Page 30 of Obligation
Joining Jeremy, Bradley pulled a twenty out of his wallet and handed the bill to his friend. “Order for me, too, so I don’t have to stand in this line, and I’ll pay for yours.”
“Deal.” Jeremy snatched the twenty from Bradley and shoved the bill into his pocket. “What do you want?”
“Large coffee with two shots of caramel, a shot of vanilla, and two chocolate croissants.”
Jeremy nodded. “You got it.” He moved ahead in line.
Bradley moved off to the side to wait and checked his phone. He really hadn’t expected a reply from Carissa, but not getting one was disappointing. If only he could figure her out… Maybe then he’d know how to act around her.
Jeremy approached carrying two coffee cups and a pastry bag. He handed one cup and the bag to Bradley. “You headed to your next class?”
“Yeah. You?” Bradley sipped his coffee, the liquid scalding his tongue. “Ah, damn,” he mumbled.
Jeremy laughed. “Little too hot?”
“Want me to dump it over your head so you can find out?” Bradley grinned. “Thanks.” He held up the bag. “See you later?”
“Sure thing.” Jeremy waved and strode away in the opposite direction.
Bradley wandered back out the door he’d come in. Carissa sat on a bench in the quad. Her head was down, and she had her phone in her hand. He took a deep breath, knowing he should just go to class and pretend he hadn’t seen her. But he didn’t. Instead, he marched over and sat beside her.
She glanced up, a look of surprise crossing her face. “Hey,” she said.
He set his coffee cup on the ground next to the bench, opened the bag, and held it out to Carissa. “Croissant?”
She peeked inside the bag. “Chocolate?”
Chuckling, he said, “Is there any other way to eat a croissant?”
Carissa smiled broadly, reached inside the bag, and retrieved a flaky, still warm croissant. Bradley claimed the other one for himself and took a large bite. They ate in comfortable silence. He watched students rush in and out of various buildings while others converged in groups.
“What time is the game?” he asked.
“Starts at seven over on athletic field two,” she said.
He nodded. “And the bonfire?”
“Right after the game ends. There’s a large bluff that overlooks the ocean. That’s where the party will be.”
“Sounds fun.” He wadded up the bag, aimed for the trash can a few feet away, and tossed the bag.
“Nice shot.” Carissa laughed. “I can see why you were on the basketball team. I’m surprised you haven’t tried out for the college team.”
He shrugged. “I hadn’t really thought about it.”
His move to California wasn’t exactly very well planned. He’d needed to get out of Texas and away from his ex, and when he’d gotten accepted to Harmony Falls University, he’d just packed up and left.
“I watched you playing ball with my brother and the guys yesterday. You’re really good.” She nudged his shoulder with hers.
A tiny thrill shot through him at the knowledge she’d been paying that much attention to him. Of course, at the time she’d been watching him, she was still fighting with Danny. Now that they’d reconciled, would she start ignoring Bradley? The only reason she was talking to him now was because he’d taken the initiative to sit with her and strike up a conversation.
He picked up his coffee and took a sip. At least he didn’t burn his mouth that time. Standing, he said, “I have another class.” He walked away.
Next time, he wouldn’t be the one to initiate contact with her. He’d wait to see if she approached him first or otherwise tried to talk to him. If she did, then maybe he needed to re-evaluate his stance on not interfering with her relationship. If she didn’t, then he’d know how she truly felt.
Chapter Twelve
The week flew by in a flurry of classes, pledge meetings, and late night study sessions so she’d be ready to answer any questions about TOP without hesitation. By the time Friday rolled around, Carissa was exhausted. She’d give anything to have a quiet night in her room, hanging out with Tiffany and gossiping, but they had another meeting at the sorority house.
