4. Austin

4

AUSTIN

I'm early for my communications class and find a good seat at the front of the room. The professor makes an entrance, and Darren slips inside the door behind him.

My face heats immediately, and I avert my gaze.

"Hey there," Darren whispers behind me. "Okay if I take the seat next to you?"

"No…I mean, yes, of course," I reply as my insides go a bit crazy.

Darren chuckles as he slides into his chair.

The class quiets down as the professor gets himself situated at the front of the room, and I'm desperately trying to think of something to say.

"So…library science, huh?" he asks.

"Yeah." I swallow roughly. At least my major is a topic I know well, so the words tumble out more easily. "I'm hoping to eventually work in a public setting while getting my master's."

"Good luck."

My face is like an inferno. "Thanks."

Before I can think to ask him more about his plans, which is the polite thing to do, the professor begins class. Thankfully, we're only discussing the first assignment from the syllabus because I can barely concentrate thinking about how Dex was right. Striking up a conversation with somebody I find attractive might not be as bad as I thought—with practice.

But can I do it on my own? That remains to be seen. I pretend to be annoyed with how busy and social he is, but I admit that if Dex didn't ask and sometimes urge, I wouldn't get out much. And that also means I wouldn't have the opportunity to meet more guys, even vicariously. Plus, doing new things can be fun and interesting, with limits. And time to recharge my batteries.

We walk out together after class, discussing our next assignment, when a cute guy walks up to Darren and plants one on him. "Hey, baby."

"Austin, this is my boyfriend, Trent," he says, but it's like the sound is blotted out.

"Boyfriend," I parrot, then snap out of it before I appear rude. "You, um…cool. Meet you…nice…uh, nice to meet you."

Darren smiles as they walk past me. "See you next class."

"Glad you made a new friend," I hear Trent say as he knots their fingers together.

I stand there dumbfounded, not only because the guy ended up having a boyfriend but because I read the situation all wrong. And apparently, so did Dex.

Since the night at Shenanigans, Dex has been blowing up my phone leading up to my communications class to tease me about Darren.

I walk away from the building and across a grassy field, trying to get my thoughts in order. I spot Dex immediately, leaving a group of dudes kicking around a soccer ball. I swear my best friend knows everyone. Or at least tries to. Total future politician.

I increase my stride, ready to overreact to the Darren situation. Mostly because I'm embarrassed, so why not take it out on my best friend?

The first thing Dex asks is about that very topic. "So, did you see the hottie in class?"

"Oh, I sure did." I playfully knock his shoulder. "I also met his boyfriend, who's a total snack."

"His boyfriend?" His face falls. "Seriously?"

"Deadass." I throw him a sharp look.

"Eh, you can't win them all." He winces. "Is this the part where I run like hell because you're big mad?"

I bite back a smile. Somehow, he always charms his way back into my good graces. "Would you blame me for putting you on blast?"

I lurch forward, pretending to wring his neck, and he expertly dodges me. Well, now it's game on, with a play on cat and mouse. Unfortunately, I can't keep up. Neither of us is athletic, but he's more fit than me by far.

"Stop, you're making me sweat," I huff. "Just let me take my frustrations out on you."

"Okay, fine." Dex stops right in front of me, and his smirk makes me charge forward again. He grips my hand as I lift it, and we start wrestling right there on the grass. I have no idea why I'm even partaking in this game other than this has been us our whole lives. Plus, it's all his fault to begin with. He knows I suck at flirting.

I end up on my ass with Dex hovering over me. He's holding his stomach and laughing hysterically, and I try to pretend I'm still mad, but I'm so not. Maybe this is exactly what we need to break the awkward tension between us lately. Plus, it's not a hardship to have a cute guy practically lying on top of me. Not that I think about Dex in that way, but I have admired him from afar and can definitely see why others are attracted.

"Get a room!" Milo calls out as he passes by, and we sober.

I quickly get to my feet and then offer him my hand for a boost-up. When he tries to take it, I draw back. "Paybacks!"

He gets to his knees on his own. "Okay, you got me. Happy now?"

"I'm…satisfied. Not totally happy," I tease.

Dex frowns as he stands. "I'm sorry I thought Darren might be into you."

I fold my arms. "Let's be honest, you only hoped he was into me to prove a point."

"What kind of point?" He dusts the grass off his knees.

"That putting myself out there is no big thing. But it is for me."

He throws an arm around me. "Is it so bad that I just want to see you happy?"

"I know you do, you big dope." This time, I don't resist his hold on me. It feels warm and comforting like it always does. "But it's not going to come as easily for me as it does for you. Just how it is."

He breathes out and nods. "Meet me at the dining hall later?"

"Sure." I point a finger at him. "But no talking to hot dudes!"

"What if one tries to talk to us?" he counters.

"Ugh. I'm gonna need you to take several seats. Like in the back row of a crowded stadium," I lob over my shoulder, and that's when I plow straight into someone.

Someone with beach-blond hair and devastatingly blue eyes, who's as tall as me and looks familiar. My face flames. "So…sorry."

"No worries." The gorgeous man picks his bag off the ground. "You're the guy from the coffee cart."

"I, uh…uh-huh." My part-time job during the school year is at Bean Necessities. The actual storefront is located off-campus, but Franklin U has coffee carts stationed on the grounds. Thankfully, there's more than one because it can get busy, and believe you me, some students act like it's a godsend on rough mornings.

"Good coffee."

"Yup." I shift from one hip to the other because I have no idea what else to say and it's awkward as hell. Me and my stupid brain that's not connecting to my mouth.

"Catch you later."

I stand there like an idiot and watch him go. That's when I hear Dex's snicker behind me.

I round on him. "It's all your fault!"

"What is?" His eyebrows draw together. "That you literally ran into a hot guy?"

Folding my arms, I give him a steely look. "Yep."

Dex hitches a shoulder. "Okay, I'll take the blame. But hey, he recognized you."

The butterflies stretch their wings in my stomach. Still, I reply, "That doesn't mean anything."

"It might. You never know. It's a good way to talk to someone. Maybe practice with him."

"I don't even know if he's into guys."

"Does it matter?" He arches a brow. "You'd still be talking to an attractive guy and getting comfortable with it. Before you know it, you'll be slaying left and right."

I roll my eyes, but maybe he has a point.