I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,24

not happy about having to check the place out first.

“What does that mean?” Chris asked me.

“He’s probably just checking that it’s not too crowded before he leaves us here,” I said, trying to brush it off as normal. “So, if you can’t sing, maybe you can get up there and recite some poetry or maybe do a magic trick. What do you think?”

He laughed. “I think I can’t do either. But, I can balance a spoon on my nose for a really long time.”

I laughed. “Oh yeah? A real show stopper, no doubt.”

“Absolutely. It’s a can’t miss.”

We laughed, and I could tell he was thinking the same thing as me. We got along really well.

Tristan yanked open my door and I jumped in surprise. He unexpectedly took my hand and helped me out of the car. Unwarranted tingles raced up my arm. Dammit. He didn’t release my hand as he leaned in and whispered, “Next time, I’ll say no.”

A shudder rushed through me as his crisp scent invaded my senses. We’d never been that close before and the intensity was daunting.

He released my hand and returned to the driver’s seat.

I balled my hand into a fist at my side, feeling oddly bereft now that he’d released it.

Chris stepped up beside me. “Is that your friend’s brother?” he asked, clearly just recognizing Tristan from the party.

I snapped out of the sudden haze I found myself in. “Oh…yeah.”

I was such a liar.

Tristan

Kresley’s date was a complete tool. I couldn’t believe she agreed to go out with a frat guy. That seemed so out of character for her. What the fuck was I saying? I didn’t know what was or wasn’t out of character for her. I protected her from threats. My job wasn’t to analyze who she was and why she did what she did.

I pulled up to the front of her dorm after the bar and threw the car into park. Oh, the kiss goodnight was gonna be fun.

“Well, I had a nice time,” Kresley said to the tool, turning to face him in the backseat.

“When are we doing it again?” he asked.

“Text me.”

He pulled out his phone as if to text her that moment.

She laughed at the lame joke.

“Wait here,” he said, before stepping out of his door and rounded the back of the car, opening Kresley’s door and helping her out like I had at the bar. Only, he was trying to get a good night kiss while I was putting her in her place. She knew we set protocols in place for a reason. She went rogue by asking me to veer from the plan. And, if Marco found out, I’d have to hear it from him.

I watched out the window as the tool walked her toward the door and leaned in for a kiss. Kresley turned her head so his lips brushed her cheek instead of her lips. Classic dis.

Why hadn’t she kissed him? They seemed to hit it off. She was giving off all the signs that she was into the guy.

He stepped away from her with a smile and said something before turning and disappearing into the darkness.

I expected Kresley to rush into the building, trying to avoid me after she knew we shouldn’t have gone anywhere after the restaurant, but she didn’t. She stood on the sidewalk as if waiting for me.

I stepped out of the car.

Her face was slanted up at the dark night sky. “It’s too bad we can’t always see them,” she said.

“See what?” I asked.

“The stars. The lights always ruin the view.”

“You know where there are no lights?”

She tore her eyes away from the sky and looked to me.

“The quad.”

She raised her eyebrows.

“You should have your boyfriend take you up there sometime,” I said, making it clear that I wasn’t asking her to go up there with me.

Disappointment flashed across her face but she recovered. “Yeah, right. It would totally kill the mood to have you and Marco lurking in the shadows.”

That guy had no game, therefore, there would be no mood-killing going on. “Oh, believe me. We don’t watch.”

“Like you weren’t just watching him try to kiss me.”

“Why would I want to see that?”

She shrugged, remaining silent for a long stretch. “Thank you for tonight. I know it takes a lot of planning and effort to secure a place. And, I’m sorry I threw you that open mic night curveball. I just didn’t want to be rude and turn him down.”

Holy fuck. I stood shocked by her candor.

“You can