Chapter 5
Jase
I hadn’t expected to see Avery again, which is why the sh of auburn hair leaves me momentarily
stunned. Seeing her in the daylight, I realize she’s even prettier than I first realized. But as quickly as I
spot her, she’s gone – diving for cover behind a dumpster. “Avery?” I round the corner and see her
couched down, knees drawn up to her chest.
Her eyes dart up and meet mine and she lets out a soft groan. She doesn’t say anything, just remains
hunkered down next to the dumpster. I hold out my hand, offering to help.
Her gaze lifts from mine, searching for something in the distance before she takes my hand.
“Why are you hiding?”
“I wasn’t,” she says quickly.
I lift one eyebrow. I can feel her hand trembling in mine.
“Can you just get me out of here?” Her voice has a raspy, pleading quality to it that I can’t refuse.
“Where do you want to go?”
Her gaze darts behind me. “Anywhere but here.”
Sadness flickers in her eyes and instantly I know I’d dly fuck up whoever had hurt her. “Come on. If
we cut through there,” I point to a trail at the edge of campus, “my house isn’t far.”
She nods, and nces behind her once more before following me.
I have no idea what spooked her, but she’s pale and jittery, like she might dart away from me at any
second. I’m not sure why, but I can’t let her do that. I reluctantly release her hand, but she keeps pace
beside me. “Do you have a ss right now?” I ask, needing to break the silence.
She shakes her head. “I’m done for the day.”
Damn, only eleven in the morning and she’s done for the day? I don’t take sses that start before
noon.
When we reach the Delta Sig house, she hesitates at the front door before stepping inside. It’s trashed,
as usual.
“This is weird – being in a frat house during the light of day.”
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I smile. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”
“How many guys live here?” She follows me through the living room. There’s a random dude sleeping
on the couch, and Avery looks slightly concerned at this, but continues past him.
“Um, sixteen, I think. The house is just for the juniors and seniors.” We stop in the kitchen and say hi to
Drake and Jared. I figure if I introduce her to a few of my roommates – witnesses – she’ll be more
comfortable following me up to my room. Of course I don’t like the way their eyes travel over her sleek
jean-d hips, visually molesting her. “Come on.” I take her hand again, which has be a natural
reaction to her even though I’ve always hated holding hands, and guide her to the stairs.
She stops cold at the bottom of the stairs, her eyes full of questions. I turn to face her, resisting the
urge to brush the strands of hair back from her shoulders. “I pretty much only hang out in my room. The
rest of the house is nasty.”
She smiles crookedly, unable to disagree that my house is disgusting. “Okay. But no funny business.”
“Right. Unless you initiate it, in which case I make no promises to stop it.”
She swats my arm. “I won’t be starting anything, so don’t you worry.”
She follows me upstairs, and I’m d she can’t see the dumb-ass smile nted on my face. She’s not
at all like other girls I hang out with, and I like that. We climb the three flights of stairs in silence and
when I push open the creaky door to the attic, Avery steps around me to peek inside. Taking the
unfinished attic meant I had my own room. It didn’t matter that I didn’t have heat or air conditioning, I
had my own space.
I watch as she takes in the queen-sized bed, neatly made in cream and navy bedding, desk and chair
in the corner, a tall dresser and my acoustic on a stand in the corner. The room isrge and open, with
dark nk-wood floors and beamed ceilings. It’s freezing in the winter and stifling hot in the summer,
but its September, so for the time being, it’s perfect. “What do you think?”
She wanders over to my desk and looks at the corkboard above it where I’ve tacked various photos,
quotes, and clips from magazines. There’s a photo fromst summer of me and my mom at the beach
– before she went cuckoo for Cocoa-Puffs – and another of Trey and me having an impromptu jam
session.
Avery points to the one of my mom. “You look like her. Same eyshes.”
“I know.” Everyone always freaks over my eyshes for some damn reason. It’s embarrassing.
Then she turns to survey the rest of my room. “You make your bed?”
I nod. “Habit I guess. I had to every day growing up. It was the one chore I had to do, and my mom
would freak if I didn’t.”
She bites her lip, trying not to smile.
“Come sit down.” I slide her backpack from her shoulders and set it on the floor. She sits on the edge of
my bed, while I pull out the desk chair for myself. “So, are you going to tell me what you were hiding
from?”
She looks down and the terrified expression on her face is back.
Shit fuck.
“Hey, I’m sorry. It’s okay.” I hold up my hands in surrender. “You don’t have to tell me.”
She swallows, the tension in her shoulders dissipating slightly as she draws a deep breath. “Thanks.”
“For what?” I pull the chair closer to where she’s seated on the bed.
“For being cool with my…crap.” She twists her hands in herp. “I guess I expected you to be different.
The Jase Owens I’ve heard about is a major yer and always…” She pauses, biting her bottom lip.
“Always what?”
Her cheeks blush the prettiest shade of pink. And on her fair skin, there’s no denying her
embarrassment. “Horny,” she finishes.
I crack a slight grin. “Well that part’s true, babe.”
Her eyes widen just slightly.
A sudden knock on my bedroom door interrupts our silence. “Hey man,” a muffled voice calls through
the door. It’s Trey. I’m sure he’s been briefed that I’m up here with a girl, so there must be a significant
reason for him to interrupt.
“Come in.”
His gaze registers Avery perched on the side of my bed like she’s ready to bolt, but his eyes slip past
her to me. He doesn’t recognize her from Saturday night. Not surprising, given he was drunk off his
ass.
“Stacia’s here,” he says.
Avery’s head turns to me, clearly wondering who Stacia is.
“I’m busy.”
Trey chuckles. “Come out and deal with her pretty ass.”
“Fuck man, tell her I’m with someone.”
“You know she’ll just wait. That girl’s got no shame.”
Damn. He’s right.
“Okay, tell her toe up.”