Page 31 of Palm South University: Season 3
I smile, rolling until I’m on top of him, my hair falling down to frame us under the curtains. “Well, two beds down. But we didn’t make it to the floor… or the shower… or the chair… or the desk.”
“Oh,” Jarrett says with a smirk, hand sliding along my jaw before tucking into my hair and pulling my lips to his. “That was just round one. We’re not leaving this room until morning, I hope you know that.”
And so I smile, order us a pizza, and buckle in for round two.
“I’m really glad I got to do dinner with you before Bear and I leave for Pittsburgh, Jarrett,” Skyler says just as another round of margaritas is dropped off at our table. “Seeing your eyes light up when you talk about your job… I need to find something like that.”
Jarrett is completely surrounded by girls as we gobble up the last of our burritos and tacos at the best Mexican place off campus. Skyler and Erin sit across the table while Cassie flanks his left side, Ashlei and I rounding out the right side. And for the last two hours, he’s been drilled with questions, and he’s handled it like an absolute champ.
“You get like that with poker,” Erin points out, tipping her glass toward Skyler.
“Yeah, but can that really be a career? Like, a forever thing?”
“If it’s what you really love, why not?” Jarrett asks.
He makes a good point, and Skyler chews her cheek.
“It seems like that’s how you feel about your job, Jarrett. Like you really love it and there’s nothing else you want or need to be happy,” Cassie adds.
Jarrett smirks, casting a glance at me before tucking me under his arm. He presses a kiss into my hair, holding me close. “There is one thing.”
The girls sigh in sync, and I can’t help but swoon a little myself. After spending all night with him in the hotel last night, I didn’t think the trip could get any better. But we spent the day at the beach together, and now he’s getting along with all of the people who are important to me.
I thought I couldn’t get in any deeper with him, but here I am, sinking without a single care to save myself.
Jarrett tips my chin up and kisses me sweetly before turning the conversation back to Cassie and her plans to go pre-med. All I can do is watch him, eyes memorizing the sharp edges of his nose, the line of his jaw, the curve of his small smile as he listens to my best friends tell him about themselves. An ache rolls through me at the thought of him leaving again, not knowing when I’ll see him, not knowing how long we’ll be long distance.
Jarrett is so good at being alone. He was a loner when I met him, perfectly content in his one-bedroom apartment taking care of himself. He’s had to his entire life, ever since his mother passed away when he was thirteen. I didn’t even know he’d gone through that, not until he was taking care of me when I was sick last semester.
He’s self-sufficient. Independent. Completely fine on his own.
But I need him.
Before Jarrett, I didn’t need anyone, either. Iwantedguys, sure — but just to get me off. I was perfectly content doing it myself if the right guy wasn’t around, and when they were around, that was all I needed them for.
But Jarrett snuck inside my heart. He opened me up when I was sure the doors were locked forever. I was like a succulent, needing little attention to survive, and now he’s transformed me into a weak little rose in the palm of his hand, desperate for his care.
I’ve never felt so vulnerable, and it scares the ever-loving shit out of me.
“I’ve got this,” Jarrett says when the waitress brings our bill, and all of the girls light up, their eyes catching mine. They know it, too — how deep I’m in — and I wonder if they’re happy for me or worried how they’ll save me when it all goes up in flames.
Jarrett holds me close to him as we walk the short distance to Ralph’s, one hand tucked into the back pocket of my jeans. We fall a little behind the group, and I feel him watching me.
“Stop overthinking,” he says. “You’ve got self-sabotage written all over that beautiful face of yours.”
I chuckle, leaning into him. “I’m just going to miss you, that’s all.”
“I just got here.”
“But you’ll still leave in three days.”
Jarrett frowns, pulling me to a stop when we reach the parking lot of Ralph’s. I wave the other girls to go in without us, keeping my eyes on my feet when it’s just Jarrett and me.
“Do you remember what you asked me that day I took care of you when you had that nasty sinus infection?” Jarrett asks, knuckle finding my chin and forcing me to look at him. “You asked me how long it would take you to chase me away. And what was my answer?”
“You can’t chase someone who’s not running.”
Jarrett nods, his dark eyes searching mine. “I’m still not running, Jess. Distance hasn’t changed the way I feel about you, and it won’t change our relationship if we don’t let it. I know this is hard.” He pauses, Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat. “I know I’m asking you to love a man you can’t always touch, and I know that’s not fair.”