire mood changes as she points to Ben and Megan. “I can’t believe that’s really happening.” Just like that, I lose her. “You’ll help me?”
She’s his girl. We’re only getting to know each other, while she’s been in love with him for years. I’m nothing more to her than the boy down the hall who took her to the city to try to cheer her up. She followed Ben to college from Pennsylvania. My gut twists, and I force out the answer she wants. “That’s what friends do.”
She directs her sexy, devious smile toward me then yells to Ben. He says something to Megan, and the two of them join us. After we greet each other, Ben turns his attention to Juliet. “I’ve been texting you all day.”
“You have?” She reaches into my backpack for her phone.
He leans closer as she scrolls through texts and I hear him whisper, “I’m sorry about last night.” He eyes me, and I assume he’s grateful, not jealous. Or at least I hope so, considering the size of his arms. “Anyway, I ran into Megan, and we had lunch together.”
Juliet’s toothy smile is way too big to be real. “Great.”
“I wouldn’t call it lunch .” Megan says. “It was more like drinks and crackers and chips. Hot lunch looked disgusting.” She and Ben laugh. The way Juliet gives them the death stare makes me want to strangle someone.
“I’m going to head back. You guys coming?” I take off with long strides in the direction of Sheridan, leaving them behind.
Inside, the television blares over the pounding of the treadmill, competing with the classic rock blasting from down the hall. Maggie keeps one hand over her free ear as she talks on the phone outside of room three.
I unlock room six without a glance behind me.
Within seconds, Ben joins me and Juliet peeks in. “Thanks for today,” she says.
I wave, she disappears, and Ben and I collapse onto our beds.
He groans. “I’m so fucking beat. Practice was killer. I need sleep.”
I grunt a
I hug him again, breathing him in until he pulls back and looks me in the eyes again. I look at his lips and bite my own, fighting the urge to kiss him. When he reaches out to touch my cheek, I remember.
I don’t want Chase. I want Ben. Ben. Ben. I say the name over and over. Ben is why I’m here at NJU. Ben . Yet it’s Chase standing here with me in this new, exciting place, whose lips are so close to mine. I take a deep breath and shut my eyes. I have to remember who I am, why I’m here.
When I open my eyes, I’m back. Juliet Anderson. Evander, Pennsylvania. I smile at Chase. “I’m so glad we ended up in Sheridan together, Train Boy.”
He lets go of me. “Me too, gorgeous. And it’s Sexy Train Man .”
Chapter Six
Chase
On the ride back to campus, Juliet dozes off with her head resting on my shoulder. I bury my nose in her hair and inhale the floral scent. I never want to wake her.
By the time we arrive at NJU, we’re too late for lunch, so we head straight to the Student Center for coffee and junk food instead of going to the bookstore. Back on campus, Juliet becomes her playful, somewhat arrogant self and teases me about Tina. “I know girls like her. All, ‘Chase, we have art together,’ and ‘Chase let’s sit next to each other and talk about pencils.’” I try to act annoyed but can’t help smirking at her ridiculous impression. “Then suddenly it’s, ‘Chase I love you and want to have your babies.’”
I cringe at the word “babies,” then bend down and pull a handful of grass to throw at her. She squeals and runs away. Of course I chase after her. Her body twists out of my grasp, and I can’t catch her until she stops dead in her tracks.
Her face glosses over and she stares past me. I turn and see the object of her attention. Ben and Megan walk out of the Student Center, holding ice cream cones and smiling.
I’d almost forgotten about him.
Juliet’s entire mood changes as she points to Ben and Megan. “I can’t believe that’s really happening.” Just like that, I lose her. “You’ll help me?”
She’s his girl. We’re only getting to know each other, while she’s been in love with him for years. I’m nothing more to her than the boy down the hall who took her to the city to try to cheer her up. She followed Ben to college from Pennsylvania. My gut twists, and I force out the answer she wants. “That’s what friends do.”
She directs her sexy, devious smile toward me then yells to Ben. He says something to Megan, and the two of them join us. After we greet each other, Ben turns his attention to Juliet. “I’ve been texting you all day.”
“You have?” She reaches into my backpack for her phone.
He leans closer as she scrolls through texts and I hear him whisper, “I’m sorry about last night.” He eyes me, and I assume he’s grateful, not jealous. Or at least I hope so, considering the size of his arms. “Anyway, I ran into Megan, and we had lunch together.”
Juliet’s toothy smile is way too big to be real. “Great.”
“I wouldn’t call it lunch .” Megan says. “It was more like drinks and crackers and chips. Hot lunch looked disgusting.” She and Ben laugh. The way Juliet gives them the death stare makes me want to strangle someone.
“I’m going to head back. You guys coming?” I take off with long strides in the direction of Sheridan, leaving them behind.
Inside, the television blares over the pounding of the treadmill, competing with the classic rock blasting from down the hall. Maggie keeps one hand over her free ear as she talks on the phone outside of room three.
I unlock room six without a glance behind me.
Within seconds, Ben joins me and Juliet peeks in. “Thanks for today,” she says.
I wave, she disappears, and Ben and I collapse onto our beds.
He groans. “I’m so fucking beat. Practice was killer. I need sleep.”
I grunt a
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