Page 43 of Obligation
Panic seized him. He didn’t want to just drop her off somewhere. He might not get another opportunity to spend one-on-one time with her. Not that he expected anything to happen between them—he wouldn’t ever take advantage of her like that.
“Thought you didn’t want to be alone,” he said.
“I don’t.” She fidgeted with her hands.
Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. “Do you trust me?”
She turned to stare at him, confusion twisting her expression. “Yeah, I guess. Why?”
“If you want to get away from everything, I know a place we can go.” His heart pounded furiously. “My dad owns a penthouse in Phoenix. We’re only a few hours from there. It’s quiet, and no one will know you’re there.”
“Phoenix? As in, Arizona?” she asked.
“Yes.” He licked his lips, suddenly second guessing his idea. “If you don’t want to, I’ll totally understand. Just thought I’d offer.”
Carissa was silent, and Bradley waited to see what she’d say. He slowed his speed, unsure if he should prepare to make the upcoming turn toward campus or keep going straight for the highway.
“Okay,” she finally said. “Let’s go.”
Did she really just say yes?He couldn’t believe she’d agreed, but he wasn’t one to argue. Speeding up, he drove past the road that would lead to campus and headed for the highway.
He hadn’t been to the Phoenix penthouse in well over a year… not since the night his ex-girlfriend dumped him during what was supposed to be a romantic weekend. The place didn’t exactly hold a lot of warm, fuzzy memories for him, but hopefully he could change that by bringing Carissa there.
Granted, taking another man’s girlfriend to a penthouse Bradley had only ever used when he wanted time alone with a woman wasn’t his smartest idea. In fact, this was probably the worst idea in the history of bad ideas, but there was no going back now. Plus, he couldn’t stand how upset Carissa was, or how confused and lost she appeared.
She needed a safe place to regroup, and that was the least he could offer her. He’d be whatever she needed right now, including a shoulder to cry on. Biting his tongue about his true feelings toward Danny would be difficult, but for her sake, he’d try. He guessed the last thing she needed or wanted was someone ragging on her boyfriend.
“What were you doing wandering around in the woods?” she asked, yanking him from his thoughts.
“Huh?” He shook his head and tried to catch up with what she’d asked him.
“Back at the bonfire. It was over, and almost everyone was gone. But you were wandering around in the woods. Why?” She curled her legs onto the seat and sat cross-legged.
He winced, unsure if he should tell her the truth. “Honestly?” He glanced at her, brow raised.
She nodded. “Yeah, I’ve had enough lies to last me a lifetime. You can always tell me the truth, no matter how much you think it might hurt me.”
Adjusting his grip on the steering wheel, he blew out a breath. “I was looking for you.”
Carissa whipped her head around to stare at him with wide eyes. “Me? Why?”
“Because everyone else had left, and I hadn’t seen you since you took off after…” He frowned. “I hadn’t seen Danny’s SUV, either. I was worried.”
“Oh.” She averted her gaze and fidgeted with her hands in her lap. “Well, thanks.”
Bradley simply nodded, and they fell silent. The drive to the Phoenix penthouse would take a few hours, so he settled in for the drive. Prior to finding Carissa, he’d been tired, but now he was wide awake, his emotions wound tight. What would happen once they got to the penthouse?
Soft snores came from the passenger seat. Carissa once again had her head resting against the window, and her eyes were closed. Her chest rose and fell with even breaths. He smiled softly at how peaceful she looked in that moment.
But whatever momentary contentment he’d felt quickly vanished when an image of her sitting on the ground sobbing flashed in his mind. He flexed his fingers around the steering wheel and took a calming breath. How dare Danny leave her like that, especially with a broken phone? She’d had no way to call for help. Anything could’ve happened to her.
Carissa groaned and shifted positions, then she reclined the seat as far as it would go, never once opening her eyes. Bradley returned his attention to the road, but within seconds, his gaze drifted back to her.
He may not know her very well, but what he did know of her was incredible. She was beautiful—inside and out—had a killer sense of humor, a snarky streak a mile long. She was very obviously smart, too. And she had money, which meant she probably didn’t care about his. That was a refreshing thought after all he’d been through with his ex-girlfriend.
Whatever problems she had in her relationship with Danny, Bradley still couldn’t wrap his mind around the way Danny treated her. Constantly yelling and arguing. Calling her names. Accusing her of throwing tantrums. Letting her take off—or leaving her—without a flicker of concern for her safety.
What kind of man did that to the woman he claimed to love? Even when things had been the absolute worst between Bradley and his ex, he never once treated her poorly. Sure, he’d said things in anger that he later regretted, but he never once put her down or turned his back on her.
