Page 25 of Obligation
Bradley was silent for a moment, then asked, “Do you think he’s dangerous?”
“No,” she answered without hesitation. “I know he’d never hurt me. Not in the way my father seems to think he will.” She leaned back on her hands and closed her eyes, letting the midday sun warm her face.
“Then it doesn’t really matter what anyone else thinks, right?”
Carissa straightened, dusted off her palms, and shifted so she was facing him. “I guess not.” She tilted her head. “But it’s hard to be with someone when everyone close to you can’t stand the person you’re with.”
He nodded but didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “Maybe everyone is right. Maybe Danny isn’t the right guy for me.”
“Is that howyoufeel?”
She scrunched up her face. “You sound like a shrink, you know that?” Carissa laughed. “Let me guess… you’re a psychology major?”
“Business, actually.”
“Oh.” She chewed on her bottom lip and concentrated on picking at her cuticles—a nasty habit she had when she was nervous or in a situation she wasn’t sure how to handle.
“Want to know what I really think?” he asked.
“Yes please.”
He graced her with a breathtaking smile, and she had no idea how she didn’t fall backward with how hard that simple gesture hit her. She held her breath, waiting for whatever he might say next.
“I don’t know you or Danny all that well, but from the moment I met Danny, something about him rubbed me the wrong way. I have no idea what happened last night, but the specifics don’t matter. He made you cry, and in my book, that makes him a jerk.” Bradley eased his feet from the water and angled his body toward her. “I keep wondering how in the hell a guy like him got a girl like you.”
A whoosh of breath rushed out of Carissa, and then she sucked it right back in. Eyes wide, she blinked, attempting to process his words and to stave off the impending tears that were threatening to spill free.
“From what little I’ve seen so far, I don’t think he treats you the way you deserve to be treated,” he said with a shrug.
No one had ever said anything so sweet before, and she was at a loss for what to say in response. Somehow, “thank you” didn’t seem like enough. So, rather than say anything, she leaned closer, her gaze dipping to his mouth.
But to her utter horror, Bradley moved away from her. She jerked back, heart thundering, the tips of her ears burning with embarrassment. What the hell? He’d been more than willing to kiss her the other night. Why wasn’t he now?
Scrambling to her feet, she scooped her shoes from the ground. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to…”
Bradley stood. “Carissa, wait.” He gently clutched her arm to stop her from running away.
His hand was warm and soft, his touch caring and so unlike Danny’s. She swallowed the lump in her throat and faced him, even though every instinct she had was screaming at her to run.
“I need you to know something.” He licked his lips.
“What?” Her tone was cool.
“I really do want to kiss you again. Hell, it’s all I’ve been able to think about.” He dropped his hold on her arm and raked his fingers through his hair. “But I’m not this guy, Carissa.” He shook his head sadly. “I don’t steal another man’s girlfriend, and I don’t sneak around behind anyone’s back, either.”
She pursed her lips and gave a single, curt nod. “Good to know.” Without another word, she walked away, head held high and back ramrod straight.
Chapter Ten
Despite her best efforts, Carissa couldn’t keep her tears at bay, and the second she was alone in her car, the dam broke. Between her fight with Danny last night, her father pulling his usual crap, and then being flat-out rejected by Bradley, she’d had enough. How had her life become such a mess?
When she’d moved into the residence hall as a freshman, she was so hopeful and excited. She was finally out of her parents’ house and had some independence. She was rooming with her best friend. The world had been at her fingertips. And then she’d met Danny, and for a while, life had been perfect.
But then she got pregnant, and her world crumbled around her. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to rebuild her life. Every time she tried, something else would come along and knock it all back down.
She pulled into a designated parking lot and found an empty spot, but she didn’t rush to get out of the car. Instead, she rested her forehead on the steering wheel and focused on her breathing. Eventually, her tears stopped.
