Page 78 of For Crosby

“Then you needn’t look any further. You found me.”

I shook my head as he walked me toward the living room. My entire body tensed as soon as we stepped into the crowded room. Hockey players sat around the coffee table playing a card game. My eyes shot around, searching the room for Crosby. Once I realized he wasn’t there, I released the breath I’d unknowingly been holding. But just because he wasn’t in the living room, didn’t mean he wasn’t somewhere else in the house.

Anxious butterflies filled my stomach. What would I say to him if we came face to face? Would it be uncomfortable? Difficult to make eye contact? Awkward?

“Hey, Sabrina,” Jeremy called from the sofa.

My eyes narrowed on him. Why wouldn’t he just go away?

“Who’s that?” Grady asked, all brotherly and protective like Caden and Forester usually were.

I shook my head. “No one.”

A few of the guys seated with Jeremy turned to see who he’d called to. Their eyes widened when they spotted me and they snickered. Did they know Jeremy and I had gone out? Were they amused by the disgust on my face? Or did they just think I was with Grady now?

“You wanna play flip cup in the kitchen?” Grady asked me.

I didn’t, but the strange attention I was receiving from Jeremy and his friends was beginning to make me uncomfortable. Grady turned us away from them and we headed toward the kitchen, but I didn’t miss the whistles and catcalls that followed us out of the room.

“Sabrina,” a guy called from behind us. Over the noise it sounded like Crosby.

I froze. Unprepared for what I’d say to him, I pulled in a deep breath and glanced over my shoulder. I relaxed when I spotted Forester squeezing his tall body through the masses to get to me.

“You missed your shot, Forester,” Grady told him as he stepped in front of us. “She’s all mine.”

Forester patted him on the shoulder. “Got news for you, bro. She’s not that easily won. She makes guys work for it.” He glanced to me. “Right, Sabrina?”

“Not many guys can handle this,” I said.

Forester laughed and Grady’s eyes cut to mine. “Do I really have no shot?”

“No shot,” I said. “But, if it helps, I’m not really looking for anything. Need a break from guys for a while.”

“Finlay told me about the hockey player,” Forester said.

Grady glared at me. “Hockey player? Are you kidding me? Those guys are pussies.”

Forester and I laughed, but Grady looked thoroughly repulsed that I would’ve dated a hockey player over him.

“Do you see how many pads they wear?” he said, shaking his head in disgust. “Pussies.”

It was comical coming from him. But the pit in my stomach brought on by the thought of a certain hockey player, who clearly wasn’t there, just wouldn’t go away. And I spent the rest of the night pretending to enjoy the party.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

February

Crosby

I crossed campus with the straps of my backpack clutched in my cold hands. I had no idea February in Alabama could be so unforgiving. Across the quad I spotted Sabrina walking beside Caden’s roommate, the one they call Forester. It had been two weeks since she walked out of my life, and it took everything in me not to quicken my pace and approach her. Instead, I watched from a safe distance. A cold knot formed in the deep recesses of my gut at the way her smile beamed when she spoke to him. At one time that smile had been reserved for me.

I stopped walking and watched as Forester placed his hand on her head and messed up her hair, like a big brother would to his sister. Maybe she wasn’t moving on with him, but she would move on. I’d given her no reason not to. And if that video ever went viral, she’d do more than move on.

Xavier had been keeping an eye out for it, and it still wasn’t out there. I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t torture waiting for it to be released. I was constantly wondering what Jeremy was waiting for. What I’d do to push him to do it. Maybe he already had the time planned out. Who the hell knew…

Sabrina hurried away from Forester and climbed the steps to the psych building.

Images of our time there over Christmas break plagued my mind. All the nights I’d snuck her in. All the times she’d kept me company…and busy. Now the building was nothing but a reminder of how much my life sucked.

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