Like always when with Kane, my body took over and I had no control anymore. I took over the kiss, teasing him the way he had been teasing me, only I couldn’t help but press my body as close to him as I could get without actually climbing on his lap right there in the cab of the truck in front of the library. Library! Oh shit! We are in public!
I quickly pulled away from Kane before things got any more out of hand. The low growl that came from his chest when I put a little distance between us did nothing to help with my internal battle of staying in the truck and begging him to just take me back to his apartment and never let me leave. The look in his eyes at that moment told me he would be more than willing to take me up on that plan. All I had to do was say the words, but I had things to do and he needed to get to work. So I used what willpower I had left to scurry all the way to the other side of the cab and press myself against the door.
“I really need to go,” I said, but even I could hear the question in my tone. He caught it too because he raked his teeth along his bottom lip, and I think I might have let out a moan when he did so.
“I can promise you, Kelsey, that if you left with me right now, you wouldn’t regret it.” His eyes were roaming my body and I knew he was imaging just what he could do to make me change my mind.
I quickly felt behind me for the door handle and popped it open just as he was leaning in for another kiss that I was sure would seal the deal in me ditching Nate and leaving with Kane. I slammed the door shut and giggled at him through the open window.
“Not fair,” he growled.
“What’s not fair is you trying to lead me astray with temptation.” I winked at him. “Now get out of here and go to work. I have to get some serious work done on this project if we are going to finish on time. Maybe if I work really hard we might finish early and then I will have all kinds of free time for … other things.” I lowered my voice for the last part. Hopefully it came out as seductively as I meant for it too.
The fact the he stared at me for a second, gave that lip ring a flip, then threw himself back against the seat was my confirmation that it did and I laughed.
“Look I really, really need to go now. Be safe on your drive back, and remember, I will be waiting up on that text from you.”
He nodded and then smiled. “Go learn things. I will text you later, beautiful.”
My heart did a little flutter when he said beautiful but I managed to drag my eyes away from his and turn to head up the steps to where Nate was still waiting. I could hear the truck pull away, but I didn’t turn to watch. I was already feeling sad enough about not being near him. Seeing him pull away would not help with that.
I finally topped the stairs and stood in front of Nate. “Morning! Again, I’m so sorry you had to wait on me like this. I am usually so good about being on time and stuff. There was just a lot going on yesterday and it just slipped my mind. I promise it will never happen again.” I really hoped I could keep that promise. I would just have to make sure if we had a group session I needed to stay far away from Kane and his distractions.
Nate took a second before he looked up at me. He was plucking a piece of what I thought was invisible lint on his dark designer jeans. “So, what? Are you and Kane officially a thing now?” I couldn’t miss the annoyance in his tone, but I wasn’t sure where it was coming from.
“Mhmm. Just since this morning actually.” I smiled. Even his weird mood couldn’t bring me down about the fact that Kane and I were a couple now.
He huffed and pushed himself off the wall he had been leaning on. There were two cups sitting beside him. He reached for one and handed it to me. “Here’s your coffee. I can’t guarantee it’s still warm though.”
I may be high on my newfound relationship status, but I could still feel the guilt over being so late today. I reached out to catch his arm before he headed toward the door to the library.
“I am truly sorry I am late, Nate. I understand completely why you are pissed.”
He slowly turned and gave me a look I couldn’t even read. “Kelsey, I’m not pissed about you being late. Shit happens. I understand that.” He stopped and took a deep breath. “Look, I know you’re a big girl and you’re going to do what you want to, but I can’t stand back and not at least warn you not to get in too deep with Kane. I know he can be a smooth talker, believe me, I have seen him in action numerous times when he lived with the frat. I don’t know what it is about you, Kelsey, but I don’t want to see you hurt in the end. It has never bothered me to watch Kane use girls before you. But with you I can’t keep quiet. I just had to let you know.”
It was obvious that no one knew Kane the way I did. He wasn’t that person anymore, but once you set a reputation like that for yourself, it’s hard to get away from it. I had nothing to do with the one I had back home but it still followed me wherever I went, so I knew some of what Kane went through.
“I will be fine, Nate. Honestly, the Kane I know and the one you know are two completely different people.”
“That may be true, but who is the real one?” he sighed and gently tugged his arm free from my hold, continuing on into the library.
I stood there for a few seconds pondering what he had just said. My Kane was the real one. I was just sure of it. Sure I didn’t have a lot of experience in the dating scene, but I hoped I would at least know when I was getting played. Plus, everything in me screamed it was right when I was with Kane. Wouldn’t there be some tiny hint of doubt otherwise?
I shook those thoughts from my head. I was in a good place now. I was making new friends, I had a hot-ass boyfriend who had an amazing family, and school was going really well for me. Dammit things were good now. I was finally living and breathing again. Not walking around like a zombie just trying to make it day by day. This is how it was supposed to be but didn’t Sir Isaac Newton himself say, ‘What goes up must come down’? Hopefully that was just a reference to gravity and not my life in general.
Nate and I had worked most of the morning on our project, only stopping for a thirty-minute lunch break, then getting right back to it. He never brought up Kane again and I was glad. His whole mood had changed from what it was this morning, and by the time we said goodbye he was back to the fun carefree Nate I had come to know.
I left the library early that afternoon and headed back to the dorms. I still had that other test to study for.
As I was waiting for the elevator, I could hear a few girls laughing in the lounge area around the corner from the elevator bays.