Hazed (Palm South University)

“With a karaoke twist now.”

“Lord, help us all.”

I chuckle, smoothing my thumb over her wrist. Cassie locks her gaze on mine for a long while before she’s watching the band again, sipping her champagne, and I can see it without her saying a word.

She wants to dance.

Folding my napkin and setting it beside our half-eaten, red velvet cake, I extend my hand for hers, taking her out to the floor to sway alongside Jess and Kade. It’s like we start a trend, because before we know it, the entire dance floor is full.

And a bunch of college kids are dancing to a Billie Holiday song.

Who would have thought?

As I hold Cassie in my arms, I can’t help but feel that same sentimental bug crawling under my skin. I’ll miss being here with her, miss going to frat parties and formals and spring breaks with her. I have no doubt the next chapter in my life holds Cassie in it, but I’d also be stupid to think it wouldn’t be different.

Even with all we’ve been through, college is nothing compared to what waits for us in the real world.

And that fact is thrown in my face every time I go to apply for the Alpha Sigma Field Executive position.

Being a part of the national organization as a college graduate makes my heart race any time I think about it. Some nights, I can’t sleep because I get so excited thinking about what campuses I’d be sent to, the young men I’d get to meet and shape, the organizations I could turn around.

But in the same breath, I lose sleep when I remember the sobering facts.

Not only would I be away from Cassie in her last semester as a college student, but none of the schools she wants to apply to for med school have an Alpha Sigma chapter. In fact, most of them don’t even have a chapter within a hundred miles.

Which means if I do land my dream job, I’d be far away from my dream girl.

And while I know our love is strong and we have already made it through so many trials, I feel sick at the thought of losing her in exchange for having a career.

“I think I smell smoke.”

I arch a brow, snapping back to the present moment when Cassie taps my temple.

She chuckles. “What are you thinking so hard about over there?”

I smile, letting out a long release of a breath. “Lots of things. But most of all, how gorgeous you look tonight.”

She blushes, that familiar shade of crimson coloring her cheeks just like it did the first day I met her. “You just want to get me out of this dress.”

“Oh, I definitely do. And I intend to as soon as possible. But first,” I say when the song ends, doing a dramatic bow as I kiss her hand. “I have some business to attend to.”

She giggles, turning to the side to let me kiss her cheek when I’m upright again. Then, I make my way over to Kade, tearing him away from Jess — which is no easy feat — and taking him off to the side of the dance floor. Jess makes her way over to Cassie, taking my seat at our table, and once they’re settled, I focus on Kade.

“You did a phenomenal job putting this all together,” I say.

He shrugs. “Ah, it was a team effort. I couldn’t have done it alone.”

“No,” I agree. “But it wouldn’t be happening at all if not for you. This isn’t just some frat party, or just another cheesy costume event that anyone could slap together. It has finesse. And I’m being honest when I say no one has impressed me this much since I impressed my own damn self coming up with the A Sig concert idea.”

Kade laughs.

“I’m serious, man,” I say, shoving my hands in my pockets. I look around at the event, taking it all in. “Have you thought about going for president?”

When I look back at Kade, his jaw is practically on the floor, his eyes wide as he blinks at me repeatedly. “Is that a joke?”

“No,” I say with a chuckle of my own. “Come on, man. I mean, you threw this together in less than a month. You have raw leadership skills and the ability to get the guys fired up and excited about something. That alone is enough to make a good president, but on top of that, you’re smart and motivated and creative. You’ve got the chops.”

Kade frowns, then laughs, shaking his head as he looks around at our brothers and their dates. “I… I don’t know, man.”

“Well, I do.” I clap him on the shoulder. “You don’t have to make a decision tonight, okay? Just think about it.”

His frown is still in place, but he nods, offering me what smile he can manage. “Thanks, Adam.”