The girl had long, kinky brown hair, eyes that were almost black, along with an easy smile that took over her face in the blink of an eye. The guy she was with, whether he was her boyfriend or not, was wide, muscled and strong, with brown hair that was spiked on top and eyes as crisp and clear as the blue sky above us.
If they were together, they made a cute couple. I wondered if people thought Mason and I made a cute couple, or me and Calum.
“Don’t be,” she said. “I wasn’t looking where I was going, either.”
I didn’t know what to say; she seemed like an easygoing girl, but talking to other people was still not something I was too good at. Because of that, I didn’t say anything.
“God,” she went on, reaching for me. I was too stunned to move, hardly blinking as she touched my hair. “I love your hair. My best friend used to have pink hair, too. It’s blue now. Whatever. She said she’s trying something new out, but I think she should go back to pink.”
The guy she was with spoke her name, trying to nudge her away, “Kelsey—”
She plowed on, acting oblivious to the grumpy guy behind her, “I always wished I could pull off a color. I hear bleach kills your hair, though.”
I managed to nod. That much was true.
“It looks good on you,” she said, giving me a smile. The guy grabbed her hand, tugging her away from me. “I’ll see you around!” Her words made me stand there, eyebrows furrowing as I wondered if I really would see her around. She seemed nice enough, but that guy she was with? Jury was out on him.
As if to prove my point, the girl elbowed him in the side, and as they walked away, I heard her say, “Blue, cool your jets. We’re not going to be late.”
“If we are,” he growled out, “I’m blaming you.”
“What the fuck ever, dude.”
They seemed to have no filter, but in just those few seconds, I knew they worked well together. The guys and I were the same, I hoped. My life really did get better once they refused to leave it. And, really, I was so glad they’d been stubborn, so ridiculously happy that they’d refused to listen to me and rooted themselves into my life.
I loved them, I did. I really, really did.
Tucking my phone into my pocket, I headed to the union, making sure not to bump into anyone else on my way. I found Mason standing near the entrance, looking bored. The moment his dark eyes spotted me, he perked up, and he rushed over to me, sweeping me up in his arms before I could dodge him.
He had a habit of doing that. It was…well, I couldn’t decide if it was annoying or sweet.
Once he set me down, he placed a sweet kiss on my lips. “Lunch?”
“No,” I spoke, sarcasm dripping off the word, “I figured I’d just watch you eat today.”
Mason wagged a finger at me, telling me that was a big no-no. In addition to trying to have a better outlook on things, I was also eating more. I’d gained a little bit of weight, but according to the guys, the added pounds made me look even better. Michelle said I looked less like an eighth-grader, so I guess that was a good thing. I was still just as short as ever, though.
We got pizza, sitting down at one of the empty tables to share it.
“I miss seeing your face bright and early,” Mason said, grinning, those dimples making my heart flip a few times in my chest. He’d sat next to me, his leg leaning against mine, his body heat flooding through me.
He still saw my face every day, just not as early.
“I miss your hot chocolates,” I muttered, frowning to myself.
“That’s what you miss?” He laughed at me.
I shrugged. “Hey, a girl gets used to that kind of treatment. You bought me one every single time.” It did make me wonder how much money he’d spent last semester on hot chocolates for me.
Mason leaned into my ear, whispering, “I was trying to woo a girl I really liked.”
His lips on my ear tickled me. “Oh, yeah? And how did that work out?”
“I’d say it worked out pretty well,” he said, pulling away, giving me a smile that sent my insides tumbling. “Look