I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,27
that mean?”
“He’s been sitting outside my door so I can sleep.”
There was silence on my mom’s end.
“Mom?”
“I’m here.”
“That’s pretty amazing, right?” I said, knowing what a wonderful thing he was doing for me.
“Yes, I’d say it is,” she agreed.
I think I needed to hear my mom’s reaction to know what I already knew. He couldn’t be all bad if he was doing something so nice for me.
We said our goodbyes a few minutes later, right around the time I saw a familiar shadow under my door.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Kresley
Marco had been on me like a bee to honey all day Saturday while I studied for an upcoming accounting test in the library. Something was up, but I just didn’t know what it was.
“Anything you need to tell me Marco?” I asked as I struggled with an accounting problem.
“Not that I can think of, ma’am,” he replied, much to my annoyance.
The girls stopped by the library later that night delivering me homemade chocolate chip cookies they’d baked in the kitchen in the basement of our dorm. Who knew there was a kitchen in our dorm or that they could bake? But the cookies were good. Though, I had to kick them out after a little while because there was no way I was getting studying done with them there.
On Sunday, Marco was waiting outside my door when I stepped out. A tinge of disappointment formed in my stomach that it wasn’t Tristan—who I hadn’t seen since Friday night. Had he gotten reamed out for taking Chris and me to open mic night?
Marco and I made our way downstairs.
“Anything you need to tell me Marco?” I asked, trying again.
“Not that I can think of, ma’am,” he replied.
We stepped outside. The car was parked at the sidewalk with Tristan in the driver’s seat. My disappointment morphed into something else—something light and eager. Marco pulled open the back door, and I slipped into the backseat. “Thanks, Marco,” I said before he shut the door, closing me inside. “Hey Tristan.”
“Hey.”
It felt strange seeing him after Friday night. After hearing my mom’s reaction to him staying outside my room.
He started the car and a rock song by Savage Beasts blared from the speakers. He quickly lowered it.
“It’s fine,” I said. “I love that song.”
He turned it back up and we drove through the streets of SoCal to the sound of the incomparable—and not to mention gorgeous—Kozart Savage. I’d met lots of celebrities over the years, but none made me as tongue-tied as Kozart had.
“Can you turn that down?” I asked Tristan once the song ended.
He lowered the music.
“Can you tell me why Marco hasn’t wanted to leave my side for the last twenty-four hours?”
He shrugged.
“Come on, Tristan. I know you rushed to see him Friday night. You gotta give me something.”
He met my eyes in the rearview mirror, and I couldn’t stop the goosebumps that scampered up my arms. Traitorous goosebumps.
“I know he’s not hanging around me because he’s hoping I’ll be up for a Hallmark marathon.”
He remained silent as his eyes moved back to the road.
“Not even a smirk? Come on. That was funny.”
What was wrong with him?
A short while later, he pulled down a bumpy dirt road surrounded by tall trees, so unlike the beach-lined streets people thought of when they envisioned Southern California. I stared out the window, anticipation bubbling in my stomach. We came to a stop in front of a one-story structure at the end of the road. The wooden sign staked into the ground out front read: Big Hearts Dog Shelter.
I pushed open the door and stepped out. The overcast sky and impending rain made for a cooler day. Thankfully, I wore my blue hoodie and jeans. I walked to the front door and entered the shelter where I immediately heard dogs barking and yelping.
“You must be Kresley,” the old woman behind the counter said. “I’m Doris.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m so excited to be here,” I said before my eyes were drawn to all the cages and the eager dogs of all sizes inside them.
“I’m excited to have you. The dogs need exercise.”
I smiled. “Just tell me what I need to do and I’ll get started.”
She walked me through the room of cages which lined both walls. Every dog jumped on the cage door, wagging their tails and barking as we walked by, trying to get our attention.
“Hey there,” I said to a little pug. “Hi you,” I greeted a long-haired dachshund. “Aren’t you a cutie pie,” I said, petting a