The Mistake (Off-Campus #2)(28)
Our gazes lock for one heart-stopping moment, and then he does the absolute last thing I expect.
He leans down and kisses me.
On the mouth. With tongue.
Right there in the dining hall.
When he pulls back, I’m gratified to find that Ramona and Jess are slack-jawed—and so are the girls at the next table.
Not feeling so chatty anymore, are you?
I’m still basking in the glow of victory when Logan flashes me that crooked grin I love so much. “Are you ready to go, gorgeous?”
We didn’t have plans. He knows that and I know that, but I’m not about to let anyone else know it.
So I play along by answering, “Yep.” I start to get up. “Let me just bring back this tray.”
“Don’t worry about it—I’ll do it.” He plucks the tray out of my hands, says, “Nice to see you again, Ramona,” and then plants another kiss on my lips before striding toward the tray return counter.
Every female in the room admires the way his black cargo pants hug his spectacular ass. Myself included.
Snapping out of my butt-leering trance, I turn to my friends, who still look dazed. “Sorry to eat and run, but I have plans tonight.”
Logan comes back a moment later, and I paste on the brightest smile I can muster as he takes my hand and leads me out of the dining hall.
The second I slide into the passenger seat of his pickup truck, the dam I’ve struggled to keep intact all evening shatters to pieces. As the tears spill over, I make a frantic attempt to wipe them away with my sleeves before he notices.
But it’s too late.
“Aw, hey, don’t cry.” He quickly reaches inside the center console and pulls out a travel pack of tissues.
Damn it, I can’t believe I’m bawling in front of him. I sniffle as he hands me the pack. “Thank you.”
“No prob.”
“No, not just for the tissues. Thank you for showing up and rescuing me. This whole day has been so humiliating,” I mumble.
He sighs. “I guess you saw that Twitter feed.”
My embarrassment triples. “Just so you know, I haven’t been going around and telling everyone about us. The only person who knows we hooked up is Ramona.”
“Obvs. She was there at the movies.” His smile is reassuring. “Don’t worry, you didn’t strike me as the type to B&B.”
I offer a blank stare. “Bed and breakfast?”
He snickers. “No. Bag and brag.”
“Bag and brag?” I’m laughing through my tears, because the phrase is so absurd. “I didn’t realize that was a thing.”
“Trust me, it is. The puck bunnies excel at it.” His voice softens. “And just so you know, the chick who started the Twitter bullshit? Huge puck bunny. And she’s still pissed at me because I turned her down last year.”
“Why did you do that?” I’ve met Maya’s sister, and she’s beautiful.
“Because she’s pushy. And kind of annoying, if I’m being honest.” He turns the key in the ignition and gives me a sidelong look. “Do you want me to drive you home? Because I was thinking of taking you somewhere else first, if you’re interested.”
My curiosity is piqued. “Where?”
His blue eyes twinkle mischievously. “It’s a surprise.”
“A good surprise?”
“Is there any other kind?”
“Um, yeah. I can think of a hundred bad surprises off the top of my head.”
“Name one,” he challenges.
“Okay—you’re set up on a blind date, and you show up at the restaurant and Ted Bundy is sitting at the table.”
Logan grins at me. “Bundy is your go-to answer for everything, huh?”
“It appears so.”
“Fine. Well, point taken. And I promise, it’s a good surprise. Or in the very least, it’s neutral.”
“All right. Surprise away then.”
He pulls out of the parking lot and turns onto the road that leads away from campus. As I gaze out the window and watch the trees whiz by, a heavy sigh leaves my chest. “Why are people such assholes sometimes?”
“Because they are,” he says simply. “Honestly, it’s not worth getting angry over. My advice? Don’t waste your time obsessing over the stupid actions of stupid people.”
“It’s kind of hard not to when they’re slandering my good name.” But I know he’s right. Why bother expending any mental energy on bullies like Piper Stevens? Three years from now, I won’t even remember her name.
“Seriously, Grace, don’t stress. You know what they say—haters be hating, and bitches be bitching.”
I laugh again. “That’s going to be my new motto.”
“Good. It should be.”
We pass the sky-blue sign with the words “Welcome to Hastings!” sprawled across it, and I peer out the window again. “I grew up around the corner,” I tell him.
He sounds surprised. “You’re from Hastings?”
“Yep. My dad’s been a professor at Briar for twenty years. I’ve spent my whole life here.”
Rather than head for the downtown core, Logan veers off in the direction of the highway. We don’t stay on it for long, though. A few exits pass and then he gets off at the sign for Munsen, the next town over.