Chapter 4
Agust of wind picked up, and I shivered.
It had been a deceivingly warm morning, but the day had blown by like it usually did when my schedule was jampacked like it was this week. I hadn’t had a chance to go back to my room to get a hoodie. The summer was almost over, and in the desert, temperatures liked to drop like crazy at night.
I pulled the strap of my backpack up my shoulder and tried not to wince with the way it cut into my skin due its weight.
“Thanks again, Sadie,” Jackie said, and I smiled.
“Anytime.” And I meant it. I enjoyed tutoring. It was part of why I wanted to go into teaching.
Helping to explain something to someone and being present for that moment when the pieces connect for someone else and they can keep moving forward and learning more to expand the possibilities and opportunities for their life.
“Remember, if you come to town for the famers market, we could do that video for some content, and we can make it based around math.” I smiled at her enthusiasm. “I’m serious.” She frowned, and my lips twitched.
“I know you are,” I answered softly.
“You say that, but I see that look on your face.” I laughed. “I know you think I’m a little crazy but—“
“I don’t think you’re crazy.”
“I know. I said a little crazy.” She winked, and I laughed harder. It softened as she kept talking. “But honestly, babe, I really think this would be a good idea. It could totally take off!”
“I don’t know, Jackie.” I bit my lower lip. Jackie was a social media influencer who was slowly growing in popularity since she’d left her small mountain town of Moonlit Pines and transferred to U of D.
“A tutoring business could make you a lot of money.”
“You know how many flyers I’ve seen around campus for at least a dozen different tutoring services?”
“Exactly! Those are flyers. Launching a couple of social media pages of your own with some fun vids that showcase your vibe and teaching method attached to a Google doc for interest forms or scheduling calendar would be gold. You wouldn’t even have to invest in a website until you had more clients.
” Her idea held merit. “And I can help you launch it to get more followers.”
“Wouldn’t you feel like I’m using you?” My tone was serious, but she simply rolled her eyes. She was an influencer with over a million followers.
“You kidding? You help me all the time with more than math! Do you feel like I’m using you?”
“No.”
“See!” she said as if she’d made her point. Which I guess she had. “Think about it and let me know. Because let’s say you do this, right? It does well, you could quit eyeing that Now Hiring sign at the Blue Bird.”
“How did—" She gave me a look, and I blushed. “Okay, fine. I’ll think about it, for reals,” I reassured her.
Tutoring was fun, and somehow, I wasn’t sure how, other than Jackie’s magnetic personality, we’d become friends. Genuine ones. So much I had started to feel bad about charging her for tutoring. When I’d brought it up, she’d quickly shut it down, saying no way, no how to her not paying me.
“Good.” She took my hand and squeezed. “You’re a great tutor. I should know. I’ve gone through….” She made a face that made me giggle.
It was true. She had been through eight different ones before her last one had recommended me.
“I’ll see you next week?”
“Sounds good.” We hugged, and I watched as she left before I started to descend the steps in front of the main entrance of the library.
I looked out at the darkened sky and smiled.
I couldn’t help it. It had been a long, grueling, seriously embarrassing day after that thing with the elevator guy, but it had been productive, nonetheless.
Laundry and groceries were done. I’d been to all my classes.
I’d done my shift at the bookstore and had tutored Jackie.
As I walked, the cooler winds felt like they cut right through me.
I should have been focused on Jackie’s proposal for me to make a steadier income.
It wasn’t a bad idea and wouldn’t be too hard to set up.
And where usually, I would jump into the idea, my brain kept going back to the guy in the white tee and jeans with the light brown eyes and sexy voice.
A voice, I might add, that kept repeating in my head all day long. I shook the thought away.
It was stupid to think about that guy. I would never see him again.
We must live on the same floor if he was carting around his laundry like I had.
Unless it was a side hustle? I knew a lot of athletes paid struggling underclassmen or rookies to do their laundry for them.
No. He wasn’t some struggling anything. Not with the clothes he wore or even the simple leather flip flops he’d had on; those were an expensive brand.
