Hazed (Palm South University)

“And what about me?” Kip teases with an arched brow. “Think you can cast the right guy to fill my shoes?”

“Never,” she answers easily, wrapping her arms around him and kissing his chin as she looks up at him with a tipsy smile. “I’ll find a suitable actor, don’t you worry. But only I get the real thing.”

Adam and I exchange smiles when they practically start making out, but suddenly, a rowdy group of freshmen bump into our table and send our beers sloshing out of the plastic cups containing them.

“Jesus!” Adam yells, steadying the table as the rest of us reach out to hold the beers. Once everything is calm again, we all laugh, shaking our heads.

“I remember my first time in this bar,” Kip says, throwing his arm around Skyler with a smile. “It’s when I bet on you and won your heart.”

“Uh,” Skyler says, holding up a finger. “I’m pretty sure all you did was piss me off, and then stalk me when I told you to leave me alone afterward.”

“You were going to a sketchy part of town to play in a poker tournament. I had to protect you.”

“Oh, really? And how did that work out?”

I laugh, remembering from Skyler’s stories that Kip almost got into a fight with a guy Skyler had beaten at the tournament.

“All I know is that night didn’t end until morning,” Kip says, waggling his brows. “With me and you on the beach at sunrise. And for that reason, I’d do it all again, given the chance.”

Skyler blushes, shoving Kip playfully before she leans into him. And I know that look on her face when she casts her gaze up at him, her head on his shoulder.

Hopeless.

The girl is just absolutely hopeless.

“I remember my first time at this bar, too,” I say, smiling at Skyler. “It was the night I became your Little.”

“Oh my gosh!” Skyler squeals. “That’s right! Awww, I got you a fake ID and everything.”

“You did. And you,” I say, poking Adam in the ribs. “You danced with Skyler while I pined for you from afar.”

“Okay, that’s not fair,” he says, poking me back. “I didn’t know you were pining for anything. You played it cool for a girl who was supposedly so smitten.”

“Well, I had to! My Big called dibs!”

“Gah, I still can’t believe I was so blind to that,” Skyler says, shaking her head.

“Can we change the subject?” Kip asks, frowning. “I don’t like to think about you two banging.” He points between Adam and Skyler, and my nose wrinkles with the notion.

“Yeah, I think that’s a time I’d like to forget, too.”

“What, you don’t like being Eskimo sisters, Little?” Skyler teases, which makes Adam laugh out loud until I elbow him in the side.

Kip pulls Skyler out onto the dance floor, then, leaving me and Adam alone. I take a long pull of the fruity mystery cocktail the bartender poured me for happy hour, and when I set the drink down again, Adam is watching me with a curious smile.

“What?” I ask. “Something on my face?”

I’m already patting my cheeks and the corners of my lips when Adam chuckles, scooting his barstool closer. He slips his knee between my legs, his hands resting on my hips.

“No, you’re beautiful.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

He shrugs. “Just thinking. Reminiscing.” He pauses. “It’s just… this is all so real now.”

I tilt my head.

“That story we were just talking about, it just reminded me how far we’ve come. I mean, I can still remember the first time I saw you by the slip and slide at the Kappa Kappa Beta house. I can remember thinking you were so cute, but not realizing I actually had feelings for you for so long. We played so many games…” He shakes his head. “God, I remember the first time I saw you dancing with Clay. In this bar, Halloween. Do you remember?”

I scoff. “I try to forget everything about him.”

“Well, I remember distinctly how badly I wanted to rip his head off.”

“But you were with Skyler.”

“I know. That’s the point.”

“What is?”

Adam smirks, grabbing my barstool and pulling me closer to him. “That through all the years, no matter who else was in the picture, no matter how many games we’ve played… it’s always been you and me.”

He steals my smile with a kiss, long and sensual, one that makes me wish we weren’t in a crowded bar full of strangers.

“You’re applying to med school,” he says, his lips still hovering over mine. “I’m starting to look for a job. We’re both graduating soon.” Adam shakes his head, tucking my hair behind one hear as his warm brown eyes stare into mine. “We’re about to start our lives together, Cassie.”

I chuckle. “Are you sure you want to, after everything I’ve put you through?”