Chapter 7 Fuck Me, I Was a Goner
SEVEN
FUCK ME, I WAS A GONER
CONNOR
Jamie and I rushed across the parking lot of the visitor center through the pouring rain to my car. The rest of the crew was long gone, but Jamie had struck up a conversation with the woman who ran the summer camp.
As I calculated just how much I needed to make this week to make up for the rain delay, Jamie yammered on.
“That woman loves birds.” Jamie shook out his hair, grinning at me when I scowled. “I didn’t even know some of them.”
“Ornithology has never been your strong suit.”
He chuckled and looked out the window as I turned out of Thousand Hills State Park and drove toward Poppy’s diner. “True, true.”
I pulled into the mostly empty lot, and Jamie gasped.
“What?” I glanced around, trying to figure out what Jamie was so excited about, and then I saw her.
Standing under the awning was the one and only Sarah Tilney.
It didn’t matter that I had seen her from across the parking lot just that morning, because my body hummed with excitement at being in her general vicinity.
She stood huddled under an umbrella watching the parking lot, her long blonde waves plastered to her cheeks.
When she closed the umbrella, she pushed the hair away, revealing that perfect face I’d memorized while stealing glances across the bar.
Over the few shifts we’d had together, she had been practically silent, flitting in and out of rooms, avoiding any opportunity for us to be alone.
Then I caught her on the street in that ridiculous get-up that she somehow pulled off, but Meg just had to show up and interrupt our awkward, but positive, conversation.
I was beyond frustrated.
Jamie jumped out of the car, bellowing, “Sarah Beara!”
I stayed stuck in my seat.
Jamie knows her?
Sarah turned toward him, and her face broke into the most breathtaking smile.
At my brother.
Fuck.
“Jamie!”
In a matter of seconds, Jamie slung an arm over her shoulder and was whispering in her ear.
I still hadn’t moved. Of all the things I envied about Jamie and the life he led, his hanging off Sarah like he had every right to had just made the top of the list.
She’d let me touch her, kiss her, but the next day she’d totally iced me out.
The rain beat down on my shoulders as I got out of the car. I was getting drenched, but my legs wouldn’t move any faster.
“Connor! Come on!” Jamie yelled, gesturing with the arm not holding Sarah to his side.
At the sound of my name, she glanced over her shoulder and then back at Jamie, a frown marring her beautiful smile.
The closer I got, the more confused she looked until suddenly, her face relaxed as if she understood something.
Once I was under the awning, Jamie introduced us. “Sarah, this is my brother Connor. Connor, this is my beautiful, perfect tutor, Sarah.” The way Jamie beamed at her tugged at my chest.
He likes her. Of course he does. Who wouldn’t? Does she like him? They are certainly cozy.
“We’ve met actually,” Sarah said, taking a step away from Jamie, making his arm fall.
The pressure on my chest lessened, which was ridiculous, but I was thankful.
“Good to see you, Connor. How’s it going?” The bright smile was back, only this time her gaze was more cautious.
But at least she was talking to me. And looking at me. The entire time we worked together, I felt like a creep staring at her, trying to catch her eye, but I needed her attention on me.
“All right. How about you?”
She nodded and opened her mouth to say something, but a loud voice from behind us interrupted. “Sarah!”
Meg sprinted from a Jeep on the other side of the parking lot.
“Why are you guys waiting out here?” She gave Sarah a little shove, eyeing me suspiciously. Her slight frame and dark brown hair were the complete opposite of Sarah’s look.
When she turned, she stood between Sarah and me.
How many people can fit between me and the girl I’m a bit obsessed with?
“Hey, Con. How’s it going?”
I shrugged, my gaze still fixed on Sarah, who watched us out of the corner of her eye while she chatted with Jamie. “Okay. I’d be a lot better if we weren’t standing in the rain.”
I gestured to the door, and he threw his arm back around Sarah and ushered her inside.
So nice for them. So nice.
I held the door, and Meg followed. To anyone walking in, we looked like we were on a double date. Or maybe I was being a weirdo and having a hard time confronting the girl who had rejected me.
The waitress told us to sit anywhere and went back into the kitchen.
“Well, it would be awkward if we didn’t eat together, so . . .” Jamie led us to a booth with cracked vinyl seats, letting Sarah slide in first before he sat next to her.
Lucky Bastard.
I quickly got in on the other side, so I was at least sitting across from Sarah, leaving Meg on the outside of the bench.
“So, this is the infamous younger McCormick?” Meg laughed, bumping my arm and staying close to my side.