I wanted to laugh at myself for trying to figure out the who, what, when, where of a guy—no, a man—I would never see again.
My phone rang, and I smiled at whose name flashed on my screen. “Hey,” I answered.
“Hay is for horses,” Tere remarked, and I giggled.
“What’s up?”
“Where are you?” she asked a little too slowly, and I immediately knew she was up to something.
The hairs on the back of my neck stood, and I felt like someone was watching me.
I glanced around. Sure, there were a handful of people walking around, but no one was looking directly at me.
I shivered. Goose bumps rose on my now very sensitive skin while I tried to shake the feeling off.
I loved the campus, but I had to admit there was something eerily beautiful about it at night.
“Sadie? You there?” My roommate and best friend snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Yeah, sorry, I’m here. Umm, I’m walking back from the library, why?
” I asked, hoping and dreading she wasn’t about to ask me for a favor, like stop by the small on-campus grocery store or something.
I’d do it, but I was tired, and all I wanted to do was get home, plop down on my bed, and knock out until five in the morning to get up for a run.
“I was thinking….” She let the words hang in the air. I sighed.
“That’s never a good thing,” I muttered and loved the sound of my roommate’s laughter on the other end of the line.
“That’s mean,” she haughtily said, but I knew her feelings weren’t hurt.
“It’s true, though. What’s up? What do you need?”
“Need feels like a heavy word.”
“Spit it out, Tere.” I laughed.
“You know how we talked about this year being the year we go do more stuff? Get out of our usual routine? Grab the bull by the—“
“Horns,” I cut her off, “Yeah, I joined the hiking club.” I could almost see her rolling her eyes.
“Well, how do you feel about hitting up an Omega party?”
“Omega?” I repeated. Why would she call instead of waiting to ask me when I got to our room. “Like the frat?”
“Yes. Omega as in the frat,” she confirmed. I could hear her rolling her eyes. “What did you think it was, one of those werewolf, why-choose romances you hide under your bed?”
“They’re not hidden. I just don’t have shelf space.” I was unashamed of my reading choices.
“So?”
“So, what?”
“What do you think?”
“Why-choose werewolf romances are seriously underrated,” I answered, knowing that wasn’t what she had been asking.
“Sadie,” she whined. I could picture the pout on her face. “You know that’s not what I’m talking about. I’m serious. Let’s go to the Omega party.”
“Tere, a party? A frat party? Tonight?” Not that there was anything wrong with tonight; it was a Friday night after all.
“Please?”
“Why?”
“Why, what?” If she was avoiding answering, this was definitely going to be good.
“Now who’s being obtuse?” I asked, not letting the subject drop because I had a feeling, knowing Tere, this was going to be juicy.
“Don’t use big words. I’m just a dumb jock.” I rolled my eyes because we both knew she was a lot smarter than people gave her credit for.
In high school, she hadn’t only been a star soccer and volleyball player, but she’d also been valedictorian of a class of eight hundred.
“Please go with me tonight.”
“Tere,” I groaned, “can’t we go to the next Omega party?”
“We both know if I agree, you will literally keep putting it off, plus I need to make an appearance at this one. Please!”
“Why don’t you ask Kim?”
“Because Kim has a research paper due. She’s stuck at the library this whole weekend. And I know you. If you have anything due within the next thirty-six hours, you more than likely have already finished and turned it in." She wasn’t wrong, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.
“Please!” she begged. “I will do anything.”
“Anything?” I asked.
“Your laundry!” I rolled my eyes.
“I just did it this morning.” She groaned.
“Umm, I’ll do the grocery run!”
“Tere—“
“And unload it and be on bathroom duty until the end of the month.”
“Why do you wanna go to this party that badly?”
“Sadie—“
“Just tell me, and you won’t have to do any of the things you just offered.”
“Porque eres tan chismosa?” she asked, and I giggled.
“I’m not a gossip. Gossip would mean I’d tell someone what you’re about to tell me, and you know I won’t do that.”
