Page 15 of Easy Out

Hart answers my phone and balances it on his muscular thigh. The guy knows how to wear a pair of jeans. “Hey Syd,” I say, flicking my eye to my phone, which is criminally close to Hart’s crotch. Damn it.

“Hey, babe. Did you find Hart?”

“No,” I answer. Hart raises an eyebrow.

“Oh. Okay.” Sydney murmurs a few words to someone in the car with her.

“He found me.” Hart grunts. I smirk this time. “We’re making our way out of this disaster of a parking lot.”

“It’s terrible. We just got on the main road.” Lucky. “Are you sure you’re good? I can’t believe Matt had the nerve to come up and talk to you. Did I hear things right? Did he ask who you were? That’s messed up, Lauren.”

Hart white knuckles my phone. He must like Matt as much as I do. “Sydney, don’t worry about it. I didn’t see him the rest of the night.”

“Good. That’s good. How’s Hart?”

“Uh, fine.” I squirm in my seat. Hart stretches his leg, stealing my attention from the road for a second. “You’re on speakerphone, Syd.”

“Hi, Hart.”

“Sydney.” Hart’s voice is thick and rich.

“Um, was everything okay?” Sydney asks tentatively. It makes me wonder if there is more to Hart being in my car than him needing a ride home.

“Sí,“ Hart answers as he pulls out his phone and fires off a text to someone.

“Thank goodness.” Sydney and Koa mumble words back and forth to each other. “Koa said fine.” Hart nods even though no one can see him on the other side of the line. “We’ll see you both at the dorms soon.” Syd hangs up before I can ask what that means.

“I thought I was taking you home. You’re coming to my dorm?” Hart nods. Does his current hook-up live in my dorm? Why does that irritate me? Don’t be stupid, Lauren. “Did something happen? Is Sydney okay?” Hart angles his head toward me,

“She’s fine brujita.“ Whatever that means. I need to talk to Sydney in the morning and find out what happened while I was competing. I’ve obviously missed something.

It’s silent in the car. It’s a nice change from the chaos of the club. I don’t feel as uncomfortable as I thought I would be, considering Hart is a stranger. I never would have given Hart a ride home without our mutual connection to Nash and Sydney.

The silence gives room for all these thoughts to float through my brain. Getting paid is at the forefront. “What am I going to do about Ray’s? Think Lauren. The money will be good. You need money. But is it worth it? There’s a reason Carter doesn’t want me working there. It has nothing to do with life balance. Carter is also overprotective of me. So, how bad could Ray’s really be?”

“Bad,” Hart snaps. I flick my head at him. Was I talking out loud? In front of Hart? Shit.

“I wasn’t asking you.” His eyebrows hit his hairline as if to ask, really? It was so quiet I forgot he was in the car. “I talk out loud to myself. A lot. It’s how I work things out in my head.“ Not that he needs to know the inner workings of my brain.

“Who’s Carter?” Hart asks, staring at his phone, mindlessly texting. I tap my thumb on the steering wheel, deciding how to answer. Or if I even want to. It’s none of his business.

“Carter is...no one you need to worry about.” Hart makes a humming noise at my answer. How did he take that? Does he think Carter is my boyfriend? Do I want him to think Carter is my boyfriend? No, I don’t. Should I tell him he’s not? Hart chuckles quietly, which makes my cheeks burn.

“I didn’t say any of that out loud, did I?” I chew on my bottom lip nervously until he answers.

“No.” His laughter is deep and throaty and tunnels its way under my skin. Hart goes silent when he catches me watching him as if he’s surprised, he laughed to begin with. I almost want to say something else to hear Hart laugh again.

I take the exit for Newhouse. The first signs of campus life slowly creep into view. Banners hang from light posts. Students roam the sidewalks in small clusters. Most likely making their way back home after a night at the Armory.

Pulling into the parking lot in front of my dorm, I spot Koa’s Camaro. It’s candy apple red and can’t be missed.

Hart pops out of the car before I cut the engine off. My car door opens while I’m gathering my bag, hat, and some trash from dinner in my back seat.

“Thanks.”

I expected him to head to Koa’s car. Instead, he follows behind me with the palm of his hand hoovering over my back.

“I’m guessing Koa is waiting with Syd.” It’s the only reason for him to walk me to my door that I can think of.

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