Obligation, page 20
She swallowed the lump in her throat, wondering if she really would uphold that deal. She’d figure that out when the time came. For now, she’d take this as a win. The weight that had been bearing down on her for months lifted, and for the first time in too long, she could breathe without feeling like she was constantly gasping for air.
“Just promise me you’ll be here when this is over,” he said. “Because I don’t want to lose you, Carissa. I’m doing all of this for you. For us.”
“I told you I’d be here for you,” she said.
Even though she’d been lying to him—and kissing another guy behind his back—Carissa refused to promise him this. That’s where she drew the line. Now that she had the freedom to truly be herself again, she vowed to make choices that stayed true to who she was.
Danny slipped his hand along the side of her neck and drew her closer. Then his mouth was on hers in a kiss that was sweet and short and reminiscent of the way he used to kiss her. Nostalgia for the earlier days of their relationship flooded her senses.
“I love you,” he said, resting his forehead to hers. “And I’m going to prove that I can be the man you fell in love with. No matter what it takes, I’ll prove I’m worthy of someone as wonderful as you.”
Carissa blinked back tears, her smile more of a frown. She cupped his cheek. “I know you will.”
And that terrified her. Because what if Danny became the same guy she’d met a year ago? She’d loved that guy with her whole heart. She’d convinced herself that he was the one, the guy she’d spend the rest of her life with.
But so much had changed. Could she forgive him for all he’d done, for all the pain and heartache and tears he’d caused her? Even if she could, what about Bradley? He’d gotten under her skin, and she couldn’t shake him. She didn’t want to.
“I’m going to go call my dad,” Danny said as he stood. “He always knows the right things to say.” He titled his head, eyes filled with love. “Want me to walk you back to your res hall?”
“No thank you.” She met his gaze. “I think I’m just going to sit here for a while and think.”
“Are you sure?” He shoved his hands into his pockets.
“Yeah, but thanks.” She smiled.
“Okay. Will you call me later to let me know you’re home safe?”
Another wave of nostalgia crashed over her, and she gripped the ledge of the bench on either side of her legs, the rough stone cutting into her palms. He used to ask her to do that all the time, and she always would.
“Of course,” she said after a moment.
“Thank you.” He hesitated. “Well, I guess I’ll talk to you later, then.”
She nodded.
Reluctantly, Danny turned on his heel and walked away, head down. Seeing him leave like that had a funny feeling brewing inside of her. How had they gotten to this point? Fresh tears pooled in her eyes, and she didn’t try to stop them as they coursed down her cheeks.
She’d been wanting to break-up with Danny for a while, but now that she had, she wasn’t sure how she felt about the whole thing. Definitely relieved. And sad. But more than that, she was… at peace. This decision had been the right one, and she knew that, but the idea that this was the last time she’d kiss him or hold his hand had a strange sensation swirling in her chest. Emotions she couldn’t name bubbled up inside of her.
Her phone buzzed, startling her. She wiggled her phone from her front pocket and swiped her thumb across the screen.
Tiffany: You okay? We’re all really worried about you.
Carissa: I’m okay. Can you come home? I need some BFF time.
Tiffany: On my way.
Carissa smiled and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She always could count on Tiffany to be there when needed. Shoving her phone into her pocket, Carissa stood and started the short trek back to her residence hall. A warm breeze caressed her face and helped to dry her tears. By the time she reached her room, her mood had lifted.
But the second she walked into her room and tossed her keys onto her bed, she broke out into sobs. The first time her and Danny had sex was in that bed. Tiffany had graciously found something to do one night so that Carissa and Danny could be alone.
She sank down onto her mattress and ran her hand over her comforter. She’d been so nervous that night. She hadn’t been a virgin when she met Danny, but she also hadn’t had a ton of experience. Danny had been so patient and tender with her. She sniffled and wiped her wet cheeks. That night had been incredible, and she’d never forgotten it.
