Page 2 of Fire of the Fox

She paused, and after thinking it over a minute, she waved her hand and turned back around. “This is why I don’t give pep talks.”

I rolled my eyes and grabbed at the first of the boxes, which was labeled clothes in Greg’s nearly illegible handwriting. Pulling them out, I started sorting them into the closet and drawers built into the frame of my bed.

Dallas and I were beyond excited when we got accepted to the private university across the state in Tennessee. We were even more elated when we learned that they approved us to room together. We spent the entirety of our last semester in high school planning everything we’d do once we got here. It was hard to believe the time had actually come.

“These white tiles are so ugly,” Dallas grumbled from her side of the room as she glared at the floor.

“Agreed. We should run to the store later to get the twinkle lights and fluffy area rugs we wanted.”

She spun around, grabbing my shoulders and forcing me to look at her. She beamed at me as she said, “Let’s scope out the town while we’re out! I saw loads of boutiques and stores on the way up here. We should grab a bite to eat, too. Maybe stop and ask some cute upperclassmen to show us around.”

A knock came at the door. Sauntering over to open it, I was greeted with a cheeky grin that sent my heart into a fit of somersaults.

“Well, hello there, cutie.”

Blushing, I opened the door wider. “Hey, Dax. Did you get to your dorm okay?”

“Yup! I’m all settled in.”

Dax. He had gone to high school with Dallas and me. We didn’t have too many of the same classes, but I still somehow found myself crushing on him all four years. His deep brown locks paired with his bright green eyes made for a picture-perfect face. Then there were his dimples. Those small dents in his cheeks never failed to make my knees turn to rubber.

If someone had told me Dax would end up asking me to be his girlfriend at the end of senior year, I would’ve laughed and told them they got hit with the crazy stick. Yet here we were, dating after years of my stolen glances and shy smiles.

He brushed past me and into our room. I closed the door behind us, turning to find Dax standing in the middle of our room, surveying the space.

“Sure, Dax. Just come on in,” Dallas huffed. She leaned against the window across the room, frowning at our guest.

Here came the cat fight.

“Don’t mind if I do, Firecracker.”

Dallas glared at him, her manicured fingers balling into fists. “Don’t call me Firecracker!”

Ignoring her, Dax turned back to me. He grabbed the belt loops of my jeans and pulled me against his chest. My cheeks heated as he looked down at me, his warm body pressed to mine. “Are you ready for classes?”

I nodded as a fog wrapped my head in a sweet bliss. “Of course. Are you?”

“That depends. Did you read that book for me over the summer and write down all the important points and quotes?”

Blinking, I felt the pleasant fog dissipate. Clearing my throat, I crossed the room to my book bag, which was slung onto my pillow. “Yeah. Here you go.”

He skimmed over the paper. Giving it an approving nod, he beamed at me. “Sweet! I was sweating bullets when I got the email saying I needed to read this book before classes started. You’re a real lifesaver. Keep up the good work, and I’ll have all the time in the world to take you out on that date.”

His phone rang, and he dug it out of his jeans. With a quick glance at the screen, he said, “Well, I’ve gotta dip. I’ll text you later.”

He gave me a peck on the lips before racing from the room. There was no denying the icy sting of disappointment. Being with Dax was something I had fantasized about for so long, but the reality was nothing like those dreams. He was a free spirit, always looking for the next fun and exciting thrill, without any pressures or obstacles.

I never wanted to admit it out loud, but I did sometimes wonder if I was holding out hope for something that would never be real.

“Well,” Dallas began.

Slowly turning, I prepared myself for the speech she’d already given me a thousand times.

“You really know how to pick ‘em.”

Rolling my eyes, I gave her a gentle shove. “Hush. You know he’s not the brightest. He just needed some help.”

“Why are you still doing his school-work? You promised you’d stop that when we got to uni.”

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