Campus Hottie (Campus)

“It’s going,” I mumble.

His brows furrow as he quietly studies my notebook. It’s tempting to lay a palm over my chicken scratches so he can’t attempt to decipher them. Instead, I keep my hands locked tightly together in my lap. My eyes widen as he settles on the couch next to me. The cushion dips, tipping me toward him until his khaki-covered thigh rests against the bare skin that peeks out from beneath the hem of my skirt. He’s so close that I’m inundated by the spicy scent of his cologne.

Our shoulders brush as he leans forward and picks up my pencil, erasing the last couple steps of the problem I’d spent ten minutes working on. “This is where you went wrong.” He writes out the sequence before arriving easily at the answer.

My brows snap together as I stare at the paper. How does he make it look so effortless when it’s anything but? Without his assistance, I probably would’ve wasted another fifteen minutes before I figured out where I went wrong.

If I ever figured out where I went wrong.

It's tempting to pick up the book and hurl it through the window.

“Do you see what I did there?” he asks as I silently stew.

“Yeah. It was a stupid mistake,” I admit.

His head turns until our gazes can lock and hold. With him sitting this close, I’m able to see the vibrant color of his eyes more clearly behind the black-rimmed glasses. They’re a deep and rich blue, like cobalt. All the tiny flecks that dance around within his irises are mesmerizing.

I clear my throat as a jolt of unease shoots through me. It’s tempting to shift away so that there’s more space between us, but I resist the urge. It’s not like we’re alone together in some dark room. Or he’s making moves on me. For goodness’ sake, it’s mid morning and we’re in the middle of the coffee shop on campus where dozens of students are milling around. No one seems to be paying us the least bit of attention. I’m overreacting. I need to chill out and be thankful the guy took pity on me and decided to offer his assistance. He’s saved me from a lot of headaches.

“Tell you what,” he glances at the chunky silver watch adorning his wrist, “I’ve got about thirty minutes before my next class. Why don’t we work through a few more problems?”

His generous offer takes me by surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah.” The sun-kissed skin around his eyes and mouth crinkles as he smiles. “I’m happy to help.”

“Thank you.” I nod, grateful I don’t have to figure out the rest of the assignment on my own. Especially when I wasted so much time on answers that weren’t even correct. There are a few people I usually go to for help. Sierra is a whiz when it comes to science and math. Since she’s in the nursing program, she’s already taken statistics, but she’s overloaded with coursework and always busy. Sometimes I work with my brother, but with football, Sydney, and classes, he doesn’t have a lot of free time. As much as I enjoy studying with Mike, after about thirty minutes, we end up goofing around and running lines for the play.

And then there’s Carson...

After the Sig Ep party, I’d sooner fail then ask him for anything.

“All right,” my professor says, “let’s get to work.”

Chapter Ten

Carson

I haul my backpack onto my shoulder as I cut through the heart of campus before glancing at my sports watch. There’s about twenty minutes before class begins. That’s more than enough time to grab a coffee. I need a dose of caffeine, and I hate sucking down too many energy drinks. All they do is make me feel jittery. At the moment, I’m running on fumes. I haven’t gotten a decent night’s sleep in a week.

And it’s all because of the dark-haired beauty who has gone into avoidance mode. The girl won’t even respond to my texts. Not only has she disappeared from campus, but she’s vanished from my life without a trace. It’s tempting to show up unannounced at her dorm room just to make sure everything is all right, but I know it is. The fact that she has no problem answering Brayden’s text messages is all the proof I need.

Deep down, I realize this separation was inevitable. Over the years, we’ve become too close, and I enjoy spending time with her a little too much. And what occurred at the party can’t be allowed to happen again.

So yeah...

This is for the best.

What I didn’t anticipate is how hard it would be to have her ripped from my life. This is the longest we’ve gone without talking since she stepped foot on campus freshman year. Somehow, when I wasn’t looking, Elle Kendricks managed to burrow her way into my heart. If I’m being brutally honest with myself, I’m desperate to catch sight of her. I’m like a man dying of thirst.