Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

CHASE

C ammie’s shoulders roll in as she heads for the elevator. She also pulls her hood up.

“Uh, I’m going to head up to the room, too.”

Brody raises an eyebrow at me.

“Have fun with your new friend!” Barbie, who actually looks like an original Barbie, calls after me as I rush to catch up with Cammie.

I manage to reach the elevator in time, but unfortunately there are other people in there, so we just stand awkwardly beside each other until we get to the fourth floor. I follow Cammie down the hall and back into our room.

Cammie heads for her laptop.

“Things got weird.” I cross my arms, then drop them at my sides. “And I don’t know why.”

Cammie sighs and tips her head up, eyes on the ceiling.

“What happened down there?”

She drops into the desk chair and spins to face me, tucking her hands into her pockets.

“I have schoolwork, and it wasn’t like I was part of the conversations when you were walking down post-party lane. I don’t know any of the people you were talking about. I don’t get invited to parties, Chase, and usually I’m fine with that. I’m used to not fitting in, but shining a light on that doesn’t seem like it’ll be a lot of fun for me or you.”

“You can come to a party with me, then you’ll know more people.” I realize I’ve never done this before. Tried to make someone I like feel included, and based on how unhappy Cammie looks, I’m not all that great at it. But I could get better.

“Is that really what you want? Because honestly, the way that rolled out down there made me sound like your hookup.” She tugs on the string of her hoodie. “Which, I mean, I kind of am considering what’s gone down in this room.”

“That’s not...I didn’t mean...you’re not—” I think back to the way I introduced her.

She shrugs. “It’s okay, Chase. I’m not throwing shade, but you’re already kind of a legend. And if I looked like you, I’d probably hook up all over the place, too.”

I rub the back of my neck. “I haven’t hooked up with that many girls.”

She gives me a look.

“I mean…” For the past two months, most weekends have included a party. I’d meet some girl, we’d have some fun, and at the end of the night, I’d go home with my friends and the girl went home with her friends and that’s that. Maybe I see a former hookup on campus and wave and say hi and then make an excuse about having class or practice. Shit. I’m kind of a douchebag.

“You don’t get that good at giving orgasms by practicing on a pocket pussy.” Cammie sighs. “I like you, Chase, but I’m kind of a fucking weirdo who would rather rewatch Return of the King a hundred times than play beer pong in my underwear.”

“I like your weird, though.” I leave the beer pong comment alone because I’ve done that mostly naked. I was in board shorts, though.

She smiles, but it looks sad, and I don’t like it.

Both our phones chime .

Cammie pulls hers out of her hoodie. “Looks like we can go back to the dorms.”

“Now?” I ask.

She nods and gives me a small smile. “Guess we should pack up.” She stands and turns away as she crosses the room and grabs her backpack, tucking her laptop and other random items into it.

“But what about the deal we made? I owe you another orgasm.” I know this is the wrong thing to offer, but I’m unsure how to fix this. I thought I had more time with her. What if this hotel room is all we’ll ever have?

Before I drop to my knees and do something worse, like beg Cammie for the opportunity to bury my fingers and my face in her pussy before we leave, there’s a knock on our door. “It’s Colby, your resident advisor.”

Cammie skirts around me and throws the door open, already wearing her backpack.

“Lovett and Lovelock, you’ve been released back to the dor—” His eyes flare as he takes in Cammie standing before him and me, still standing by the rumpled bed, the broken pullout couch behind me. There is no way I can broaden my stance wide enough to hide it. “What the fudge is going on in here? Where’s your roommate, Lovett?”

“I’m standing right here.” Cammie points to herself. “I’m Cameron Lovelock. Cammie for short.” She points to me. “And that’s Chase Lovett, which you and the rest of the campus already know.”

“But, but.” The color drains from Colby’s face as he glances between us. “Why didn’t either of you report the error? I would have reassigned one of you.”

I tuck my hand into my pocket. “I did try to tell you, but you were dealing with a crier and told me it would have to wait until morning. We handled the situation on our own.”

“But the couch is broken. How did the couch get broken?”

“Chase dove onto it once we set it up and it didn’t survive him,” Cammie explains flatly as a flush works its way up her neck and into her cheeks.

“You only had one bed,” Colby states.

“Yes,” Cammie and I say at the same time.

“Chase, I need to speak to you in the hall.” Colby tries to sound authoritative but his voice is all pitchy.

“I’m heading out so you two can have whatever discussion you need to have inside the room. I’ll report the broken couch to the front desk.”

“It’s my fault it’s broken, I can do it,” I offer.

“It’s fine. I really don’t mind.” Cammie turns to Colby. “Chase was a perfect gentleman last night. He offered to take the pullout couch and to sleep on the floor, so whatever lecture you’re about to give him is probably unnecessary. Unless it’s about the broken couch, but honestly, that thing is a piece of shit, and it was only a matter of time before someone fell through it. At least it was a virile, strapping young man and not some poor old guy who would have been stuck all night in the hole. Also, I have a black belt in karate and I can literally flip Chase over my shoulder.” She salutes both of us. “See you back on campus.”

Cammie slips past Colby and speed walks down the hall, disappearing down the stairs. At least this isn’t like one of my party hookups and I can find her again without any trouble.

“There’s no way she could flip you over her shoulder,” Colby muses.

“She’s not lying. She did it last night.”

“I thought she said you were a perfect gentleman.”

“I was. She was disoriented in the middle of the night when she used the bathroom and I scared her when she came out.”

“Wow.” Colby rubs the patchy scruff on his chin. “Can you do me a favor?”

“You don’t want me to say anything about the mix-up with me ending up in a room with a pint-sized female-identifying student,” I supply.

“I could get in a lot of shit. ”

“People already know.”

“What people?”

“Brody and Gage.”

“Shit.”

“And maybe a few other people.”

“Like who? You better not spread rumors about her.”

I tuck a hand into my pocket and frown. “I wouldn’t do that.”

“You better mean that. Pack up and head back to campus.” Colby leaves me standing in the middle of the room, wishing we’d been stuck here longer than one night.