Well, that didn’t go as expected. I know I’m not always at the top of Holden’s list, but that was downright rude. Is he mad that Ezra asked him to help me collect the rest of my things? I’m half tempted to march in his room and give him an earful, but I stop myself. I’m already running late, and I don’t want to start off living here by fighting with Holden. I’m sure we will have our moments, but I would like to avoid them if possible.
I don’t know why I let him get to me.
I grab my bag and go wait by his rusty heap for him.
The whole ride to campus he doesn’t speak.
I break the silence. “What did you mean when you said that Ezra was probably fucking Judy?”
His grip on the steering wheel tightens. “Don’t know what you are talking about.” He stares straight ahead, unable to meet my eyes.
“I took you for a lot of things, Holden, but a liar wasn’t one of them.”
“I was drunk and being an asshole,” he offers with a shrug of his shoulder, but he still won’t look at me.
An uneasy feeling burns in the pit of my stomach, and I suddenly don’t feel like meeting with my advisor. I want to tell Holden to drive me to Ezra’s office, so I can see for myself just how closely he is working alongside of Judy, but I don’t. I trust Ezra. I do, so why am I questioning it?
We make it to campus in record time, but there aren’t any decent parking spaces near the admissions building.
“It’s fine, I can walk. Just let me out here.”
“You aren’t walking that far in the cold rain, Con, you’ll catch a cold,” Holden growls at me.
Finally, a space opens up and Holden scrambles to lock it in before someone else nabs it. I hate being late, it makes me flustered and ruins my whole day. Not that it isn’t ruined already, between Ezra having to work, Holden’s jerkface performance, and now my being late, today is perfectly terrible. I’m not impressed with the start of my day. I thought Tuesdays were supposed to be a good day.
Today is feeling a hell of a lot more like a dirty Monday.
Grabbing my bag with my form in it, I thank Holden, and I make a mad dash for the administrative offices.
If I cut through the grass it will get me there faster, at least that’s my plan until I go sliding on the wet lawn and fall on my ass. Pain shoots up my elbow and I am scared to look at my wrist and see the damage.
Tears prick in the corners of my eyes as rain pelts down on me. Today my patience is really being tested.
I give. Screw the meeting, I will reschedule.
Mortified, I begrudgingly take the hand offered to me. Holden.
I sigh in relief as he hovers an umbrella over my head. “Thanks,” I tell him, using my good hand.
; “Are you okay? I saw you go flying and tried to run after you, but I wasn’t fast enough.” He’s rolling his lips inward, fighting the laughter erupting from his chest.
I offer him a weak smile. “I’ll live. My wrist is hurting, but I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Just a little rain.” He grins again looking over my soaked appearance. “Looks like you have shitty britches.”
I flip him the bird and make the humiliating walk to my former dorm. I can hear snickers and giggles as people get a load at the mud that is marking the ass of my jeans.
Outside of my dorm, the rain has slowed to sprinkling.
“I’m gonna grab a coffee while you get cleaned up. I’ll see if I can find a closer parking space and see what we can fit into the cab of my truck. We can make a few trips if needed.”
“Thanks, Holden.”
“No problem.”
He walks off leaving me alone with my thoughts.