Then again, she hadn’t been able to forget the few stolen moments she had with Bradley, either. The way he made her feel didn’t come close to how she felt with Danny. Being with Bradley was euphoric and intensely passionate. He stole her breath and made her heart race with very little effort. Sure, Danny gave her tingles, but he didn’t drive her to the brink of insanity like Bradley did.
If their make out sessions were any indication, she had zero doubts that Bradley would be phenomenal in bed. A huge part of her wanted to find out, to drive straight back to his house and knock on his bedroom door. The more she thought about the idea, the more she was convinced that was exactly what she needed to do.
“Hey,” Tiffany said as she walked into their shared room.
Carissa looked up at her friend through tear-filled eyes.
“Oh, honey.” Tiffany sat beside Carissa and pulled her into a hug. “What’s wrong?”
“Danny and I broke up,” she said, her voice much calmer than she expected. “I know it’s for the best, but it still hurts, y’know? I feel like I’ve just lost an entire year of my life.”
“No.” Tiffany released Carissa, then took hold of her hands. Tiffany’s gaze was insistent yet full of compassion. “What you had with Danny in the beginning was great. We all saw that, and we all thought you two would be together a long time. Finding love like that, no matter how short, is never a waste.”
Carissa smiled through her tears. “Thank you.”
Tiffany nodded. “How did Danny take it?”
“Surprisingly well.” She stood and snatched a couple tissues from the box on the edge of her desk. “In fact, he admitted he needs help with his temper. He apologized for how he’s been acting and swore he would do whatever it takes to make things right between us.”
“And that’s what you want?” Tiffany leaned back on her hands.
Carissa shrugged. “I don’t know what I want anymore. All I know is I hate this person I’ve become.”
“Well, I think you’re fucking amazing, and my opinion is the only one that matters.”
Laughing, Carissa rolled her eyes. Tiffany always could make Carissa laugh and lift her mood, even in the worst situations.
“And because I know you’re dying to hear my advice, I’m going to give it to you.” Tiffany sat up straight and grinned. “I think you should take this time to have some fun. You went from dating Garrett in high school to then dating Danny your entire first year of college. You’ve had no time to just be you and have fun. So, seize this opportunity.” Tiffany stood. “I’m single. You’re single. We’re pledging our dream sorority. Let’s enjoy this.”
A smile broke out on Carissa’s face. Tiffany’s pep talk lifted Carissa’s mood even more, and Tiffany’s enthusiasm was contagious. After everything that happened this past weekend, Carissa hadn’t thought much about Theta Omega Pi, but once again, Tiffany was right. Carissa wanted to savor the pledging experience. She wanted to participate in every second of every silly tradition and ritual and prank—without fear of her boyfriend getting angry or jealous.
“You’re absolutely right,” Carissa said.
“Of course I am.” Tiffany gave her an incredulous look, like she couldn’t believe Carissa had any doubts. “Now, tell me every detail about Bradley.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Bradley wandered around the campus quad. His next class started in a few minutes, but he was procrastinating, hoping he’d catch Carissa on the way to her class. She hadn’t been back to the house since she’d rushed out Sunday night, and that was three days ago. She also wasn’t responding to his messages.
His phone rang, and he scrambled to get it out of his pocket. Heart racing, he wished with everything in him that Carissa was finally getting in touch. But one glance at the screen, and his hope deflated. He accepted the incoming call from his sister.
“Hey, Beth. What’s up?” He stopped wandering and plopped himself at the nearest table.
“Well, don’t you sound chipper,” she said, her tone teasing. “What’s wrong, little brother? California not what you expected?” She laughed.
Bradley rolled his eyes. “California is fine. College is fine. Life is fine. What do you want?”
Bethany only ever called when she needed something. As the youngest of three siblings, Bradley didn’t have the closest relationship to his sister, who was almost ten years older than him. His relationship with his brother, who was only four years older, was much better.
