Begin Again (Again #1)(18)

“Which list?” asked Dawn, leaning in.

“My ‘if-I-could-have-any-man-in-the-world’ list,” she sighed.

Dawn and I exchanged amused glances.

“Then you should become best friends with Allie, she lives with him.”

The girl let out a squeal, and Scott sighed wistfully. He rested his chin on his hand. “Hallelujah, sweetie.”

“Can you introduce us?” asked the girl, eagerly.

“How do you even know him? I mean, I’ve only been here for a couple of days, but I’ve obviously missed something,” I said, amused. “I think I’ve hired the wrong informants.”

“Kaden is one of the dreamboats. Like Spencer Cosgrove,” explained another girl to my left.

“Spencer?” Dawn laughed aloud, but stopped when someone threw her a punishing glare.

“Yeah, there are a few dreamboats here,” Scott opined.

Which kicked off a discussion on who was the hottest guy on campus. Kaden was high on some people’s lists. I was glad when someone changed the subject, and we wandered off onto other themes. I really didn’t want to take someone back to the apartment with me or give up Kaden’s cell phone number to some freshman.

Although …

I looked at the girl with the dreamy expression.

And grinned.

Later, on my way to my last lecture of the day, my cell phone buzzed in my bag. I pulled it out while walking.

What the hell were you thinking? was the message on my smartphone screen. I smiled to myself.

That’s what you get for stealing my veggies, you ass.

I’d slipped Kaden’s cell number to the dreamy girl after lunch, winking.

My phone vibrated again.

You’re never getting another drop of coffee. I’m locking the machine in my room.

I snorted and stood still while I typed.

Up yours.

That would be a violation of rule three, and you know it, Bubbles.

I huffed in frustration and stuffed the phone back in my bag. What an asshole! And what the hell was behind that idiotic nickname he kept calling me? Bubbles. Because I babbled too much? Seriously?

As I entered the building for my last lecture of the day, I decided to ban all thoughts of Kaden from my head. I found my classroom on the first floor and entered.

Many students were already there. I edged my way through the crowd.

“Hey fresh meat!” a guy yelled at me from the side.

I pretended to ignore him. But I’d barely gotten past him when he leaned back in his chair and gave me a slap on the ass.

A piercing pain shot through my temples. Unwanted memories flashed in front of my inner eye. I felt like I was boiling, but I wanted to keep moving. No scene. Still, when I’d left Lincoln I’d promised myself never again to take that kind of thing lying down. I turned on my heels and targeted the guy with a furious stare.

“Don’t you ever touch me again. Do you understand?” I made an effort to keep my voice calm, but only half succeeded.

The guy raised his hands in the air, in a calming gesture and said with a snide grin. “Calm down, it’s just a joke.”

“No, it’s harassment. If you think that’s funny, you have a pretty shitty sense of humor,” I said through my teeth.

“Chill out, man,” he grumbled, and the guy sitting next to him grunted in agreement.

“No, man, I will not chill out. If women want you to touch them, they will let you know. Believe me, we can make it quite obvious,” I hissed. “But if someone walks by without even noticing you, that’s not an invitation to grope them.”

At this point the guy was glowing red. I couldn’t tell if it was from anger or shame.

“Keep your hands to yourself, Ryan,” rang out a familiar voice. “Unless you want to get to know mine. And believe me, I don’t think you want that.”

Kaden sat across from us. He had folded his arms behind his head; his legs were stretched out and crossed under the table. His eyes flashed with amusement when he saw my surprised expression, but his jaw remained clenched. He gave a barely noticeable nod in my direction and then reached into his pants pocket.

As the lecturer began to introduce himself, I heard my phone vibrate in my bag. I fished it out discreetly and unlocked the screen to read the message.

You have passed.





Chapter 7


In the weeks that followed, my life settled into a routine, and Fall crept up on us. I went to class, hung out with Dawn and other classmates, and gradually became more comfortable. By now I could even tell the tasty dishes from the inedible ones at the dining hall—if you consider that progress.

I rarely saw Kaden, mainly because of my full schedule. I spent a lot of time in the library and made an effort to memorize the material from the start. My profs didn’t waste any time when it came to pop quizzes and major exams. I’d already joined several study groups, and sometimes we worked together in the library until late in the night. By the time I’d get home, my roommate would either be holed up in his bedroom or sitting in the low-lit living room, engrossed in his PlayStation.

This particular night, my friends and I wanted to visit a nightclub for the first time.

I was just about to apply eyeliner to my second lid when the doorbell rang.

“It’s for me!” I called out, in case Kaden had any intention of moving his butt.