Page 83 of Obligation
What the fuck was Carissa thinking, agreeing to go home with Danny?
Bradley jerked open his car door and slid in behind the wheel. He fired up the ignition, then revved the engine. Slamming the car into reverse, he peeled out of the driveway, kicking up dust and dirt behind him, creating a cloud of debris.
Why in the hell would she want to go away with Danny when she’d finally gotten away from him? Of course, Danny could be lying, but why would he? And why about something like this?
Bradley had half a mind to drive straight to campus, bang on Carissa’s door, and demand to know why she’d been all over him that afternoon when she knew she’d be spending the weekend with Danny?
His grip on the steering wheel was brutal, his knuckles ghost-white, and he shifted hard, not caring if he grinded the gears or trashed the transmission. Right now, he needed an outlet for the anger burning in him.
As he sped down the on-ramp toward the highway, his anger morphed into hurt. He wasn’t mad at Carissa—he was disappointed and heartbroken by her choice. And knowing she didn’t even have the guts to tell him? He shook his head and slowed his speed to be within the legal limit.
No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t wrap his mind around any of this. Carissa wouldn’t agree to go home with Danny, regardless of why—which Bradley had no idea what the reason was. He slowed his speed and focused on calming his breathing.
He’d told Carissa he was going to win her away from Danny, for good, and God damn it, that’s exactly what Bradley intended to do. He wouldn’t sulk and stew over maybes and possibilities. Instead, he’d go straight to the source to get the truth.
Whipping around in the median, Bradley merged with the traffic heading in the opposite direction, and he drove at a more reasonable speed back toward campus. Hopefully by the time he arrived, he’d be calmer and have some clue as to what he’d say to Carissa. One thing he wouldn’t do, though, was hurl accusations at her. Bradley had no reason to believe Danny had been telling the truth, so unless he heard the same thing from Carissa, he’d give her the benefit of the doubt.
His cell phone rang, startling him, and he fumbled to reach for his phone that he’d tossed into the passenger seat. Swiping his finger across the screen, he answered. “Hey, Jer. What’s up?”
“What the hell happened with you and Danny?” he asked in a low, urgent whisper. “He’s tearing through the house cursing and throwing shit around.”
Bradley couldn’t help but laugh. Clearly, he’d gotten under Danny’s skin more than he’d realized. That thought brought him a lot of satisfaction. “Nothing. I told him in no uncertain terms that I didn’t like him, and I didn’t like how he treated Carissa.”
“Dude, what the fuck?” Jeremy laughed.
“Someone had to say it,” Bradley said with a shrug. “He’s an emotionally abusive dick.”
“I’m not disagreeing with you, but did you have to tell him that to his face?”
“He asked what my problem was, so I told him.” Bradley flicked on his turn signal and exited the highway. “Not my fault he can’t handle the truth.”
“Well, head’s up… you might want to steer clear for a little while. Let him cool down,” Jeremy said.
Bradley wasn’t afraid of Danny. Sure, Danny might have more muscle, but Bradley could hold his own. And truth be told, he was itching to slam his fists square in Danny’s face. The asshole deserved much more, but Bradley did have some restraint.
“Thanks. I have to do a few things anyway, and I don’t know when I’ll be back.”
That depended on what Carissa said to him, because if she confirmed everything Danny said, Bradley wouldn’t be going back to the house. Hell, he wouldn’t be staying in California for a while. He’d either stay at the penthouse or fly home to Texas a day early.
“Alright, man, let me know if you need me,” Jeremy said.
“Will do.” Bradley ended the call and tossed his phone back into the passenger seat.
The street that would lead to campus loomed ahead, and he made the necessary left turn. His nerves intensified, and his palms were sweaty. The closer he got to Carissa’s residence hall, the more unsure he became. What right did he have to show up at her room uninvited? Maybe he should call or text her first.
He pulled into one of the commuter parking lots and drove around a few times until he found an empty spot. Killing the engine, he sat there for several seconds, his gaze bouncing from his phone to her residence hall in the distance.
Indecision gnawed at him. His mother’s voice echoed in his thoughts, scolding him for showing up anywhere unannounced.That’s rude,she’d told him more than once.And you never show up without a gift for the host.He shook her voice from his mind. This situation wasn’t normal, and adhering to proper southern etiquette would only make the whole thing much more awkward.
With a heavy sigh, he opened his door and climbed out of the car. His heart was in his throat, and his limbs shook with a combination of nerves and excitement. Nerves for showing up like this, for what she might tell him and how he’d react. Excitement for being able to see her again, because he was always excited to be near her.
Locking his car, he pushed away all his doubts and strode toward her residence hall. He was on mission to find out the truth, and nothing was going to stand in his way.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Carissa paced the length of her room, her hands trembling and heart racing as she waited for her friends to show up. She’d messaged Tiffany, Garrett, and Cody in a panic, and based on their responses, she’d scared them. That hadn’t been her intention—she simply needed to unload and get their advice—but maybe that unintentional fear she’d caused would make them hurry the hell up.
A knock sounded on her door, and her heart lodged in her throat. She rushed forward and swung open the door. Cory and Garrett stood on the other side, their expressions masked with concern.
