Page 36 of Crimson Promises
“Really? It seemed that way when he had his tongue down your throat for most of the evening.” Ben’s hands gripped his knees, that raw look again in his eyes.
Hesawthat. Shit. I rocked back and forth from one sit bone to the other. “He’s a much bigger fan of public displays of affection than I am. It was our first date,” I confessed.
“I’d hate to see what he tried to score for on a second. More brawn than brains, I’d say.”
“We talked,” I don’t know why, but I felt the urge to defend Riley and justify our connection to Ben. Riley may not be my dream man, but I still hadn’t written him off for a second date yet.
“About the rules of football and how many touchdowns he made this season?”
He isn’t exactly wrong. Still, I said, “You seem awfully invested in a guy you don’t know.”
“I’m not.” Ben leaned forward so his forearms rested on his jeans. The movement pulled his shirt tighter against his chest. He noticed my gaze dip and raised that damn eyebrow. “It just seems like he fits the quintessential jock stereotype. You seem worthy of, I don’t know,more.” His eyes pinned me in place. There was that weird magnetic pull to him again.
“I appreciate your concern,” I picked my fork back up, “but I am more than capable of making my own decisions about the men in my life.” With a flourish, I shoved my fork back into my mouth and hoped that a leaf wasn’t sticking out.
“At least find someone capable of a decent game at beer pong. It should be written in jock rules that it’s a necessary skill.”
I pointed at him. He seemed to catch my meaning as he grinned. I wasn’t there to see it, but people were buzzing at the party about how Derek and Riley had lost a beer pong match to some random guy and Connor.
“You were Connor’s partner?” The pieces of the puzzle fit. Bennett was the random guy everyone was talking about. One of the sorority girls hanging all over Derek had said Ben hadn’t even given her the time of day. It had made me smile. She was used to getting whatever she wanted. Ben had seen through her overt charms right away.
“Yeah. I had seen a flyer for the poster in the main dining hall and decided to check it out at the last minute.”
“I don’t remember seeing many flyers, but I’m oblivious to most of those now. After freshmen year, you begin to get desensitized to all of the advertisements for all the extracurricular activities and events around campus. Your defeat was the talk of the evening.”
His chest raised a fraction of an inch at that comment.
“Since you were at the mess hall. Does that mean you’re staying on campus?”
“Nope.” He popped the ‘p.’ “Staying off campus like you. All by my lonesome, but that’s how I prefer it. I haven’t lived with someone…” Something like hurt flicked across his face. “It’s been a long while since I’ve lived with someone. Poor guy had to put up with a lot of my bullshit.”
“He sounds like a saint if he had to put up with your antics. And I’ve only known you for a few hours. My sympathies are with him.”
“Mine too, he deserved better.” He stared down at his hands.
There was an unexpected vulnerability in his tone.
“There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t wish he was here.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but did he pass away?”
Ben met my eyes. “He was murdered.” His hands shook, and he clenched them.
Before I could stop myself, I reached mine out to wrap around his fist. “I’m sorry. That must have been devastating.”
“It was. One second, he was there. The next, he wasn’t.” He doesn’t move his hand from mine. “It was my fault,” Ben said in a voice so low I wasn’t sure I had heard him right.
I squeezed his fist. “I’m sure it wasn’t your fault.”
“It was, Aurora.” He unwrapped my hand from his and pulled it away. “I’m not a good person.”
I shook my head at the ridiculous notion. He may be an asshole, but whatever happened with his friend, someone who cared that much can’t be a bad person, maybe someone who made wrong decisions but not someone who is rotten to their core.
“I’m sure it wasn’t your fault, Ben.” He opened his mouth to speak, but I raised my hand, signaling for him to let me finish first. “Maybe you made wrong decisions, and this could mean nothing coming from someone who barely knows you. However, it’s obvious in how you speak about him that he meant a great deal to you. Mistakes happen, and I’m sure whatever occurred was not your intent.”
His entire body shuddered. “Thank you,” he whispered. My heart cracked at the tormented look on his face.
“Did they ever catch who did it?”
