Page 33 of Driving Me Mad (Sanity 1)

“Your dad isn’t upset that you left to deal with your crazy girlfriend, is he?”

Trace shakes his head. “No, and he said to tell you he’s sorry about his behavior.”

“Really?” I sound way more skeptical than I’d like, but I can’t help it.

“No.” Trace sighs. “He’ll come around, though. Or maybe he won’t. It doesn’t matter either way because he’ll be back in Texas.”

Fair enough. We continue to eat my pasta and fried pickles while talking about our days. Trace’s frown tells me he isn’t happy that I spent all day doing homework, but he doesn’t say anything about it. Once we finish eating and I pay for my meal, he walks me outside to my car.

“Want to come over tomorrow afternoon? We never got to finish our Dateline date,” Trace says.

“Am I spending the night?” I ask.

“If you would like to, then I’d be thrilled.”

“Okay. Let me know when you leave the airport.”

We’re at my car now, and Trace pulls me against him, wrapping his arms around me. My head rests against his sternum. I can feel his heart beating, faster than I expected, and his chest hums as he speaks.

“I care about you a lot, Britt. I hate that you have to deal with it, and sometimes, I hold back because I don’t want to make it worse. I know you as well as, if not better than, you know yourself. Is it so bad that I might want to save you from having to worry with some stuff?”

“No, but you see where I’m coming from, right?”

“Yeah, I do,” he sighs. “I wanted to make sure you knew where I was coming from, too.”

I tilt my head back with a smile. “Know what will make this night better?”

“What?”

“If you kissed me.”

Trace grins. “I love the way you think.” He leans down and presses his lips to mine. He manages to quickly warm my body up, those large hands running down my back to grab my hips and tug me closer.

Kisses used to be just kisses. Sure, they could be heady and needy or soft and sweet, but they were still just kisses. With Trace, there’s no mistaking the passion and how much he wants me and cares for me with each kiss. He lifts my legs around his waist to make us face to face. When his lips move to my neck, I know his mind is undeniably on sex now. I’ve realized that he’s kissed me on the neck right before we have sex. It’s a way better tell to have than him grabbing the back of his neck when he’s anxious.

“Trace,” I breathe. “We’re in a parking lot, and you have to go home.”

His lips never leave my skin. “Why can’t you come with me?”

My brain is slow to figure out why. “Because I’d have to go back to campus for clothes and my meds.”

He lifts his head to look at me, those hazel eyes bright from the lights in the parking lot. “You wouldn’t need clothes.”

“But I’d need my meds,” I point out.

“You should start carrying them in your purse.”

“Or you shouldn’t get so horny all the time.”

Trace laughs. “I’m sorry that I happen to really enjoy kissing you.” He lowers my legs to the ground slowly, so I have to slide down his body. “Let me know when you get to your dorm, so I know you got there safely.”

“Same for when you get home.”

He gives me another quick kiss before opening the door for me. My relationship with Trace is a little weird. In the best way, though. We can get mad or get in an argument, and we’re back to normal within a few hours because we resolve it. I’ve never had that before. In previous relationships, arguments could last for days before the making-up part happened. I definitely like the way we do things better. Maybe it’s a sign that we’ll work out and last.

I sure hope so.

“I can’t do this anymore,” I sob. Tears blur my vision to the point that there’s just one white blob in front of me. My stomach convulses, but at this point, all I can do is dry heave and spit. Trace isn’t saying anything. He’s only holding my hair back with one hand while rubbing my back with the other. I woke up at three A.M. and haven’t been able to fall back asleep or get rid of my anxiety si

---