My Rebound (On My Own #2) - Carrie Ann Ryan Page 0,83

were having a house party now, something to end the semester with. Even though I knew that some kids had left campus soon after the shooting, I didn’t know if they were coming back. It was a horrible thing, and I knew we’d all have to talk about it more, especially on the heels of losing Corinne. But we would. Because our group of eight was close.

Tonight, Dillon and Elise were in the corner, laughing with each other as they danced, but I wasn’t sure they were even dancing to music. I had a feeling that Dillon would propose to Elise this next year, even if it felt like we were all too young. We weren’t. People were getting married left and right at university, some even leaving to have children.

That wasn’t part of my plan anytime soon, and I was cautious about making sure that didn’t happen. But Pacey and I were together. He was my future, even if I didn’t know what would happen after school. Because we were going to figure that future together. I’d found my path, but I didn’t need a rebound or anything I had thought I needed at the beginning of the semester.

I only needed to find what worked for Pacey and me along the way. My biggest surprise.

This wasn’t what I’d thought my future would be, but I was happy. Something I hadn’t thought I could be without everything in place.

“You’re looking all serious,” Natalie said from my side. I looked over at her. She had her hair down and wore thick glasses tonight because her eyes had been itchy from allergies, and she didn’t want to wear her contacts. She looked adorable—at least in my opinion. From the way some of the guys looked at her, I figured they probably thought she looked adorable, too. After all, she was wearing one of my shirts, her breasts a little bit bigger than mine, so they practically poured out.

She looked hot. Okay, so not adorable. And some of the guys clearly noticed.

Tanner and Miles were scowling at her, mostly because I had a feeling they felt like she was like their younger sister and were doing their best to protect her. At least, that’s what I thought. For all I knew, I was as blind with them as I had been with Nessa, and something was secretly going on. Though I didn’t think so.

Tanner left us and the vegetable tray to talk to his former duo, the man and woman he had been dating at the beginning of the semester. They didn’t seem to be fighting, so I counted that as a win, though I still didn’t know what was going on between those three. Tanner had said that he was single, but he sure looked hooked on them still.

Miles left us to go brood in the corner, and I didn’t know what that was about.

Everybody had their issues. But I’d realized I didn’t have to be the one to fix them all. I looked up at Pacey, who had noticed the same things I had. He wasn’t trying to fix them either.

Nessa was absent tonight. I didn’t know where she was, but at least fifty bodies were in this house. She had gone off dancing with another girl I knew from around campus, and I hadn’t seen her since.

We were all getting along better, but it was still a bit awkward. I just hoped that we could work things out in the end. Pacey spun me in his arms as Natalie moved off to talk to someone, and I looked up at him.

“Hi there,” I said.

He kissed me soundly, and someone cheered. “Hello there.”

“You’re looking mighty excited to be here.”

“Oh, I am.” He rubbed against me, and I felt the hard length of him press into me. I blushed, hoping nobody else saw.

We hadn’t made love since before the shooting, but he had a clean bill of health now, so I had a feeling what we would be doing once everybody left.

Or if Pacey had his way, what we would be doing behind a closed door as soon as possible.

“Behave,” I whispered.

“Never.” He took my mouth again, and I sighed, feeling as if we were alone in the world.

I hadn’t meant to fall for Pacey. I shouldn’t have. I should have taken some time for myself and figured out who I needed to be. But I’d realized I could find myself at the same time I found a happily ever after. Something