The Freshman (College Years 1)

“Caleb never knows when to quit,” I explain.

Hayden turns to face me, her hand rising to rest on my chest. “Unlike you?”

“What do you mean by that?” I frown.

“You’re one of the most restrained people I know, Tony Sorrento. Calm. Thoughtful.” She steps closer, her head tilted back as if she’s waiting for a kiss. I give her one, keeping it light. “I like that about you.”

“I’m glad we’re friends,” I tell her in all seriousness as we slowly walk toward the stairs.

She swats my chest and then takes my hand, a smile stretching her lips. “Forget all this friend talk. Take me upstairs and ravish me, sir.”

“Ravish you?” I let her drag me up the stairs, enjoying how eager she seems.

Since the heated kiss at Strummers, I’ve felt the same way.

“I watched Bridgerton on Netflix. I’m all about the historical romance right now. You’re like one of those noble dukes with the stiff upper lip who has a hard time showing his feelings,” she says.

I have no idea what she’s talking about. “I’ll show you something stiff.”

She throws her head back and laughs. “Perfect. That’s what I was hoping for.”

Eighteen

Hayden

The moment we’re in Tony’s room, he’s closing and locking the door—a promising sign—and pulling me into his arms, our bodies flush together so that I can feel every inch of him, and he can feel every inch of me.

I shiver when he leans in and drops a kiss on my bare shoulder, his lips soft and warm, his hands shifting to grip my hips lightly. “Your skin is so smooth,” he murmurs as he shifts inward, his mouth now on my neck, right at my pulse point.

I close my eyes, tilting my head back, trying to banish what I heard earlier from my mind. Yes, I was spying on Tony and Caleb’s conversation, so what? I tuned out what Gracie was saying about Robin, and while I feel bad about it, I was also trying to listen to Tony and his thoughts on relationships.

They haven’t changed from the first time I met him, and the dreamer in me sort of hoped they had. But he’s repeating my own words, yet again. That “relationships are for pussies” remark will haunt me the entire time we’re supposedly together, I know it.

He acts like he’s into me. I’m not dumb. I know when a guy wants to be with me. And it’s not just a sex thing. We’ve messed around. We definitely have a connection. I’m pretty sure tonight is the night we actually have sex, and I actually like this guy. I think he feels the same way.

I don’t want to be just friends with him. I know that much.

Am I setting myself up to fail? Maybe. Am I willing to take that chance?

I don’t know.

Tony is young. And he’s not a believer in high school relationships—God, who is? I’m not a believer in them either. He’s barely out of high school. I’m two years older than he is. Just thinking about a long-term relationship happening between us is probably doomed to fail. When does love ever prevail? Not in any relationship I’ve ever seen.

“Hayden.” Tony’s rumbly voice against my throat pulls me from my thoughts and I take a deep breath. “Where’d you go?”

“I was thinking,” I admit truthfully.

“I must be doing a shit job then,” he says, chuckling into my skin.

“You’re definitely not doing a shit job.” I pull away slightly so I can stare into his deep brown eyes. They’re dark and mysterious, and I wish I knew what he was thinking right now. “I had fun tonight. Despite how awful Bat’s Cave was.”

“They were awful,” he agrees readily. “But I had fun too. I like Gracie.”

“I like Caleb.” I do, even when he’s antagonizing my best friend. “He’s like a twelve-year-old in a man’s body.”

“Exactly. He can get pretty much any girl he wants.”

“Probably not Gracie.”