Page 90 of The Forbidden Freshman

I bolt for the bathroom and do a second cleanup, my sensitive body still buzzing after that epically hot orgasm. The anticipation for tonight is going to kill me.

Checking my watch, I groan, calculating how many hours I’m gonna have to wait.

But as I wash my hands and glance at my reflection in the mirror, I’m smiling.

“He wants me,” I tell myself. “He actually wants me.”

It’s kind of a mind trip after spending most of last night lamenting the fact that Ethan Galloway would never be into a girl like me. But after what just happened, I can’t really deny it.

He’s attracted to me—big-time.

Which means this initiation is over. I don’t know how I’m going to tell Aimee that I’m done, but I’ll find a way somehow. I just need to offer her up something else so she’ll let me stay.

Pulling the bathroom door open, I head out of Luxon Hall, my brain trying to come up with something half decent, but it’s failing because I can’t get Ethan out of my head.

We like each other. It’s kind of surreal. Ethan is cover-model hot. I’ve never had a guy I like this freaking much like me back.

I shake my head, nerves firing through me as I realize I more than like him. It feels insanely fast, but there’s just something about him. Is it honestly possible for people to fall in love so quickly?

Snatching out my phone, I pull up Rachel’s number as I head to my next class.

“Hey, sweets,” she answers after two rings. “I’m at work, so I can’t talk for long.”

“Oh shit, sorry. I should have texted. I wasn’t thinking. I can call you later.”

“No, that’s okay. What’s up?” Sweet Ray. She’s always so accommodating.

“Um… well, I was just wondering…” I wrinkle my nose, then rush out the words, trying to outrun the burning embarrassment I feel whenever I talk about this kind of thing. “How did you know when you were in love with Theo? It was fast, right? How did you know when to just go for it?”

“Oh.” She giggles. “Where is this coming from?”

“I’m just curious. I mean, you guys are moving in together, and you said the other day that when you know, you know. So… how do you know?”

“I’m not sure. I guess he just makes me happy. When I’m around him, I can’t stop smiling, and when I’m not with him, I’m thinking about him. You know, the usual stuff.”

“And the speed with which you fell didn’t scare you?”

“No. It… I mean, yeah, I guess logically it’s kind of trippy to feel so strongly about someone so fast. And when he suggested we move in, my first thought was ‘Whoa, this feels intense.’ Mom was definitely surprised. But she’s leaving me, and I don’t want to live on my own. Screw logic, you know? Theo cares about me, and I want to focus on that. On the bubbly way he makes me feel.” She giggles again, and I can just see the expression on her face right now. “He gives me love bubbles, Mick. Big ol’ love bubbles.”

I laugh. Oh man, she’s nailed it. That’s what is popping in my chest right now.

“Life’s too short to second-guess ourselves,” she goes on. “Why can’t we fall in love quickly? What’s wrong with that? Theo makes me happy. The fact that I’m gonna get to wake up beside him each morning is so freaking cool. I love him, and I’m not going to hide that just because it’s happening so fast, you know?”

She sounds like she’s trying to sell me on this, justify her decisions, and I can’t help laughing. “I get it, Ray. You don’t have to convince me.”

“Oh.” She laughs. “Sorry. Some people don’t get it.”

“Like who?”

“Well, Mom at first, and there’s also Jenna from work. And Ali. Remember? From school?”

“Yeah, totally. She’s always been a skeptic over things like love, though. She’s far too practical for her own good.”

“Even you questioned me when I said I was moving in with Theo.”

“Yeah.” I wince. “I know. Sorry about that.”

“It’s okay. I’m confident in my decision.” She pauses. “So… where is all this coming from?”

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