Page 49 of Run For Me (Until You’re Mine Duet #1)

Chapter Forty-Nine

Sailor

“Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I ask as we sit at a table in the corner of the campus cafe.

“Yes, stop asking,” Amelia complains.

“Sorry,” I mutter, taking the top off my tea to let it cool down. “I’ve just never seen someone so drunk before.”

Amelia rolls her eyes. “That’s really sad, Sailor. You need to go out more.”

I frown as I stare down at my tea.

“How are your classes going?” I ask to change the subject. I don’t think she’s fine, but if she says she is, then I guess she is. Thankfully nothing bad happened, though I’m pretty sure it was close to. I’m grateful that JT was watching and cared enough to say something about it to his friend.

Colton was nice, though a bit scary. That’s his house we were at, and he throws parties all the time and “knows how guys can be.” Weird thing to have said so casually, but what do I know? Like Amelia said: I need to go out more.

When we got into the room, I said I wasn’t tired and didn’t plan on falling asleep, but when I heard something sliding against the door, I knew JT was there and would keep me safe. So I crawled into the opposite side of the king-sized bed and fell asleep.

I woke as the sun was coming up, and before I tried opening the door, I knocked to see if he was still there.

He was.

He’d asked a few questions before leaving.

Are you leaving? Are you okay? Do you need help?

All questions that show me he cares about my wellbeing. Funny coming from him, after what we’ve done, but even when he’s rough with me, he’s careful. And he’s never done something I didn’t want him to do.

This whole thing is turning into something much bigger than I thought.

My head is losing the battle with my heart, and I know this is going to blow up in my face.

Guys like JT don’t settle down with girls like me.

We’re in college. This is never going to be a thing, but I don’t want to let him go either. So what the hell am I supposed to do?

“Sailor?” I blink and Amelia comes back into focus, brow pinched. “Should I be asking if you’re okay?”

“I’m tired,” I admit, rubbing my forehead. “I have so much homework all the time, and I’m not used to it. Maybe I should have taken fewer classes.”

She nods. “At least you know better for next semester. We don’t have much left in this one. You’ve totally got this.”

I give her a smile that I don’t quite feel and pick up my warm cup of tea to take a sip.

“Who the fuck do you think you are?”

I look up at the girl suddenly standing beside our table with a scowl on her face. I look from her to Amelia, then back to her. She doesn’t look familiar, but her eyes are on me, so I’m guessing she’s talking to me?

“Excuse me?” I say just as Amelia says, “Who the hell are you?”

“I know you heard me, skank.”

A choked sound leaves me, and I can’t form words.

“You need to leave,” Amelia demands. “Like right now.”

The girl scoffs at her, then brings her attention back to me, flipping her bleach blonde hair over her shoulder before putting her hands on her hips. “You better keep your hands off my boyfriend, or I will make your life hell.”

“Your… boyfriend?” I question.

She must have the wrong person.

Of course, for a fleeting second JT pops up into my head, but if I don’t know who he is, and we aren’t seen together, why would she think we have anything to do with the other? That’s impossible.

“That’s right,” she says with a cocky smirk. “Stay the fuck away from him.”

“Who the fuck is your boyfriend?” Amelia says.

She scoffs again, rolling her eyes. “Jaxon, obviously.”

“Well, maybe you should tell Jaxon to keep his dick in his pants. Sailor isn’t that type of girl,” Amelia argues.

“I saw you at the party,” this girl says to me. “And I saw the way he was looking at you.” She leans down and I lean away, not afraid that she’s going to hit me, but because I don’t want to be next to her. She smells like vanilla, and it’s way too strong. “Stay away from him, Sailor.”

She turns quickly, her hair swishing behind her and her heels clicking on the tiled floor. I blink a few times, my gaze going back to Amelia.

“Is Jaxon your—”

“No,” I say quickly. “I don’t know what she’s talking about.”

It’s the simplest answer, the easiest way to stop this conversation. If I tell Amelia more, I’d have to start from the beginning. I’m not doing that. What’s the point when this thing may already be over?

JT has a girlfriend?

I’m in the bathroom, hiding away in the stall, staring at my phone. I’m already ten minutes late for class, so it’s safe to say I won’t be going. My stomach is sour, and I haven’t been able to think clearly since I left the cafe—since that girl confronted me about her boyfriend.

I’m trying to figure out how to handle this.

JT told me he didn’t have a girlfriend and that he wasn’t sleeping with anyone else.

He lied to me. I trust him with… so much. With everything. And he betrayed me. Did he think because I haven’t seen his face that this wouldn’t come out?

I knew nothing would come of him and me, nothing more than what we’ve been doing, but I at least expected him to be truthful.

Of course, this could be a mix-up, and there is a way to find out, but I’m pretty sure I know what the answer will be if I ask him.

JT was watching me at the party. We hooked up… while he was there with his girlfriend.

Gross. Ugh, that’s so gross! What if he hooked up with her first?

Don’t get ahead of yourself.

There’s a way to find out.

I type into the chat box, hoping he isn’t in class and will answer me.

Me: If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?

Seconds pass like hours, my fingers trembling as I wait for the little bubbles to dance. When they do, I feel sick to my stomach.

JT: Always.

It’s a small bit of relief, but not enough. If he’s lying about having a girlfriend, he could be lying about this—about everything. Which is why I’m not going to ask him if he has a girlfriend. I have to be smarter than that—I am smarter than that.

Me: What is your name?

My hands tremble even more, waiting for an answer that will change so much. Asking about the girlfriend would make him lie, if he was lying. But what’s the harm in telling me his name? Of course there’s the chance he’d lie, but why?

Because knowing who he is ends his game.

Damnit, I hadn’t thought of that. Still, it’s worth a shot.

And in the end, if there is no way to get around this, I’m just going to ask.

I’ll tell him what happened and go from there.

I won’t keep doing this with him if he’s with someone, especially someone like her.

I can’t compete with a bombshell like that girl.

Those are exactly the types of girls guys like him go for.

It makes this even more believable. And it fucking hurts.

The bubbles dance and stop. Dance and stop. Finally, a text comes through.

JT: Are you sure you want to know?

Me: Yes.

Me: Just your first name.

I add the last text quickly, so he knows I’m not trying to find him or look him up. I could still do that with only a first name, but it’s likely I want it for other purposes.

JT: If you want to know who I am, I can just show you.

Me: I don’t.

Me: That’s not why I’m asking.

Me: I just want your first name.

My vision gets blurry, so I have to keep blinking it away as I stare at my screen.

When the message comes through, I can’t breathe.

JT: It’s Jaxon.