Page 28

NYLAH

There’s a cold nip to the air, and Carson gets the heat going as soon as I slip into Zander’s SUV. I smile my thanks and can’t help laughing when he frowns at me.

“What?”

“Nothing.” I want to tell him that his grumpy face is kinda cute, but I doubt that will go down well.

Poor guy was so worried about Zoey tonight.

“She’s gonna be fine, you know. Babies get sick all the time, and they bounce back real fast.”

“Yeah,” he mutters like he doesn’t believe me.

I watch his fingers tighten on the steering wheel and reach across, lightly squeezing the back of his neck. My thumb rhythmically strokes the short hairs at the nape as I watch the campus streetlights flash by.

Carson’s driving like a snail, and I kind of hope it’s because he doesn’t want to leave me.

Maybe we can find a place to park and?—

But nope. There’s Buckley Hall, and he’s slowing to a stop beside the curb.

“So…” I unbuckle my seat belt and lean across to kiss him, but he flinches, jerking back and pressing the back of his head against the glass.

“Don’t,” he quickly warns me, and I turn to see two guys walking past the window.

I kind of recognize them, but not really.

One of them spots me, obviously knows my face, and starts to grin, sauntering toward the car.

“Fuck,” Carson mutters.

“Who is—” My question is interrupted by a tap on the window.

Carson clenches his jaw, and I’m pretty sure he’s set on ignoring the guy. Glaring straight ahead, he grips the steering wheel… but the guy keeps on tapping.

I don’t really want to get out of the car because he’s standing right there, but Carson’s not pulling away either.

So, I do the only thing I can.

“No, don’t—” Carson’s words cut off as I lower the window and Mr. Smirky Face leans into the car.

“Hey, Nylah.” He grins.

“Excuse me?” I frown at him. “How do you know my name?”

“Coach talks about you a lot.” He grins, lightly chucking my chin.

“Don’t touch her,” Carson growls.

The guy laughs. “Oh shit, you’ve done it now, McAvoy.”

“Done what?” I look between the two of them. Carson’s nostrils are flaring while the other guy looks like he’s having the best night of his life.

“Coach is going to kill you.”

“Shut the fuck up, Fleischer,” Carson spits. “You don’t know shit.”

Completely unfazed by Carson’s venom, the guy keeps grinning. “Well, it looks to me like you two are on a date, and I might have to tell Coach Jones that you’re breaking a rule that he very explicitly laid out for the entire team.”

I groan and tip my head back. Mostly because I can’t believe Dad did that, but also because I’ve got a show to put on. I can’t go getting Carson in trouble.

“This isn’t a date,” I clarify. Thankfully, it’s easy to sell because it’s the truth. I gently nudge back the guy leaning in my window. “I was babysitting for Zander, and Carson offered to drop me home. That’s all this is.”

His eyes narrow skeptically. “Looked like you two were getting a little friendly. And that?—”

“I don’t know what you saw, but I can assure you that Carson is just dropping me home. So if you could please move your meddling ass, I’ll get out of the car.”

Carson snickers and I open my door, shoving it in this guy’s chest so he’s forced to step back.

“Move along, Fleischer.” I think that’s what Carson called him.

Flicking my fingers through the air, I silently tell him to fuck off, and when he doesn’t move, I cross my arms and give him a pointed glare.

“Or do I need to let my daddy know that one of his players was harassing me as I was trying to walk to my dorm tonight?”

Fleischer’s head jolts back and he does a quick spin, stalking away from me while muttering something I can’t hear. His buddy moves beside him, and I scowl at their backs until the shadows cast by the trees swallow them up.

“That was beautiful,” Carson calls through the open window. “Thanks for that. I needed a laugh.”

I grin and walk back to the car, leaning my arms along the frame. “You didn’t even crack a smile.” I shake my head.

His lips twitch, and I bite my bottom one.

“Come on. You can do it,” I coax him.

And it was the wrong move, because his lips flatline.

Man, he is one tough egg to crack.

But there’s something about him I just can’t resist.

Holding out my hand, I flick my fingers at him. “Gimme your phone.”

“Why?”

“So I can program my number into it. I want updates on Zoey.”

“Oh. Yeah, I guess that’s okay.” Digging it out of his back pocket, he hands it over, and I plug in my details under Keyser Soze.

Handing it back, I finally get myself a smile as he laughs and shakes his head. “No, that’s not gonna work.” His phone taps out a beat as he deletes the name and replaces it with Sci-Fi Girl.

“Lame.” I wink at him.

“It’s that or Lady Limpalot.”

I laugh. “And you think my insults are bad. Boy, you better come up with a better name for me than sci-fi girl.”

“I’ll work on it,” he mumbles, fighting a grin as he puts his phone away.

“Promise you’ll text me?”

“Yeah.” He nods. “I’ll let you know how Zoey’s doing.”

“Don’t just text me about that.” I rest my chin on my arms, grinning at him and wondering how I’m ever gonna walk away from this car.

Can the night just last forever, please?

Can I just hop back into the passenger seat, and he can drive us somewhere quiet? Somewhere dark and secluded so we can?—

“Well, I better get going.”

“When am I gonna see you again?”

He lets out a soft sigh and shrugs. “Not sure.”

I narrow my eyes at him, loving the way the streetlights cast shapes across his gorgeous face. He looks like a piece of artwork, all serious and sharp in the soft yellow glow.

“I’m going to a party on Saturday night. Come with me.”

“I can’t.”

“But you don’t have a game this weekend. You can stay up as late as you want. Better yet, why don’t we spend the day together as well?”

“I can’t take you to a party.” He gives me a pointed look, like I’m stupid for even suggesting it. “And I’ve got shit going on this weekend.”

“What shit?”

“It doesn’t matter, and that’s not even the point. I can’t be seen hanging out with you.”

I huff and shake my head. I’m seriously gonna have to talk to my dad about this bullshit rule. He can’t go hindering my dating life this way.

He will never be okay with Carson, so just keep your mouth shut.

“You don’t have to take me to the party.” I try for one more sell. “It’s at the Sigma Beta Mu house, and I’m going. If you happen to show up, I might see you there.” I wiggle my eyebrows at him.

Working his jaw to the side, he shakes his head again, and I can’t help whining in frustration.

“Come on! As soon as you arrive, we’ll disappear into a dark corner or a bedroom upstairs and no one will even see us together. You can even sneak in a side window if you want to. Just text me when you get there, okay?” I point at him.

He stares at my finger—well, glares at it—before giving me the smallest, barely there nod anyone has ever done.

It’s really hard to know if he means it, but I smile anyway and step back from the car.

I’m kind of bummed out that I didn’t get that goodbye kiss I was hoping for, and I’m not surprised in the least when he pulls away from the curb without anything else passing between us.

Yeah, he really is shit at goodbyes.

I softly laugh to myself as I spin and walk to the dorm.

My leg is feeling pretty good tonight, and I manage to make it all the way to my room without one single limp.

PT for the win.

Carson for the win.

I pull out my phone, checking the screen and knowing I’ll be taking it off Do Not Disturb tonight. Yes, I have a roommate I have to consider, but I’ll just keep the volume low and tuck my phone under my pillow. There’s no way I’m missing a text from Carson or not responding immediately.

Call me pathetic, but that boy is doing something to me, and I’m more than happy to let him.

I like the way this feels.

And even if we’re walking on very thin ice and the whole thing could blow up in our faces… I don’t care.

I’m not giving up on Carson McAvoy because my dad’s being unreasonable. And I won’t let Carson give up on me, because no matter how much he fights it, that boy wants me—and I’m gonna make him all mine.