Page 18 of Atone

“Mm-hmm. Do you need me to drive you back to the dorm? I can always come back to get my car in the morning.”

The only reason we drove separately was that her study session ran long. Now, I’m wishing I hadn’t listened to her when she suggested I just meet her here. The Ferris wheel drained all the color from her already pale complexion, and her eyes are hazy like she’s still swinging.

“I don’t need you to babysit me.” Patience shakes her head. “I’ll roll the window down if it gets too bad.”

“It’s no trouble.”

“I don’t need any help.” Her tone sharpens.

Patience is impossible. I don’t know what it would take for her to let someone help her, but she’s more resistant to it than anyone I’ve ever met.

“Okay. But promise to call me if you have to pull over, and I’ll come get you.”

“I know you will.” Patience slips her arm out of mine and heads to her car.

“I will,” I yell after her, ignoring her irritation.

I wait until Patience climbs into her car and pulls away before heading to mine. The lot is packed with cars in every direction, so I breathe out a sigh of relief that I don’t find myself blocked in.

As I fumble with my keys, I regret not parking under one of the streetlights. At least I’m close enough to hopefully be within the sweep of security cameras. Pulling out my car key, a shadow casts over me from behind.

“Leaving so early?”

I jump when someone grabs my arms.

Spinning, I find Oxy standing in front of me with a grin on his face.

“Damn, Oxy.” I plant my hand in the center of my chest. “You scared me.”

“Sorry.” He flashes me the same charming smile he used to flirt with me the other night at Sigma House.

That smile is what made him the perfect target when I needed someone to occupy the space around me so Marco would keep his distance. Oxy and I had fun playing pool. We shared a few drinks. He found creative ways to try and paw at me, while I let him think it would get somewhere. But soon after my friends disappeared, so did Marco, and I found my excuse to go home alone. Mission accomplished.

Oxy reluctantly took the hint, but he hasn’t stopped texting me since.

“I just got here.” Oxy flashes another grin. “You can’t take off yet.”

“I’m tired. It’s almost midnight.”

I try to tug my arm free from his grip, but it takes him a fraction of a second too long to release me, sending a whisper of unease creeping up my spine.

“Exactly, it’sonlymidnight. It’s still early.”

“Some of us have class in the morning.” My flirty smile grows in an attempt to mask the fact that I don’t like how he’s still standing too close.

“Come on, Mila. We got along at the party the other night, didn’t we?”

“It was a lot of fun.” I shift my keys into my left hand out of instinct.

“So when are you gonna stop teasing me then?” Oxy’s hand reaches for my jaw, and I cringe as his thumb tracesover it. “I hear the Ferris wheel is nice and slow at this thing. Let’s take a ride.”

Insinuation drips from his tone as his dark eyes drill down at me.

“I wish I could…” I try to take a step back but run into my car, which only gives him leverage to pin me to it.

“Why can’t you?”

Because I don’t want to.

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