Chapter 6


    Avery


    Hiding behind that dumpster seemed important at the time – I couldn’t have someone from my past


    spotting me, so I’d dived for cover. But now, awaiting someone named Stacia, I question what in the


    hell I’m doing in Jase’s bedroom. This isn’t me. I don’t follow guys home. I certainly don’t make myself


    at home on their beds. This is just asking for trouble. And now clearly he has a girlfriend, which makes


    me look like an even bigger idiot.


    Trey leaves and Jase makes no move to exin. Since it’s toote to escape, I wait. A few seconds


    later, we hear footsteps climbing the stairs to the attic.


    A petite girl with long blond hair rounds the corner and her megawatt smile fades as soon as she sees


    Jase isn’t alone.


    “Oh. Hey, Jase,” she recovers and leans down to nt a kiss against his cheek.


    God, could this be more awkward? I want to die.


    Jase, having perfected his bored-with-life look, nods once at her and then flicks his gaze to mine. “This


    is Avery. Avery, this is Stacia.”


    Stacia turns, but her smile was only reserved for Jase because it fades as she takes me in. There’s


    something she hates about me being up here with Jase, and the inner bitch inside me enjoys that fact.


    This girl just reeks of fake, and I’m instantly not a fan.


    “I didn’t know you had someone over.” Stacia’s voice goes soft as she turns to Jase.


    “Well, I do. Did you need something?” His voice is cool, unemotional.


    Damn. This can’t be his girlfriend. Otherwise, he’s a real asshole. Of course I’m dying to know who she


    is, but I won’t ask. Not sure I could handle hearing that right now. Jase has treated me with nothing but


    kindness and respect, and I sort of want to continue thinking the best of him.


    “No. Just wanted to say hi.” Stacia lifts one shoulder, then drops it and I can’t help but notice the way


    her chest sticks out when she does. The move is practiced, beyond obvious. God, this girl is annoying


    me in all of thirty seconds. Before the awkward silence has time to fully descend on us, Stacia bounds


    over toward me. “You look familiar.”


    My heart stops.


    Literally ceases to beat in my chest.


    I hope to God she has no idea why I look familiar. I pull in a breath and shrug, working to convince


    myself it’s just a coincidence. She can’t know.


    Desperately needing to change the subject, I ask, “How do you and Jase know each other?”


    Jase answers for her. “Ex-girlfriend.”


    Oh.


    “Yeah, some days I’m his ex-girlfriend, some days I’m…what am I exactly, Jase, on those nights you


    call me and beg me toe over?”


    “You wish, Stacia.”


    Sheughs, her mouth curving into a victorious smile. “Kay, Jase.”


    My stomach cramps.


    Jase rises from the chair, watching her with guarded eyes, like she’s a wild and unpredictable animal.


    Staciaughs again, nervously this time. “I can see you’re trying to impress your new friend, so I’ll go.”


    His jaw tenses as he bites back whatever he wants to say. He steers Stacia by the elbow toward the


    door. “Avery and I need to study.”


    Stacia pouts but lets him guide her out into the hall.


    Once the door is firmly shut, I look at Jase. “Are you sure it’s okay I’m here?” I ask.


    Heughs uneasily and crosses the room toward me. “You’re saving my ass right now. So thank you.”


    “How?”


    “By helping me get rid of Stacia. She’d hang out all afternoon if I let her.”


    I rise from the bed, wondering if he doesn’t wantpany and if I should head out too. “Oh…did you


    want me to…”


    His firm hands on my shoulders stop me from going any farther. “I want you to stay.”


    The warm weight of his hands is a constant reminder that I’m not as immune to his charms as I’d like. I


    smile up at him like a lovesick fangirl. Idiot. I silently berate myself that I’ve joined the Jase fan club.


    “Okay.”


    “Sit. Stay. Getfortable.”


    I sink down to his bed once again, chemistry crackling between us, no matter how much I might want to


    deny it. “Okay.”


    “I’ve got psych homework I could do. And you can hide out here, so just rx, alright?”


    I want to ask him more about Stacia, but that may lead him to ask why I was hiding, so I zip it and rx


    on hisrge queen-sized bed. It’s much more plush andfy than my narrow rock-hard mattress back


    at the dorms. Mmm. His bed smells like him. It’s a scent I instantly decide could be bottled and sold.


    Jase turns on soft music and grabs his textbook and a stack of papers from the desk, bncing


    everything on hisp so he can face me. I grab the book from my early childhood development ss


    and bravely settle back against his mountain of pillows. My eyes dart up to Jase’s but he doesn’t seem


    to mind in the least that I’vemandeered his bed. In fact, I swear there’s a hint of smile tugging his


    lips.


    “So what’s your major?” he asks.


    “Social work. What about you?” For some reason I expect him to say undecided, but he surprises me.


    “Psychology. Mostly because it pisses my dad off.”


    “What do you mean?”


    He grins. “He’s a mayor and wants to make a run for congress. He’s always been obsessed with


    politics…so of course he wanted me to major in political science, or at least business.”


    I nod. My dads didn’t really care what my major was. And when I told them I wanted to work in the


    adoption field, they helped me research the social work program.


    “It was either that or something artistic, and since I’m shit at art and just okay at music, I figured


    psychology was a safe bet.”


    “Do you at least like your sses?” I ask.


    “Yeah, turns out I love it. People are the most interesting thing to me anyway, so it worked out.”


    “Did you seed in pissing off your dad?”


    He nods. “Oh yeah. He blew a gasket.”


