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She nods, writing it down on her pad and turns to me. “The usual, sweets?”

“Yes please.” I smile.

“Be back with coffee,” she tells us and walks away, tearing the piece of paper from her small notepad.

“You come here often?” Corey asks, leaning back in his seat.

“Is that a genuine question or a lame pick up line?” I smirk, trying to lighten the mood some more.

He chuckles and winks and I swear my insides turn to goo. “I dunno.” He shrugs and before I can think too much into it, he says. “You like it here at college?”

“Mostly, yeah.” I swallow and thank the waitress as she pours our coffees. “It was hard at first, after, you know...” His eyes flare with anger and I know exactly what he’s thinking about; it’s the same thing that I think about almost every day.

Although I don’t think about it for long now, not like before when I’d spend hours dwelling on what happened and the scars I was left with. “But lately, I’ve been doing better.” I smile, my eyes lighting up as I see two stacks of pancakes being bought out.

“I’m here if you ever want to talk,” he says, shifting forward when the food is placed in front of us.

I smile at the waitress and pick up my fork, looking at Corey from under my lashes.

“Yeah, but how long are you staying for this time?” I immediately regret it as soon as I’ve said it. “Sorry.”

He shakes his head and picks his fork up. “Nah, you’re right. I don’t know to be honest.”

I can tell he wants to say more but he’s holding back, I open my mouth to say something but think better of it and shove a forkful of the fluffy pancake into my mouth.

I shouldn’t have gone straight over there but when Jackson called to tell me she was awake; I couldn’t stop my feet from moving. I’d told myself that once I saw that she was okay, I’d leave.

Then she came walking out in nothing but that towel. Fuck me, I couldn’t look away.

I thought it was a one off when we went to the lake, all these... feelings. But seeing her like that made it clear that this wasn’t just a fleeting thing.

Don’t go there, is on a constant loop in my mind, right up until I drop her back off at the apartment.

Now, as I sit here and watch her walk back into her apartment building, I can’t help but want to go after her. I’m feeling things I shouldn’t be feeling, she’s still that kid; the one I helped get out of a really bad situation.

She isn’t ready for anything and to tell the truth, neither am I.

So why the hell can’t I get her out of my head?

Huffing, I pull away from the sidewalk and start to drive back to my apartment. My head is so messed up, I can’t think straight and I don’t like not being able to see clearly.

It’s something I’ve always been able to do.

The ringing of my cell comes over my speakers so I click the answer call button on the steering wheel. “Yeah?”

“Corey?” J’s voice comes through the speakers of my car. “There’s someone at the bar to see you, says he won’t go away until you’ve spoken to him.”

Scrubbing my hands down my face, I sigh, knowing exactly who it is. I’ve avoided his calls for a couple of days now and deep down I knew he’d turn up at the apartment but I didn’t think he’d go to the bar. I should have known better. Of course he knew about the bar, he knows fuckin’ everything.

“He give you a name?” I grumble down the line, turning the car around as I get to my apartment, glad that I live so close to the bar.

“Daley.”

“Figures,” I say, pulling up to the bar. I press the end call button and push out of my seat.

Nodding at the two guys stood at the entrance, recognizing them from the meetings with Daley, I push through the door.