Campus God (Campus)

So, yeah…in my opinion, he’s capable of almost anything.

A rush of air escapes from my lungs. “I don’t know.” But I refuse to give him the benefit of the doubt or take a chance and get hurt again.

“I hope you’re wrong,” she murmurs before nibbling on her lower lip. “I will literally kick his ass if he attempts to pull something like that.”

Her grumbled out words bring a genuine smile to my face. Sasha and I met during freshman orientation and hit it off right away. We ended up rooming together in the dorms sophomore year and then moved off campus to an apartment junior year. This will be our last year living together before we go our separate ways after college. Out of all the friends I’ve made throughout my life, Sasha is probably the one I feel closest to. I hope we’ll always be in each other’s lives. It’ll be weird not to see her face on a daily basis next year.

There’s a moment of silence before she asks, “But you’re going to give him a chance?”

My lips flatten. “I guess.”

Do I really want to?

No, but we have the same friend group. When I show up at a party, not only do I worry about seeing Andrew, but Crosby as well. If I’m being truthful, the thought of running into him gives me more anxiety than coming face to face with Andrew. I can deal with my ex and easily shut down his persistent advances. For whatever reason, it’s not as easy with the dark-haired guy.

So…maybe this is for the best.

It’s one less person to worry about.

“All right, girl. I gotta get to class. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I paste a smile on my face. “I’m fine. No worries.”

With a wave, Sasha takes off. “See you later.”

“Bye,” I call after her retreating form, watching as she catches up to one of her teammates.

I don’t get more than a handful of steps before my name is shouted above the low babble of conversation. Instantly recognizing the voice, I wince and hasten my pace.

First Crosby and now Andrew.

Can this day get any worse?

Don’t answer that. It was more of a rhetorical question. Everyone knows it can.

And probably will.

When he calls my name for a second time, only louder, I realize I won’t be able to lose him in the crowd. He’s much closer than he was just a handful of seconds ago.

Damn.

Not a minute later, a large palm lands on my shoulder, making escape impossible. Sometimes, I get the feeling that he’s trying to wear me down.

I mean, is that really what he wants?

For me to give in and agree to be his girlfriend because I’m too tired to continue fighting him?

That thought is disturbing on so many levels.

“Hey,” he says, pulling up alongside me with a smile. It’s the same one he’d shoot my way before we got together. It’s all boyish charm and aren’t-I-adorable.

The worst part is that I fell for it. Hook, line, and sinker.

“I’ve been calling you, trying to get your attention. Didn’t you hear me?”

That’s the funny thing. It would never cross Andrew’s mind that I was deliberately ignoring him. His ego is way too big for that.

I huff out an exasperated breath. I’m still rattled from the strange conversation with Crosby to focus on my ex. Before I can pull any excuses from my ass, he tosses a brawny arm around my shoulders and hauls me against his muscular body. It takes a bit of finesse for me to duck from beneath his arm and put some much-needed space between us.

He shoots me a wounded look. “There used to be a time when you couldn’t get close enough. I miss those days.”

“That was before I realized you enjoyed being close to a lot of girls and weren’t owner specific.”

“Babe,” he sighs, “we’ve been through this before.”

Yes, we have.

“And I’ve apologized a hundred times for what happened.”

“That’s because you cheated on me roughly that many times,” I remind, refusing to allow him to guilt trip me into forgiving him.

“You’re exaggerating,” he mutters.

I open my mouth, ready to fire back with a scathing retort before slamming it shut and grinding my teeth. Relief pumps through me as the engineering building looms in the distance. I speed up, only wanting to reach it as quickly as possible.

Instead of responding to the comment, I brush it aside. “Look, I’ve really got to go. I need to speak with one of my professors before class begins,” I lie.

I brace, expecting him to dig in. Instead, he says, “What were you talking with Crosby about?”

I blink, surprised by the abrupt change in conversation. “What?”

Suspicion flashes in his blue eyes before disappearing, making me question whether it was there in the first place.

“I saw you with Crosby and wanted to make sure everything was all right.” There’s a pause as emotion seeps into his voice. “You know I’d kick his ass if he was ever mean to you.”