Page 44 of Fragile

Miles

The bass thumps throughthe walls as I make my way into the girls’ dorm. I arrive thinking it’s going to be your typical college party: red solo cups, bad decisions waiting to happen, and the faint smell of something burning in the tiny kitchen. But when the door pushes open to their version of The Hangout, all I can see is yellow. The whole place is a sea of different textures of sunshine, some glossy and metallic, some glittery. Indie and Quinn really went all out. I even spot a life-size cut-out of Harry Styles in the corner.

I push through the throng of people, my eyes scanning the room for her.

“Miles!” Seb shouts from across the room. He’s waving me over, with his girl firmly planted across his front and a possessive arm over her chest.

“Hey, lovebirds, where’s Quinn?” I ask.

“Being the social butterfly, per usual.” Indie nods behind me “Weren’t you uninvited to this party?” she asks, but I wave it off, ignoring that little detail in favor of turning and immediatelyfinding her. How can I not when she looks likethat? Damn. My eyes drink her in and my knees wobble at the sight of her.What the hell is happening to me?

Her soft red hair flows in waves, free of her bow she usually wears, as she flicks it over a shoulder, showing whoever she’s with that perfectly symmetrical smile of hers, cushioned with pillow soft pouty lips as shiny as glass. My gaze travels down her petite, curvy frame as saliva gathers in my mouth at the dress she’s wearing. It’s light blue, short, and hugs every sinful inch of her body. Hot freaking hell. She looks insanely good.

Don’t even get me started on the heels.

Fuck. Me.

A groan builds in my chest. I’m so fucking screwed. It’s like I’ve spent my entire life wearing glasses and now I’ve got perfect vision when it comes to her. One kiss, one moment, and she’s all I see.

As I watch her, I notice she’s surrounded by guys. And not just any guys—hockey guys. Goddamn them for keeping her attention. Clearly, it’s attention she wants to give, though. She’s relaxed and smiling and…flirting? My hand sweeps down my face, trying to stop the grimace I can feel spreading.

The need to do something roars in my head like a siren. But what the fuck should I do? Claim her for everyone to see? Fuck, I didn’t plan on pissing off Seb tonight so I can’t do that. Maybe Indie was right, and I should have stayed away tonight. This party was set for her to date more, and maybe she still wants to do that? We never said anything about being together officially, or even exclusively.

Doubt tightens my jaw as I watch guy after guy fawn over her, and she laughs with that musical sound I can’t hear over the music, but I can see the guys are entranced. How could they not be? She’s pure sunshine. But I want her to be my sunshine girl, not theirs.

Yeah, I need to do something. Turning to Seb, I tap his shoulder, directing his attention to the groupies around his sister. “Dude, the entire hockey team is getting real close to Quinn over there.”

He raises an eyebrow, following my gaze to where Quinn laughs at something one of the guys said and my blood turns green with envy. “So?”

My head snaps to him. “So?!” I repeat, only much higher pitched than he did. How is he so calm about this?

He shrugs. Fucking shrugs. “Not my circus, not my monkeys,” he mutters, taking a sip of his drink. “Quinn’s a big girl. She can handle herself.”

“What the fuck, man?” I admonish. I see Indie snickering in my periphery. “That’s because of you, isn’t it?” I ask her.

“My girl barely got a look in with so many guys because of this behemoth’s actions scaring them all away, so yeah, I told him to back off.”

Okay, so maybe I have a shot?I laugh internally at myself. I am 100% sure mine is out of the pot of names Quinn is allowed to date. Maybe she doesn’t want me, maybe she went through with this party because she wants to keep her options open. The idea churns my stomach, but I wouldn’t stop her. I wouldn’t like it, but I wouldn’t stop her. Damn, I wish I’d been clearer about what I want.

My eyes zero in on another guy who is approaching her with a look that says a lot more than ‘I wanna be friends.’ Guy looks familiar. Oh shit, is this the date guy?

“Who’s this guy too?” I nod toward them.

“Oh, that’s Alex. You know, the cellist? He and Quinn had a date that I believe you interrupted,” Indie says with a tone that tells me she knows more than she’s saying.

I swallow the lump stuck in my throat, unable to tear my gaze away from Quinn. Alex approaches her, taps her shoulder,and she turns with a bright smile that knocks the wind out of me, throwing her arms around him in a hug that makes my fists clench. I watch with bated breath as his hand drifts lower and lower until it grazes the top of her ass. My blood boils to dangerous levels, to the point I might explode.That fucking hand. I wonder how easy it would be for him to play his instrument one handed, because dude’s about to lose at least one of those paws.

My jaw aches from pressure, my head spinning with the notion that I don’t want anyone touching her. I’m about to do something stupid and reckless, and I don’t think I can stop myself.

Before I know it, my feet are striding toward them, the force of each footstep practically echoing in my head, wondering if I have actual steam coming from my ears because it fucking feels like it.

The distant sound of Seb calling my name should stop me in my tracks, but I’m too far gone now. If he questions me, I’ll play it off as being protective of her, but right now, my tunnel vision is homed in on Alex’s hand.

I should keep my cool. I should let her do her thing. I also should know better.

But clearly, I don’t.

As I approach, I get a front-row view of exactly where he’s groping her, and my teeth grit together. “Move the hand, or fucking lose it,” I hiss.

---