Page 51

KEENE

I reached the pay line just as Xander was purchasing her lunch. Behind her, Waverly was turned toward the guy who was talking to her, listening to the question he was asking.

When I heard the tail end of his invitation to meet for drinks some night this week, I snapped, “No. She wouldn’t like to go,” just as Waverly opened her mouth to answer.

Both she and the asshat glanced at me in surprise.

The guy sized me up with one look and sniffed. “I don’t recall asking you , buddy.”

I smiled darkly. “Well, that’s too bad. Because if you had, I would’ve told you to not even bother . I’m not letting you do shit with her.” Hitching my head away from the line, I commanded, “Get lost.”

The look in my eyes must’ve convinced him I meant business because he didn’t even glance at Waverly to see what she wanted. He lifted his hands, admitting his defeat, and immediately backed away. “Damn, man,” he muttered, taking off. “Sorry. Didn’t realize she was already taken.”

“Well, now you do,” I said, glowering after him. When he tossed me one last dirty look over his shoulder, I flipped him off. “Keep walking.”

When I felt secure enough that he wasn’t going to return, I finally shifted my gaze to Waverly, only to realize what I’d just done.

Holy shit, what had I just done?

Her eyes were wide with shock and outrage and nothing at all that was pleased, impressed, or appreciated. She just gaped at me, unspeaking and unmoving, letting me know she couldn’t believe my actions.

That made two of us.

Huffing out a calmer breath, I lifted both hands as if I was fully planning on explaining myself, except, yeah, there was no explanation for this. I’d fucked up. Majorly.

Next to her, Xander demanded, “What the hell, Keene?”

I glanced at my roommate and snarled, “Oh, butt out. You and I are still feuding.”

But then I noticed everyone else in line—and great. All eyes were on me. Which meant all eyes were also on Waverly.

Which I already knew she wouldn’t like.

Attention shooting back to her, I swallowed in doom as I watched the color drain from her face. She was utterly mortified, and I—well, I didn’t exactly feel all that comfortable with this either.

All my careful avoidance to keep from digging myself in too deep with her had just blown up in my face, and now we were shit-deep in the mess.

“Waves…?” I tried to say, but my voice broke.

Shaking her head to signal that she couldn’t handle me or any of this, she shoved her food tray into my gut, making me oomph in pain and scramble to catch it before it fell.

Then, she spun away and took off, storming from the student union.

A tight band of panic wrapped around my chest and squeezed. “Fuck.”

I glanced around, not sure what to do with the load in my arms before I just dropped it on the checkout station next to the register and made the cashier cry out an indignant, “Hey!”

“Keene!” Xander called after me, utterly aghast as I hurried away, following a fleeing Waverly.

“Take care of that, will you? Thanks,” I told my roommate, waving over my shoulder at her as I hurried off.

Outside, I spotted Waverly immediately. Thankfully, she wasn’t actually sprinting this time. But she was marching with a tense stride that revealed just how pissed she was.

“Damn, you sure do like to run from me,” I commented as soon as I caught up to her, tracking every step she made.

She sniffed. “Ever stop to think about why that might be?” Her voice was hard, and she didn’t slow her pace, which forced me to jog every few steps to remain right behind her.

Relieved that she was at least talking to me, I shrugged. “Probably because I’m an irritating asshole who doesn’t know when to shut his damn mouth.”

She huffed out a bitter sound. “Well, at least you know.”

“True.” Swiping a nervous hand over my hair, I glanced past her and wondered where the hell she was leading us. Whatever. Didn’t matter. “Look. Waves…” I started, my voice trembling uncertainly around her name.

Without warning, she jarred to a halt and spun to face me so fast I had to lift my arms and rise up on my toes to keep from running her over. “Whoa! Wha?—?”

Not giving me time to recover, she slapped a piece of paper against my chest. “There.”

Scrambling to keep it from flying off into the breeze, I latched a hand around the sheet, then frowned with trepidation as I turned it over and flipped it right-side up to read, only to scowl up at Waverly in confusion. “What’s this?”

“My work schedule at the library,” she bit out. “When your mom asked me yesterday where you’ve been, it became obvious you’ve stayed away from her in fear of running into me. Well, there you go. Now, you know when I’ll be gone. So go visit your fucking mother already.”

With that, she whirled away to stalk off again.

I blinked after her, then growled, “Hey.”

When I grabbed her hand, she hissed in annoyance. But at least she turned back to me to mutter, “Oh my God, what ?”

I really had no idea what I wanted to say, so I grabbed her face roughly with both hands and hauled her mouth to mine so I could kiss the fuck out of her.

“Mmph,” she muffled through what could’ve possibly started as a protest, but the moment our lips sank against each other, it turned into a whimper of need and she clutched the front of my shirt, keeping me right where I was as she chased my tongue with hers.

My fingers sank into her hair, and she lifted onto her toes to press close to me.

By the time we pulled our mouths apart, my hands were shaking like crazy, my entire body felt rattly, and I was breathing hard enough I had to rest my brow against hers until I could catch my bearings again.

“I can’t stop thinking about you,” I confessed, not sure why I was telling her this. I hadn’t even wanted to admit it to myself. But I guess since everything else was pouring out of me today, why not this too?

“You…” She paused to gasp for breath, then licked her lips and looked up at me with those fucking gorgeous brown eyes of hers. “You have a funny way of showing it,” she admitted, seemingly confused. “I could’ve sworn you were purposely avoiding me.”