“If you’re going to be cranky, I’m hanging up,” she said.
“I’m not cranky.” He rubbed his forehead, the stress of the past few days building to an unmanageable headache. “I’m running late to class, so can you please make this quick?”
“The annual charity auction for the ranch is coming up soon. Can I count on you again this year?”
“Of course.”
Not that he wanted to go, but if he didn’t, his parents would kill him, and he never wanted to disappoint his mother. But the thought of being auctioned off like a prime piece of cattle—again—had an undercurrent of anger and resentment burning in him.
If not for the fact that this event raised a shit ton of money for the ranch that helped at-risk kids, he’d tell his sister where she could shove her Bachelor Charity Auction—an event that starred him and his brother as the most sought after items. Women went crazy bidding on them for a single date.
Bradley loathed the event, but because he was still single, he had a standing agreement with his sister to help out. The few years he’d been in a relationship with Faith, he’d had a reprieve, but now he was literally back on the auction block.
Beth let out a joyous squeal. “Thank you, Brad! You’re the best brother ever.”
He couldn’t stop from smiling. “One of these days, you’re going to owe me. Big time.”
“Yeah, yeah. I know.” She sighed. “I’ll email you all the details, along with a complete itinerary.”
“Okay.” No use arguing; he’d tried that in the past, and there was no winning against his sister. “Not to be rude, but is that all? I really have to get to class.”
“Oh, now you worry about being rude?” She laughed again.
“Seriously, Bethy? You’re going to lecture me about my manners?” His nerves were frayed, thanks to not having any contact with Carissa for days, but he needed to check himself and not take his frustrations out on his sister. She hadn’t done anything wrong.
“No. I’ll let Mom do that.” Her tone was smug. “By the way, you need to call her. She misses you.”
He sighed. “I will. Promise. Talk to you later.” He stood and grabbed his bag from the table.
“Have fun in class. Love you,” she said in a sing-song voice.
Shaking his head with amusement, he said, “Love you, too.” He ended the call, then slung his backpack over his shoulder.
Class had officially started ten minutes ago. Should he walk in late and cause a disruption? Or should he skip? He wasn’t sure he’d be able to concentrate on the lecture when his mind was elsewhere. He hesitated, unsure what to do. Finally deciding to ditch class, he turned to head back to where he parked his car. Then he froze.
“Someone looks confused,” Carissa said with a teasing grin. “You lost?”
The sight of her standing there knocked the breath from his lungs. Dressed in denim shorts, a large white belt, a baby pink and white tank top that left her tanned stomach exposed, and chunky white sandals, she was stunning. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying and failing to find words.
She tilted her head. “Seriously, are you okay?’
He snapped out of his stupid daze. “Yeah. Sorry. How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to hear you profess your love to someone.” Her tone was snarky, but her words were coated with jealousy. “All this time, I assumed you were single. Clearly, you’re just as much of a liar as I am.”
“I was talking to my sister,” he said. Though he couldn’t deny he was thrilled that she was jealous, because that meant she cared.
“Oh.” Carissa shifted on her feet. “Sorry.”
He nodded at the stack of papers she had clutched to her chest. “What’re you doing?”
“Making copies for Mallory. Sorority stuff,” she said. “The house has a copier, but running mindless errands like this is all part of the pledging process.”
“Sounds fun.” He hitched his backpack higher on his shoulder.
“It’s better than marching through the quad chanting.” She laughed.
“Speaking of… what happened to that shirt?”
She narrowed her eyes. “Why?” she asked slowly, drawing out the word.
Bradley lifted his shoulder in a lazy shrug. “I’m willing to pay a hefty price for it. Y’know, as a souvenir of our first kiss.”
Rolling her eyes, she shook her head, her smile widening. “You’re an idiot.”
“Am I?” He raised a brow.
Tingles shot up his spine, across his shoulders, and down his arms. Bantering with her like this was a major turn-on, and he’d missed this. The past three days felt like a lifetime.
