Page 36 of For Crosby

I leaned my body against the outside wall of the bar, as we waited for Caden and Finlay to get the car. “You’re one of the last good ones, Forester.”

“Go on,” he said with his signature smirk.

I rolled my eyes.

“You’ll find someone.”

I cocked my head. “You make me sound desperate.”

He shook his head. “Nope. You’re just too good for most of the guys on campus, that’s all.”

I laughed, knowing he was only trying to make me feel better, but it helped. At least until my next encounter with Crosby. The guy had a way of driving me freaking nuts. And what was up with my body’s response to his touch and the words he uttered against my skin?

I had a sinking feeling deep down in my bones that my knee-jerk reaction and quick departure had nothing to do with what he’d said, and everything to do with self-preservation.

Damn him.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Crosby

The past week had been balls to the walls. With practices, games, and cramming for final exams, I’d barely had time to breathe. I’d taken my literature final that morning—the last one before Christmas break, and endured my final practice until our January twelfth game in Tennessee. I walked back to my dorm from the arena with exhaustion weighing me down.

I spotted Sabrina opening the trunk of her car in front of her dorm. I hadn’t seen her since the night at the bar. And to say our interaction had been fucked up would’ve been an understatement. She’d been feeling me and definitely grinding up on me. But then she went and got all whacked out over me flirting with her. She had to know I was kidding around. Though, let’s be honest. Had she said, ‘Let’s take it back to my place,’ I would’ve been all in.

I ground to a halt on the sidewalk and watched as she packed a bag of wrapped presents into her trunk. Did I say something to her or would it be safer to bypass her dorm altogether? Maybe I could wish her a merry Christmas and show her I wasn’t the asshole she thought I was. It wasn’t like we’d see each other for another month anyway.

Fuck it.

“Hey,” I called to her.

She pulled her head out from around her raised trunk. She rolled her eyes as soon as she spotted me then went back to packing.

I stepped up beside her car. “How’s it going?”

“That’s what you want to know?”

I shrugged. “Seemed like a legitimate question.”

“I’m great.” She slammed the trunk and walked to the passenger side, loading her carry-on bag into the front seat.

Most guys would’ve taken the hint and gotten the hell outta there, but I wasn’t most guys. “I haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yup. It’s been great,” she said.

“You’ve been avoiding me?”

“Nope. I just think the stars aligned.”

Even when she was pissing me off I found humor in it. “So, you heading home?”

“I’m certainly not packing for fun.”

What the hell was it gonna take? I buried my hands in my pockets. “I liked dancing with you.”

She finally stopped what she was doing and glanced over at me. “We danced?”

I laughed. “Funny.”

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