Sarah’s eyes zeroed in on the contact, but she quickly put her attention back on Jamie.
I itched to scoot away from Meg, which was ridiculous.
Meg and I were friends. Whatever Sarah read into it was none of my concern.
Just like the way her chest kept grazing Jamie’s side was none of my business.
“Infamous, huh?” Sarah grinned up at my brother, backhanding his stomach. “Explains why we had to start studying at my place.” She turned to Meg. “We kept getting mobbed in the library and at the SUB. And the number of visitors this kid gets to his dorm room? Unbelievable.”
Jamie cringed but quickly replaced the frown with an even bigger smile.
He must really like Sarah. Too bad, kid.
“Why are you smiling? Did he get his moves from you?” Meg blinked up at me, a smirk on her pink lips.
“Him?” Jamie laughed. “Connor is Mr. Responsible.”
“I’m surprised I didn’t make the connection. You look so much alike.” Sarah’s eyes lingered on the width of my shoulders, so I puffed out my chest a little. No harm in giving her a show.
“I’ll take it! There are worse people to be compared to,” Jamie said with a grin.
After a few minutes, the waitress came and took our order. Jamie and Meg ordered burgers, while Sarah ordered an ice cream sundae. I ordered both.
“So what are you two beautiful ladies doing at Poppy’s this late on a Tuesday afternoon?” Jamie asked, his arm finding its way across the back of the booth behind Sarah’s shoulders. His fingers brushed the damp hair off her shoulder as he smiled down at her.
Not good. He had it bad for the girl who orgasmed on my thigh.
“We got done with camp and figured we owed ourselves a little treat after a particularly gnarly arts and crafts session,” Meg said, tapping her nails against the side of her coffee mug.
“It wasn’t so bad,” Sarah said, fussing with the band around her silverware. “I’ve seen BAE sisters do worse.”
The girls laughed, and then Meg stood. “I need to use the restroom. Be right back.”
“Me too,” Jamie said, following Meg to the back of the diner.
Left alone, Sarah’s gaze caught mine, and her easy smile fell. Determined to ignore me, she unrolled her silverware and started playing with her napkin.
Blowing out a breath, I decided it was time to end our weird stalemate.
“So, you know my brother.”
She nodded but didn’t look up.
Just a foot apart, I could smell her floral scent, the same one from that night. I took a deep breath and held it for a second before exhaling. Being so close but unable to get her attention was frustrating. I took a sip of my coffee and set it down within Sarah’s eyeline.
She lifted her head and hit me with that lethal stare. Her eyes were clear, blue, and everything I’d been obsessing about since I’d met her. “He’s been working hard.”
I smiled. “That’s good.”
She nodded but didn’t say anything else.
My brain yelled at me, telling me to stop staring at the perfect slope of her nose, or the deep pink of her lips, but it was impossible.
My fingers itched to push that little piece of hair off her cheek so I could feel how soft she was and check out the small scratch there.
“You working tonight?” she asked, startling me out of cataloging all things Sarah.
“Um, yeah.”
The corner of Sarah’s mouth twitched, but her face dropped into a bland expression. “Oh.”
“How did you get that?” I reached for her, but she beat me to it and curled the rogue piece of hair behind her ear.
“Summer camp.”
It would only be a matter of seconds before Meg and Jamie were back from the bathroom. I had to take a chance. Clearing my throat, I said, “I want to explain what happened that night. I didn’t—”
With a pained smile, she said, “Just let it go. I have.” And then she averted her gaze, ending the conversation.
Then what’s bothering her?
I was stuck on the fact that I’d spent every morning for the past week working just feet from Sarah, but this was all the conversation I could get from her.
How creepy would it be if I brought her a coffee tomorrow?
Meg and Jamie came back and chatted mindlessly while I did my best not to stare at Sarah, and she pointedly ignored my very presence.
“I still can’t believe you got an ice cream sundae for lunch.” Meg gave Sarah a confused look after the waitress dropped our food off.
“This year’s all about new and different experiences. The fact that it’s surprising for me to have ice cream for lunch makes me feel like I’ve been living a pretty boring life.”
Meg shook her head, her cheeks turning pink.
“I wasn’t judging, just surprised.” She looked at me and jerked her chin toward Sarah.
“She’s like the mom of our pledge class.
I swear, I would’ve starved that first year out of the dorms without her.
She started something called the breakfast initiative and had the whole sorority eating a balanced breakfast every morning. ”
“So, you’ve been saving lives from the jump?” Jamie smiled softly at Sarah, and her shoulders relaxed.