“I was,” I confirmed. When her face filled with hurt, I added, “Because you’re freaking me the fuck out.”

“I…” She shook her head, not understanding. “How?”

“Because I wanted to be a fucking butterfly,” I tried to explain. “Who flits from flower to flower without a care in the world. Not a damn worm, burrowing into one single apple and wallowing there for the rest of his damn life. Why are you turning me into a fucking worm?”

“I—I—” At first, she seemed worried and panicked as if she felt she’d done something wrong. But then she must’ve realized what I meant, and she suddenly scowled. Shoving at my chest, she growled, “Hey, I’m not turning you into anything .”

“Then why do I not want to flutter off to the next flower already?” I demanded in disgust. “I just want to burrow myself in…you.”

Her mouth opened at the accusation, and she shook her head, puzzled. “I don’t know!” She muttered. “That’s all your doing, bud. Because I never once asked anything of you. You’re turning yourself into a worm, all on your own.”

And by worm, I’m pretty sure she meant snake. I was a total snake.

When she stalked off this time, I didn’t immediately pursue her. I blinked, dumbfounded, because—shit?—

“You’re right,” I said, shaken to realize. “Holy shit. You’re absolutely right.”

Hearing the revelation in my voice, Waverly slowed to a stop and turned back. “What?” she asked, furrowing her brow in question.

“You didn’t do anything to cause this,” I agreed. “ I’m the one who whipped up all this shit in my head and freaked myself out. Hell, I don’t even know if you’re even interested in me in return. Maybe you actually wanted to go out with that guy who was hitting on you.”

Her brow furrowed immediately. “I didn’t.”

I exhaled in relief, only to take a hesitant step toward her. “So then, do you have any interest in being with me ? Like, really being with me?”

Her eyes flared, her lips flattened, and her throat worked before she shook her head, breathing unsteadily. “I—I—But I thought I reminded you of your mother.”

“Exactly,” I murmured, lifting my hand to touch her hair.

“You remind me of my mother, who was the most important person in my world. I never loved anyone the way I loved her. Do you get what I’m saying yet?

I’ve never met anyone who I thought had the potential to turn me into some kind of monogamous, relationship-loving…

boyfriend until you. Which was exactly why I kept the lid on Pandora’s Box firmly closed and made very special care not to explore what anything might be like with you. ”

Shuddering out a breath, she whispered, “Oh.”

I smiled slowly. “Yeah. Oh.”

She gulped once more before adding, “And—and then I opened the box and I tricked you into taking a look inside.”

“Yes, you did.” I nodded, glad she finally understood.

“You’re turning me into a worm,” I repeated, hoping she knew this time it wasn’t an accusation, and it wasn’t even a bad thing.

It just…was. “And I know fuck-all about the worm life. So I’m just sinking and floundering and panicking like a jackass over here.

” Trembling out a shaky laugh, I admitted, “I don’t know how to do this. ”

Her brow furrowed as if my admission was puzzling. “And you think I do?”

“Well, why the hell aren’t you losing your shit too?” I demanded, motioning to her calm, level-headed demeanor in annoyance.

She rolled her eyes. “Because I never thought you’d ever have any interest in actually—” From there, she broke off, having difficulty saying the words aloud. Shaking her head in disbelief, she finished with, “ dating me.”

“Well, I do,” I countered, scowling at her and circling the air with my hand. “So could you please commence to panicking with me now, so I’m not the only idiot over here freaking out?”

She blinked then blurted out an incredulous laugh.

I huffed out a frown. “It’s not funny.”

“Yeah, it kind of is,” she countered, still snorting out her amusement as she covered her mouth with both hands.

“I mean, the very idea of Keene Dugger going exclusive is just—it’s not even real.

” Lifting her hands from her face, she glanced around the quad at life happening around us.

“None of this is real right now. You’re not real. This isn’t real. They’re not real.”

When she motioned toward two dudes walking by, I reached out and flicked one on the side of the arm.

“Dude!” The guy drew his shoulder away and glared at me. “What the hell?”

Turning back to Waverly, I said, “They’re real.”

Her eyes flared with shock. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

I only grinned. “Of course, you can. I’m Keene. I do the crazy shit. Now…” With a grin, I stepped toward her, invading her space. “Do you want to be with the crazy-shit guy or not?”

Her lips parted, and she tried to draw back from the enormity of the moment—she even took a physical step in reverse—but I caught her arm.

“Nope. If I have the balls to admit it, you have the ovaries to do the same. Because you’ve already established just how weak my balls are.

I crumpled at the first nudge from your knee.

Now woman up, and say it. Do. You. Want. Me?”

Her chest rose as she drew in air before she wheezed with a labored breath, “Yes.”

I shuddered for air right along with her.

Loving how that one word sounded coming from her mouth, I demanded, “How much of me do you want?”

“I don’t—” She shrugged. “I don’t know. As much as you want to give, I guess.”

“No.” I shook my head, refusing all cop-out answers. “Fuck that. I’m not asking for what you’d accept or settle for. I want to know what you want .”

Her lips parted, her eyes full of hesitation.

“It’s okay to say it,” I assured softly. “Friends with benefits, casual fling, see where it goes, or full-on relationship? I can handle whatever answer you give. I just need to know where your head is. So… If I was willing to give you everything that I am, what—from that—would you want to take?”

Her gaze went leery with suspicion as if she couldn’t trust me with the truth. Which is probably why she shied another step backward as she whispered, “All of it.”

Any resistance I might’ve had completely shattered. “I need to be inside you,” I said. “Right now.”