Page 63 of Obligation
Tiffany: Yay! I have so much to tell you!!
Carissa grinned. She could only imagine what gossip Tiffany had to share. Whatever Tiffany needed to say, Carissa couldn’t wait to hear it.
Tiffany: And I want every little detail about your night, too! I mean it! Bradley is way too hot to keep that to yourself.
This time, Carissa laughed out loud, and her cheeks heated even more, though for a completely different reason than before.
“What’s so funny?” Bradley asked. Those were the first words he’d spoken to her since they left the penthouse.
“Nothing.” She tucked her phone under her leg and shifted to stare out the passenger window.
What would happen when she got back to campus? Would she once again forgive Danny, forget his bad behavior, and move on like nothing happened—exactly like she always did? Would Bradley still be around, or had she completely destroyed any hope of a friendship with him? She no longer had any doubts that he wanted a lot more than just friendship, but she couldn’t give him that. Not yet. Maybe not ever.
One thing was for certain—she and Danny needed to have a long, serious talk about their relationship, because even though she loved him, she couldn’t keep going on as she had been. Things needed to change if they had any hope of a future.
She reached for her phone and sent him a text before she lost her nerve.
Carissa: Needed some time away from everything. Be home in a couple of hours. We need to talk.
Danny: Happy you’re okay, and yes. We do need to talk. Call me when you’re back.
Her stomach twisted, and she re-read his message a few times. His response was so… cold and detached. Then again, he had been with another girl last night. Maybe he was still with that other girl and couldn’t text. The thought of that didn’t have much of an effect on Carissa. She was just so numb from having been through this with Danny before.
Once again tucking her phone under her leg, she shifted so her body was angled toward Bradley. They were stuck in this car together for another couple of hours, and she couldn’t handle the silence a second longer.
“So, do you like California so far?” she asked.
He sliced a look at her, brow raised. “Yes.”
“I’m curious… Why are you sharing campus housing with three other guys when you could easily afford your own place?”
He shrugged one shoulder in that lazy but confident way he had about him. “Regardless of where I live, I wouldn’t be alone. Jeremy and I always agreed to live together when we moved here.”
“Okay. Still doesn’t explain why you’re living where you are with two other guys you don’t know. I mean, there are much nicer places not too far from campus.”
“I’m sure there are.” He glanced in the rearview mirror, flicked on his turn signal, and switched lanes. “And you’re right. I can afford to live wherever I want, but I left Texas to get away from things. Out here, I just want to be a normal college kid and have a typical college experience.”
Carissa mulled over his words and nodded. “So you’re pretending you’re not rich.”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing, too? You don’t need to live in a residence hall on campus, but you are. Why?” His expression held a challenge, and a spark of competitiveness shot through her.
“Because my father can be very controlling, and I needed to get away from that. He offered to pay for me to live off-campus, but doing so meant continuing to live under his rules, and I don’t want to.”
“Fair enough,” he said, then turned on the radio.
Clearly, he was done talking. Carissa blew out a breath, rested her head on the window, and closed her eyes.
Chapter Twenty-Five
After dropping Carissa at her residence hall, Bradley headed home. Danny’s piece of junk SUV wasn’t in the driveway. Good thing because Bradley wasn’t sure he’d be able to bite his tongue and not start a fight.
“Hey, man.” Jeremy nodded from where he lounged on the couch, one leg draped over the arm. “Good night?” He grinned knowingly.
Bradley grunted and sank down into one of the armchairs. He rubbed his hands over his face. “Not sure good is the word I’d use. Definitely interesting, but things didn’t go quite as I had hoped they would.”
Jeremy sat up straight, feet on the floor. “Sorry to hear that. You should’ve been here for the after party. It was insane.” He laughed. “I’m still the reigning beer pong champ.” He pumped his fist in the air. “And I hooked up with an amazing girl.”
Bradley smiled, genuinely happy for his friend. “Good for you, man.” He stood. “I need to shower.”
