Crazy Stupid Love (Crazy Love #1)(24)

“Do you always do that?” I laugh, pulling her attention back towards me.

“Do what?” she questions.

“Invite someone and then un-invite them.” I can’t fight my amused smile.

“No, of course, you can come if you want,” she stumbles out.

“I’m just giving you a hard time.” I reach out, unable to resist the urge to trail my fingers along her jawline.

The contact causes her to take a shaky inhale making it nearly impossible for me to rip my gaze away from her eyes which seem to flood with desire.

“But I appreciate the invite,” I tack on, fighting the urge to lean in and kiss her.

“Of course.” The blush of her cheeks only deepens. “Maybe we can do something else sometime?”

“Maybe.” I try to shake off the fog that seems to have settled over me, finally letting my hand drop away.

“Okay.” She nods, wearing the disappointment on her face plain as day. “Bye, Decklan,” she gets out weakly, sliding into the driver’s seat.

Something about hearing her say goodbye causes dread to fill the pit of my stomach. How can I be so sure and yet so unsure about something at the same time? A part of me wants to grab her, carry her ass back upstairs and never let her leave again. The other part of me, the rational part, knows I’m doing the right thing by letting her leave.

She immediately closes the door of the car and fires the engine to life. Throwing me a weak smile and a small wave, she quickly pulls out of the parking lot, forcing me to stand here and watch her drive away knowing full well it will likely be the last time I ever see her.

A girl like Kimber doesn’t belong in my world. She’s too sweet, too innocent. I would ruin her. She’s too f*cking special to be ruined by the likes of me. I have proven time and time again that I am incapable of not hurting the ones who get close to me. I can’t hurt her like that. I’d never forgive myself, and I already carry around too much f*cking guilt as it is.





Chapter Nine


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Kimber

Stepping inside my dorm room, my stomach flutters knowing I’m about to face my two friends after what happened last night. I let out a slow exhale when the dimness of the room settles over me, the curtains drawn, and a light snore filling the air.

I quietly close the door and slip off my shoes, thankful that I have a little more time to process last night’s events. Or at least, that’s my initial thought until I hear a throat clear lightly, and I spin to see Harlee sitting on top of her bed, her hair tied into a knot on top of her head, legs crossed in front of her, her trusty Kindle resting in her lap.

Looking back towards my bed, only now do I see the black hair sprawled across my pillow, realizing that it’s Angel sleeping and not Harlee.

“Good morning.” Harlee flips her Kindle over on the bed and pins her gaze on me.

“Morning,” I whisper, crossing the room towards her, flopping down on the edge of her mattress the moment I reach it.

Lying back across the foot of the bed I let out a deep sigh, not sure if I want to laugh, cry, or apologize profusely for the choices I made last night.

“So...how was it?” Harlee keeps her attention focused on me.

Turning my head towards her, I can’t help the splitting grin that takes over my face the moment my eyes meet hers.

“Words can’t even begin to describe it,” I answer truthfully, surprised by how good it feels to just say this fact out loud. “I’m sorry I disappeared on you.”

“Are you kidding?” She swipes her hand through the air. “I would have done the same thing to you.” Her smile widens.

“What’s that say about us as friends?” I laugh, dropping my arm over my forehead.

“It says we’re damn good ones because we want each other to have fun.” She nudges me with her foot as she straightens out her legs on the bed. “Besides, I wouldn’t have left if I didn’t feel comfortable leaving you where you were.”

I don’t know that I would have left her regardless, considering you never really know people these days, but I don’t push the issue. I have to remind myself that in Harlee’s world something like this is completely acceptable.

“Don’t let her lie to you, she would have left you either way.” Angel’s voice causes me to jump slightly.

Pushing up on my elbows, there’s enough light filtering into the room that I can see her sitting up in my bed, her dark hair seeming to stick up in every direction.

“Screw you, whore.” Harlee laughs, throwing a pillow in Angel’s direction. It falls short and lands on the floor a good foot from the bed.

“You better have brought Sally back in one piece.” She hits me with stern eyes as she refers to her car.

“Not a scratch on her.” I sit up, tossing the keys still clutched in my hand at her.

She snags them out of the air, laughing when they nearly connect with her forehead.

“Now—” Angel pins her eyes directly on me, “—tell us everything. I want every last detail. And don’t you dare think about leaving anything out.”

****

“So are you a big football fan?” Travis, one of Angel’s friends asks, sliding down next to me on the tailgate of the pickup truck I’m sitting on, turning a sweet smile in my direction.