    We both smile. Why do I get the feeling that Jase is letting me in on things he doesn’t normally share?


    And why do I like it so much? I focus on my book for a few minutes, but reading about attachment


    disorder is pretty dry, and Jase’s mouthwatering goodness is right there on disy. It’s hard not to


    sneak nces at him from time to time. A tiny crease marks his brow as he concentrates, and his lips


    move when he reads – something he makes look both adorable and sexy at the same time.


    “So, Stacia’s really your ex?”


    “Yeah. But she doesn’t act like it. And of course my frat brothers give me shit about it all the time.”


    It’s clear she’d like to take a ride on Jase, ex or not. Hell, maybe she still does, like she implied. I force


    my eyes back to my book and rx into the inviting bedding. After a few moments of trying my


    damnedest to read this textbook, I feel Jase’s eyes on me again.


    “Do you ever think about meeting your…um, thedy that gave birth to you?” he asks, his brows pulled


    together.


    “My birthmom?” I was used to teaching people the correct terminology. He nods.


    “Yeah. All the time, actually.”


    “So why don’t you?”


    I shrug. Lots of reasons. I’m not sure how much I should tell him, or how much he really wants to know,


    but Jase is leaning forward on his elbows, like he’s genuinely interested. I don’t typically talk about this


    stuff. But I trust him enough to let him in, which is odd given that I’ve only known him such a short time


    and everyone has warned me about him. “Now that I’m neen, I can go and get the records from my


    adoption without my dads needing to sign off …” I release a slow sigh. It’s something I’ve thought about


    doing so many times, yet some unknown force holds me back.


    “It’s not a big deal. I’ll figure out what to do eventually,” I add, hoping to lighten the moment.


    “Well, let me know if I can help,” he says softly.


    “Why would you do that?”


    He shrugs. “Why not?”


    I’m genuinely baffled by his interest in helping me. I know I’m not the bestpany, only Jase doesn’t


    seem to mind. That’s probably because he doesn’t know much about me. I duck my head at this


    realization, drawing my chin to my chest. “You wouldn’t like me if you knew more about my past.”


    He doesn’t press for details. He just remains quiet and reaches for my hand. “I doubt that could be true.


    And besides, I have waaay more baggage than you, so we’re good.”


    Yes, but his reputation is out in the open. He isn’t hiding behind a curtain, waiting for some horrible big-


    reveal like I am. Jase is still watching me and his soft expression sends a warm tingling through my


    chest. I have no idea why it is that Jase Owens – reported manwhore – would have this effect on me.


    Yet I can’t deny that he does. Which is exactly why I’ll need to be extra careful around him.


    * * *


    I blink my eyes open to find Jase standing above me. “Avery, wake up. You fell asleep.” His hand on


    my shoulder gently rouses me. What? Noooo. I shoot up in the bed, stunned and bleary-eyed. I fell


    asleep? This is so not me. “I should go.” I leap up from the bed and grab my backpack, hefting it up


    over one shoulder. “Do you have ss?”


    Jase casually looks at his rm clock. “My psych ss started twenty minutes ago. I didn’t want to


    wake you.”


    Oh. “Jase, don’t skip ss for me.”


    Jase steps closer, closing the distance between us. I have to crane my neck to look up at him, and my


    pulse spikes at the sudden closeness. “It’s okay.” He straightens the backpack straps, his hand


    lingering on my shoulders. “This was more fun.”


    What is okay about any of this, I have no idea. His gaze lingers on mine. I should move away, but I


    won’t. “Can you afford to miss ss?”


    He lets out a shortugh. “I’m not dumb, Avery. I had a near perfect grade-point averagest semester.


    And it’s only the second week of ss. It’s fine.”


    My surprised expression gives me away.


    “What? Not what you expected?”


    I turn and flee without another word, needing to use my body for something useful like descending the


    stairs so I don’t do something stupid like lift up on my toes and kiss him like I want to. Once we reach


    the front door, Jase grabs my backpack, halting my escape.


    “Hey, stay out from behind dumpsters, okay?” He brushes the loose strands of hair back from my face,


    tucking them gently behind my ear.


    “I’ll try.”


    When I get back to the dorm, Madison shoots me a suspicious re. “Where were you all afternoon?”


    I casually set my backpack on my bed, my mind grasping at a possible exnation. Knowing I’m


    horrible at thinking on my feet, I break down and admit I was with Jase, making it sound like we


    casually ran into each other – which we did. And going home with Jase then was just a no-brainer.


    When I spotted Marcy Capri earlier, I knew I needed to get out of there before a panic attack took over.


    She didn’t look dangerous, with her frizzy blond hair and faded ck yoga pants, but she was. She


    held a link to my past. She knew the secret that I’ve worked hard to ensure didn’t follow me here, didn’t


    own me. And I know, given the chance, she’d open her fat mouth and b. It’s too juicy a secret not to.


    I couldn’t have that, so I dove behind the nearest obstacle I could find – which happened to be a


    dumpster. I was shaking when Jase found me.


    But Madison doesn’t need to know about my dumpster diving adventures. I also fail to mention the nap


    I’d taken in his bed. That would send her over the edge. No, that little detail will need to remain


    between him and me, as would the fact that his pillow smelled like a mix of fabric softener and cologne


    and I could have easily taken it home to enjoy nightly. That detail definitely doesn’t need to be shared


    with anyone. Not Madison and certainly not too-hot-for-his-own-good Jase.?N?velDrama.Org ? content.