“Yes,” she said around a laugh.
“So, where is it?” he asked.
“Yeah… no…” She stepped around him as if she were going to walk away.
The library wasn’t more than a few feet away, and she headed toward the building. Bradley wanted to go after her, but he couldn’t chase her forever. He needed her to want him, to come to him.
“It’s okay if you want to keep it for yourself, you know. All you have to do say so,” he called after her.
She stopped and turned around. “I threw it away.” She took a few steps backward, her gaze trained on him. “Couldn’t have evidence of my little indiscretion just laying around, now could I?”
He smirked. “You’re such a liar.”
Tossing her head back, she laughed. “Guess you’ll never know, will you?” She stopped walking, still hugging the stack of papers against her chest.
Bradley closed the distance between them, his heart pounding harder with each step. Something about her and her demeanor was different today. She seemed… happier, like she no longer had a worry in the world. What had changed with her?
“I call bullshit,” he said, stopping in front of her. “I think you still have that shirt, and I think you have it hidden somewhere safe.”
“Nope.” She shook her head, her long hair swaying against her face with the motion.
“Then prove me wrong.” His chest ached with each breath he took, and his body buzzed with longing. Why did he always have such a visceral reaction to her?
“And if I do? What’s in it for me?” She tilted her head, her eyes sparkling.
He licked his lips, his gaze dropping to her mouth before moving back up to meet her eyes. What he wouldn’t do for a kiss right now. “If I’m right, you have to do something for me.”
The idea popped into his head without warning, but he latched onto the thought. If he could get her to agree, he’d essentially kill two birds with one stone—he’d find a way out of his sister’s bachelor auction without upsetting his mom, and he’d secure some alone time with Carissa.
“Do something for you? Like what?” Her tone dripped with suspicion. “If you’re trying to bet me into having sex with you, I—”
“Whoa! No.” He held up his hands, eyes wide. “That’s not what I’m doing. First, I don’t need to bet or coerce or trick anyone into having sex with me, especially not you.”
“Especially not me?” She shifted on her feet. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“It means that when we have sex, you’ll do so willingly. Not because you lost some stupid bet.”
“Ha! When. Don’t you mean if?”
The attitude she threw at him right then should’ve probably deterred him, or pissed him off, but he found himself excited. Aroused. Most of the women he knew kissed his ass in the hopes of snagging him—and his billions. But not Carissa. She was the exact opposite, always pushing him away, making him work for every second he had with her.
“No. I mean when. I’m confident this will happen between us eventually,” he said coolly, confidently.
She took a step closer, bringing their bodies within touching distance. “Hasn’t anyone ever told you that arrogance isn’t charming? In fact, it’s a major turn off.”
“Is that why your face is flushed right now? I bet your heart is racing, too.” He leaned down so his face was inches from hers. “Besides, there’s a fine line between arrogance and confidence.”
“Are you confused as to where that line is?” she asked, her tone sickeningly sweet.
The corner of his mouth lifted in a cocky smirk. “Stop trying to deflect. Back to this T-shirt… Prove me wrong, and I’ll do something for you. Whatever you want. But prove me right, and you have to do something for me.”
He expected her to pull away or take a step back. But yet again, she shocked him when she leaned even closer.
“Deal,” she said, her warm breath breezing across his lips. “But first, copies.” She held up the stack of papers in his face, effectively blocking her from his view.
Bradley gently guided her hand down so he could see her again. “I’ll help,” he said.
“I’m sure I can figure out how to make copies all by myself.” She once again turned on her heel and sauntered away, a little extra sway to her hips that he was positive was for his benefit.
He stood watching her for a moment, enjoying the view. But then he snapped back to his senses and jogged to catch up to her. “I’m sure you can, too, but we’ve got a bet to settle, and I’m not letting you out of my sight until we do. Don’t want you rigging it in your favor.”
