Page 24 of Surviving Lies

Becca

Getting to class when not living on campus was a whole other ball of wax. Christ, I waited for three buses to come through, and all were full. I didn’t get a parking permit because this damn school raved about how great their bus system was. But I only had twenty minutes to get to my first class of the semester with no more buses coming. My panic set in as I started the walk – rather, the slow jog – back to my apartment. Maybe I could find a spot on campus somewhere for the day and not get towed or a ticket.

Fat chance. What was I even thinking? The school preyed upon people like that. I think they made enough in those charges to run the entire athletic department. Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as I approached my apartment. I didn’t have a plan. All of my roommates had earlier classes and were already gone. My mood hadn’t been helped by the message I listened to this morning from Ty. When he called last night, I chose not to answer, letting it go to voicemail. I couldn’t talk to him. My resolve hadn’t done well for me with him this past week, and I needed to keep my distance for a bit.

My foot had hit the first step of my porch when I heard my name. I turned around and saw my knight in shining armor riding in his ’Stang.

“Gage!” I ran to his car, out of breath from my trek from the bus stop. “Oh my God, I’m so glad to see you. I couldn’t get a bus to campus. Where are you headed? I’m going to miss my first class; no one is here to give me a ride. Do you have time?” I was rambling again, but it was rumored the professor of my first class was a hard-ass, so I needed to get there.

“Becca, take a breath, babe. Take a breath and hop in. That’s where I’m headed. I can drop you off right at your building.” Gage reached across his console and pushed the passenger door open as I rounded the car. I was excited because he had the top down today, too. I plopped myself in the seat and let out an enormous sigh. Immediately thankful for the hair tie on my wrist, I wrangled my hair into a messy bun to avoid wind-induced knots.

“Thank you, Gage. Thank you so much.” Before I could start on another of my ramblings, his hand came over the top of mine, which was latched on to the strap of my backpack sitting on my lap. It was warm and comforting. It calmed me.

“Hey, no worries. I can probably get you to campus most days. We should compare our schedules. And even if I don’t have class, chances are I’ll need to be on campus, anyway. This grad program is not for the faint of heart.” He worked my hand out of the strap and pulled it over the console between us, intertwining our fingers. It felt natural for him to be holding my hand, like everything else with him.

“Classes seem like they’ll be tough this semester?” I asked while trying to act as normal as he was. Though my heart raced like it would beat out of my chest. Him holding my hand was part of it, but not all. I needed to take advantage of this impromptu meeting and just talk to him. He could probably tell. I think my pulse was throbbing in my wrist against his arm. And my palm became sweaty; he had to feel that.

“Yeah, and with the added responsibility of having to be a grad assistant in a lower-level class, my time will be tight,” he responded.

As I nodded, I realized how little time I had. The ride was only six or seven minutes, but I had to ask him. I knew I needed to just blurt it out and get it over with.

“So, do you have any time to meet up on campus today? I thought we could talk.” My voice was unusually choppy, and I didn’t ramble. Two signs I was a nervous wreck. I stole a glance in his direction, and although his eyes remained on the road, his mouth turned up into a small grin.

“Yeah, I think I can find some time for you. What are you doing after this class? Want to meet up at the coffee shop?” His thumb started rubbing those circles on my hand while he spoke. How could such a simple movement have such a profound effect on me? Shit, my stomach dropped and felt like it had an insect trying to crawl out of it. And then my breaths were scarce, making me thankful the top was down for the extra air.

But I had to rein myself in. I remembered having these feelings with Ty as well. This was how it always felt when things were shiny and new. The excitement of the hunt and being the hunted was what I was experiencing, nothing more. This would fade.

“Sure, that sounds good.” He had pulled up to my building and I started opening the door, but he stopped me. I turned toward him, and now his face held more than a grin. The sultry look took me by surprise, even more as he leaned over the console.

“I’m going to kiss you, Becca, not Rebecca.” After he shifted the car to park, his hand reached out for the back of my head and pulled me close, our mouths about to touch. But then he stopped. “I want you to think of me while you’re in class.” And he didn’t just kiss me – he devoured me. Our lips became one, our tongues lashed together as if in a fight. His grip on the back of my head tightened as he pulled at my hair, the pain heightening the sensation of our kiss. My hands reciprocated the action, running through his dark waves, trying to prolong what I knew was ending. His mouth started its retreat, his lips peppering mine with tiny pecks. But he remained close, our mouths touching, our breaths mingling. “I hope that was memorable enough for you.”

And then a loud whistle sounded from someone walking by. Shit, I forgot the top was down and we were in the wide open for everyone to see.

But Gage didn’t care; he laughed. He knew damn well what he’d done to me, my legs shifting in the seat, trying to stifle the need I was feeling.

“Don’t worry; I could use a cold shower right about now as well.” He needed to readjust his jeans with his other hand, but he still hadn’t pulled away from my face. “Good thing I have some time before I need to meet with my advisor. I can let this thing settle down.”

“I have to go,” I whispered against his mouth. I couldn’t be late to class simply because Gage was an amazing kisser. I pulled back and grabbed my bag while opening the door.

“See ya in a bit,” he called to me over the top of the car, and I started up the path. As he pulled away, I waved and started walking toward my building. Being in a rush, I wasn’t watching where I was going, and crashed right into a hard body exiting the building.

A body that I recognized the scent of.

Fuck.

Had he seen us in the car? And I didn’t have time for this; I needed to get to class, which started in less than five minutes.

Ty’s hands reached out to steady me, and that familiar buzz ran through my body. The feeling that was the entire reason I spent every waking moment with him last year. My body was immediately aching for him, every cell betraying my brain and my heart. I chanced a look up at him, hoping my resolve to continue this “break” wouldn’tbreak. We might have been broken up. And he even knew about the kiss from the other night. But that didn’t mean I wanted him to witness me making out with someone else already. That would just be cruel. Seeing him do that with someone else would destroy me.

But I realized he hadn’t seen Gage and me. I could tell the moment I looked at him and he was smiling down at me.

“Hi, Bec.” His voice was full of unsaid apologies, as were his eyes. Our chance meeting had made him happy. And his hands lingered on my arms.

But, I didn’t have time.

“Hey, Ty, sorry, but I’m running so late for my first class. I’ve gotta go. I’ll see ya later, OK?” I pulled myself from his hold just as his eyes caught sight of Gage’s car pulling away. I took off through the doors and up the stairs. I made it to a seat with only seconds to spare before the lights went off and the projector started with the first slide of the lesson. Unsure if the feeling in my stomach was from the new emotions I was having for Gage or the run-in with Ty, I tried to forget them both and focus on the professor’s voice.

Fat chance.

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