I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,17

holding up that bar.”

“Oh, yeah. Like totally fun,” he deadpanned.

“Did you get any phone numbers?” I asked.

“Tons,” he lied. At least, I assumed he lied.

“Too bad,” I said.

His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror.

“Once you open your mouth, they’ll realize how mean you are,” I explained.

He scoffed.

“That was definitely a scoff,” I said.

“Definitely,” Alice and Elodie agreed.

“Can you all just focus on not throwing up in the car?” he said, dismissing us with his tone of voice.

“I’m not feeling sick. How about you girls?” I said looking between Elodie and Alice.

“Nope,” Alice said.

“Not me,” Elodie agreed.

“See?” I met his eyes in the mirror again. “Nothing to worry about back here, sir.”

Tristan eventually pulled to a stop in front of our dorm and killed the engine.

The three of us tumbled out of the backseat giggling. We unsteadily climbed the stairs to the second floor then said goodbye in the hallway. The two of them fell into their room and burst into laughter. “Night, Kresley!”

“Night,” I called as I made my way to my room.

Tristan brushed by me, unlocking my door, and checking my room. He stepped back into the hallway.

I could sense him looking at me, so I shifted my gaze to meet his. “What?”

He shook his head, as if he had nothing to say in that judgmental brain of his. But I knew he did.

“It’s okay for me to have fun,” I said. “You don’t have to try to make me feel guilty for it.”

He buried his hands in his pockets. “Not what I’m doing.”

“And just because a guy wanted to spend the night dancing with me doesn’t make me desperate.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I hate that stupid condescending look you give me. Like you think you’re so much better than me. It sucks.”

He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me.

“And I just thought you should know.” I walked inside my room and slammed the door behind me, hating how riled up he made me. Why did I care what he thought?

I pulled off my clothes and slipped into bed in my underwear and bra without brushing my teeth or washing up. I could feel sleep near, and no judgmental bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder was going to keep me from it.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Tristan

I dropped down onto the edge of my bed and dragged my fingers through my hair. What a fucking night. Was this the sort of thing this job would entail? Watching the client meet guys and get drunk? Really?

And, did she have to be so damn stubborn all the time? She wouldn’t let me drive them to the party when I knew how exhausted she had to be. She was burning the candle at both fucking ends. But instead of taking my generosity for what it was, she had to go accuse me of giving her orders. Why was she hell-bent on proving she was tough? It was infuriating.

My eyes drifted to the monitor on the desk. Both the entrances, stairwells, hallway, and basement camera feeds were on. I swore I wouldn’t check her room feed again. But the damn vision of her pacing around her room—and the knowledge that I was the only one who knew—clawed away at my insides.

Fuuuuuuuck.

I pushed myself to my feet and moved to the monitor. I stared at the dark square for a long time, begging myself not to do it. But my curiosity won out. I switched it on, breathing a sigh of relief when I found her sound asleep in bed. My finger lingered over the off button, but instead, I zoomed in on her face. Her eyelashes touched the tips of her cheeks. Her lips were puckered. She looked so innocent and fragile while she slept—the complete opposite of the fierce, feisty girl I had to deal with.

I wondered which was the real Kresley Hastings. And, if I’d ever really find out.

***

A text pinged on my phone, pulling me from a sound sleep. I cracked my eyes open, noting the sunlight filtering into my room as I reached over and grabbed my phone off the desk. I checked the screen. Bathroom.

I climbed out of bed and opened the door. Kresley stood against the hallway wall across from me. Her eyes widened before darting away from me. I glanced down. I was only in my boxers. Ah, well. I walked into the hallway and knocked on the bathroom door.

“Hold on!” a girl called.

Kresley and I stood awkwardly in the hallway, me in my boxers