Page 18 of Her Second Chance

“We can still hang out. Just because we’re not going to have sex doesn’t mean I have to leave.” Although, maybe we should change locations. If I stay here too long, I’ll start to smell like a dirty sweat sock.

“If you stay, I’m going to want to keep going.”

I can’t stop myself. I roll my eyes. Luckily, he doesn’t notice because he’s already at the door, slipping his shirt over his head. Admitting he can’t stop once he starts gives rapey vibes, and is super gross. My stomach drops at that thought. Why is my soulmate not feeling like a good match this time around?

I sigh. I have no idea how long I’m going to be here in the past. What if it takes too long to get him to fall for me, and we don’t end up together? What if I wake up tomorrow and I’m back home, hungover and heartbroken? Or worse, what if I’m still together with Hunter?

He takes my hand, walking me to the elevator. “Do you want to hang out with me tomorrow?”

I grin, pushing away the dark cloud that’s settled over my mood. “Sure.”

He kisses me again as we wait for the elevator. Try as I might, I can’t get into it. I’m thirty-one, and Jason kisses like an inexperienced eighteen-year-old giving someone mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. It feels too weird. Earlier, I was able to push the awkwardness aside, but in the harsh light of the hallway, things don’t seem right. In fact, they’re all wrong.

I try not to act weird on the walk across the lawn to my dorm, but I’m not sure how successful I am. Relief causes me to relax when we get to the front of Drummond. I’m ready to get a good night’s sleep. I’ll need the energy for tomorrow when I try to connect better with Jason.

When we stop, he pulls me into a hug, giving me a chaste kiss. “There’s a party at the FTG house. You should come with me.”

“FTG?”

“Fuck the Greeks.”

I roll my eyes, flaring my nostrils. Fuck the Greeks, how original. I forgot how anti-Greek Jason was when we first met. Even though he eventually got used to me being in a sorority, he always complained when he had to go to date parties or formals. Eventually, I stopped inviting him, opting to go with Grace and her date instead. A few times I took guys in fraternities that wanted to go, but just as friends. I guess it was the whole ‘opposites attract’ thing.

“You know I’m in a sorority, right?” I remind him.

He shrugs. “Yeah, but you’re not that active, are you? It doesn’t consume you like it does those other girls, right?”

I grit my teeth. “I’m the president of my pledge class.” At least I think I am. Has that happened yet? I’m still fuzzy on this timeline. This was thirteen years ago.

He frowns. “Oh. Well, do you want to go or not?”

Shit. Time to back track. “I’ll have to see what Grace wants to do after the football game. You could always come with us.”

He scoffs. “I’m not into all that school spirit, rah-rah stuff.”

“I bet you’ll be singing a different tune when we win the conference championship this year.” I know he will. Everyone loves a winning team. Everyone.

“I doubt that’ll happen. They more than lost last week. They were slaughtered.”

I shrug. “It was a non-conference game. We’re going to win the rest of our games. . . and our bowl game.”

He smirks. “Let me guess. You can see the future.”

“Yep. And you’re going to fall madly in love with me.”

He chuckles. “We’ll see, kiddo.”

“Yes, we will.” I try to sound flirtatious, but I’m ready for today to be done. Pretending to be eighteen is taxing. I don’t know how I’m going to be able to go to a party tomorrow. I’ll have to find time to sneak in a nap.

He kisses me on the forehead. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

I round the corner into the lobby and walk smack into Misty and one of her friends.

Great.

She sets her jaw when she sees me, telling me she also saw that kiss with Jason. “You know you’re not his type, right?”

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