“Fine,” she sighed with resignation. “Okay, but no judgment?” Oh, boy! I was right; this was going to be good!
“Pinky promise,” I vowed.
“I kinda have a little bit of a crush.” The words tumbled out really fast, so it took me a moment to process what she’d said.
“You do?” I was unable to mask the surprise or incredulousness in my tone. This was new to me. “And he’s an Omega?” I winced, wondering if maybe she’d headbutted someone at practice and had a head injury.
Tere with a frat guy? I didn’t see it. She made a non-comital sound. Geez, she held so much close to the vest.
“Teresa,” I pushed, using her full name instead of her nickname, so she knew I was serious.
“Fine, yes. Sorta. I think. Look, I’m not positive.” That was not like Teresa. “He plays baseball,” she shared, and again, super unlike her. She didn’t like dating athletes. She’d told me time and time again about how into themselves they were.
“A baseball player, huh?” My lips twitched. “Fine,” I sighed.
“What?” she clipped, and I almost wondered if she had expected me to say no.
“I’ll go with you.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. I just probably won’t drink.”
“You mind if I do? I need a drink,” she mumbled under her breath as if she hadn’t meant to say it out loud.
“You do? Why?” Again, very unlike Tere.
“Oh, umm, long week.”
“I understand that. Wanna go hiking tomorrow? Helps get a new perspective,” I offered.
“Hiking at four in the morning?”
“Five.” I laughed, seeing our building in the distance.
“Thanks, but no thanks. I think I’m going to drink tonight.”
“Okay.” It wasn’t like Tere never drank; it was just unusual, especially with her soccer season just starting.
“I’m going to need the liquid courage,” she said, almost to herself.
“To talk to him?” Again, that non-committal grunt sounded. This wasn’t like Tere. She was confident. She wasn’t shy about approaching guys.
“What should I wear?” I asked, hoping that the change of subject would help shake away her nerves.
“I got you,” she reassured me, and I smiled. I was in good hands. Tere had a great sense of style.
“Okay, then I’ll see you in a couple minutes. You want anything from the dining hall?” I offered.
“No, I’m good, but thanks.”
“You sure? If you’re going to drink, maybe you should eat a little something?”
“You’re right. Maybe a bagel? I’ll send you money.”
“Don’t worry about it. You can do my hair, and we can call it even.”
“Sounds good.” I could hear the smile in her voice.
“See you in a little bit.” I slipped my cell into my back pocket just before I reached out to open the door to the building, when I long arm reached over and opened it for me. My legs stopped, my body froze, and I glanced over my shoulder.
The hot guy from the elevator.
Holy shit! My pulse picked up and my eyes felt like they were going to pop out. His scent curled around me like a warm embrace my body literally throbbed for.
“It’s you,” I whispered. His eyes locked on mine in a way that made me feel like I was the only one in existence, the only woman he had eyes for. Don’t be an idiot! He probably looks at everyone like that and you’re making crap up!
“And it’s you,” his deep voice sounded.
“Yeah, it’s me.” I blushed, knowing just how much of a nerd I must sound like but not caring since his eyes softened like he thought I was cute. Maybe cute was too much. Interesting.
Then it felt like time stood still.
I knew it wasn’t possible, but at that moment, time simply paused.
The two of us stared at one another. He was even hotter than I remembered even if I couldn’t see his arms now.
He wore a dark gray hoodie that probably cost more than my laptop.
His light brown eyes seemed darker thanks to the dimly-lit area.
“Hey, Sadie!” a familiar feminine voice called, snapping me out of the momentary staring contest.
Oh god, he isn’t staring back! I mean, he was, but not because he was mesmerized like I had been.
Nope, he’d been staring because he’d been doing something nice, opening the door for someone, and I’d gawked!
Shit! I jumped and shook my head, focused to find who had called me.
Tally, one of the girls on my floor, waved.
I waved hi back then hurried past her, not daring to look back at him as I rushed to the dining hall to get the hell away from the one hot guy who somehow made my insides molten with one look.