Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(63)

Mariah scowled at her from bloodshot eyes. “It’s my room too, you know.”

“But…” Paige frowned when she realized the red around Mariah’s eyes were from recently shed tears, not some kind of hangover. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s over, that’s what’s wrong.” Mariah sniffed and wiped at another tear dripping down her cheek. “Gavin and I. He cheated on me. The rat bastard.” When she buried her face into her hands and began to weep in earnest, Paige’s pity kicked in. She hurried across the room to sit on the bed next to her roommate and wrapped her arms around Mariah.

Mariah curled toward her and rested her cheek on Paige’s shoulder. “I loved him so much.”

As she blubbered, detailing everything she missed about her boyfriend, Paige listened, thinking Mariah’s boyfriend’s best attributes didn’t sound all that appealing. Logan outshone him in every way. As his face popped into her head, her thoughts wandered to him. She couldn’t count the number of times she had replayed that moment in the hospital when she’d realized he was smelling her hair.

The way his lips had parted and nostrils had flared exposed a look of utter ecstasy that couldn’t be faked. Then his lashes had parted, and his eyes had been glazed with pleasure as if he were drugged and high off her scent. He’d gazed at her blindly for a moment, all his emotions etched onto his face. He had wanted her.

The muscles deep in her belly had clenched with utter awareness, and she’d wanted him back, wanted to kiss him and touch him. She’d wanted everything he had to offer. She’d never felt so attracted to another person in her life.

Then his gaze had cleared, and her mind had cleared, and horror had filled her.

Escape had been the only viable option, because remaining anywhere near Logan Xander after that would’ve been epically disastrous.

As Mariah sobbed in her arms, swearing off all men, Paige silently swore herself off one man. Trace would roll over in his grave if he knew what she was thinking.

Besides, up until a few months ago, she’d hated Logan. From absolutely loathing him to wanting to jump his bones just seemed wrong, unfair to him, and…and really, really wrong. The attraction couldn’t be trusted.

She decided avoiding him at all costs was out of the question since doing that would only prove how much she was running from her attraction. Befriending him was also out of the question. But kind, distant, polite courtesy she could handle.

At least she hoped so.

Paige spent the rest of the day helping Mariah get through her breakup and trying to convince herself with every excuse she could concoct why Logan was bad for her.

When Bailey and Tess arrived later that evening, finally moving back in after the holiday break, Paige was beyond relieved to see them, though actually she had somewhat welcomed Mariah’s breakdown. It had marginally helped distract her from everything she didn’t want to think about.

She winced inwardly when she had to lie about her bruise to Bailey and Tess, using the old laundry basket story. But after Logan’s response to the truth, she decided she liked her fib much better, even if she wished she didn’t have to tell her closest friends a lie.

Wonderful support that they were, Tess and Bailey swallowed her story whole and then helped her cheer up Mariah. By Friday, Mariah was back to her regular self, ready to go out and find a party.

Paige and her suitemates wasted most of the weekend before the spring classes started catching up. Bailey had actually met a guy back in her hometown, but Tess heartily disapproved of him. Entertained by watching them argue about him, Paige was thrown for a loop when Tess turned from Bailey, ignoring her insults, and blankly asked, “So, how was your winter break, Paige?”

“Oh…” Flashes of her few tense confrontations with her father, of learning the truth about Kayla, of realizing how much she liked Logan struck her cold in the chest.

She smiled vaguely and answered, “It was fine. My friend Kayla got me a pair of ruby earrings to go with my cross necklace.”

“Oh, they’re cute.” Neither suitemate asked anything else, and she breathed a sigh of relief, glad her moment in the spotlight had passed.

She started back to work the night before her first class began. Thankful and yet disappointed to learn she didn’t share the shift with Logan, she went through the motions, more distracted than paying attention to what she was actually doing.

When the next day began, she was up early and ready for some good hectic chaos, which she got. Her new schedule was much tougher this semester. But it still didn’t keep her mind from straying at the most inopportune moments, like the first Tuesday her grief group meetings resumed. She was so preoccupied about seeing Logan again she was lost in her own thoughts as she hurried down the front steps of Grammar Hall to the exit.

Einstein popped out from behind the staircase. Paige screamed.

“Oh my God.” She closed her eyes and waited for her heart to settle. “I swear, Einstein, you just scared ten years off my life.”

“Where’re you headed?”

“My grief group.” She glanced at her wristwatch, knowing she didn’t have time to small talk. “It starts in five minutes.”

His shoulders deflated. “That’s right. It’s Tuesday, isn’t it?” His depression tugged at her sympathies and reminded her it had been a while since she’d hung out with him. Suddenly remembering his story about his mother—though she still didn’t believe it—she said, “Hey, why don’t you come with me? You could talk about your mom.”