Page 50 of Obligation
“Good thing the bed is big enough for the both of us.” He stepped around her. “Just make sure to stay on your side.”
Carissa deflated, all the breath rushing from her lungs. He was going to stay with her, and he’d agreed to keep things hands-off. Did she trust him to keep his word? Slowly, she turned to find him toeing off his shoes and pulling back the blankets on the bed.
“Um, are you going to leave once I fall asleep?” She wanted to smack herself for asking him that question.
Granted, she had specifically asked him to stay only until she fell asleep, but this was his penthouse. What right did she have to dictate what he did or where he slept? The more she thought about this, the more she regretted asking. No way this situation wouldn’t backfire horribly.
“Yes,” he said without looking at her.
She nodded, unsure how she felt about his answer. She was sure, though, that she was beyond fed up with her own conflicting emotions. Why couldn’t she figure out how she felt about Bradley? One minute she wanted him more than anything, and the next minute, she was determined to keep their relationship platonic.
“Thank you.” She walked to the opposite side of the bed, sat on the mattress, and removed her boots.
Exhaustion hung heavy on her limbs, and she yawned. The events of the past couple days were finally catching up with her, and the second she closed her eyes, she’d be out for the count. The thought of sleeping for several interrupted hours was enticing, but she needed to let Tiffany know where she was.
Carissa rubbed her hands over her face and yawned again. “Can I use your phone to call Tiffany?”
“Yeah, of course.” Bradley slid his phone from his back pocket and handed it to her.
“Thanks.” She took the phone, opened the call feature, and stared at the keypad, trying to remember Tiffany’s number. She punched in the numbers and held the phone to her ear.
“I’ll give you some privacy,” Bradley whispered, then left the room.
“Hello?” Tiffany answered. She sounded confused, probably because she didn’t recognize the number.
“Hey, Tiff. It’s me.”
Loud noises drowned out everything else. That’s when Carissa remembered Garrett was hosting an after party, which was where Tiffany had gone. Music, laughter, and shouts filtered through the phone.
“Who?” Tiffany all but shouted the question. “Hold on.” A moment later, the noise dulled. “I’m sorry. Who is this?”
“It’s me. Carissa,” she said.
“Carissa? Where the hell are you? Are you okay? Why haven’t you been answering your phone? Wait—why are you calling me from an unknown number?” Tiffany fired off the questions so fast Carissa’s head spun.
“Yes, I’m fine.” She sighed and rubbed the tension from her forehead. “Danny and I got into a fight, and he left me at the bonfire.” She quickly recounted the events of the night, including Bradley finding her and offering her a ride home.
“Oh my God. I’m so sorry,” Tiffany said, her tone full of compassion. “If I had known, I never would’ve left. Garrett and I would’ve—”
“It’s okay. You had no way of knowing,” Carissa said. The last thing she wanted was for Tiffany to feel guilty for something she had no control over.
“I know, but still. I’m sorry.” Tiffany paused. “So, where are you now? Do you want me to meet you?”
“No.” Carissa cringed. “I’m not on campus. I’m with Bradley. In Phoenix.”
Dead silence.
“Tiff? You still there?”
“Yeah.” Tiffany cleared her throat. “So, Bradley didn’t take you home? He took you to Phoenix? As in Phoenix, Arizona?”
“Yeah,” Carissa said, then bit down on her bottom lip. “But only because I asked him to. I mean, not Phoenix specifically, but somewhere.” She sighed with frustration. “I wasn’t really in the partying mood, and I knew if I went back to campus, Danny would find me, and we’d fight again. I just needed some time to myself.”
“Yeah… About that…”
“What?” Dread landed hard in Carissa’s gut. “Is Danny there?”
Part of her hoped Tiffany would say no, but Carissa wasn’t an idiot. Danny lived there, so of course he’d be there. But would he really go to a party after what had happened between them? Surely he must be upset, right?
