“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
I didn’t wait to figure it out as I walked toward the door.
“Hey, Ari,” he said, catching up to me.
“Yeah?”
His hand reached out for mine, and he threaded our fingers together. My heart skipped a beat, but I tried not to get caught up in him.
“I’m really glad you showed up.”
A smile broke out on my face. “Me, too,” I admitted shyly.
He gave me that heart-wrenching smile that had started it all. “And I’m going to see you again?”
His brown eyes stared deep into mine, and I couldn’t think of a reason to deny him, so I just nodded. His broadening smile was worth it.
We walked back down the darkened hallway and out the door to the bar. The band was standing with a cluster of girls, my friends among them. The guys looked at us with various forms of surprise.
“You done already, bro?” Vin asked with a cackle. “Quickest quickie ever.”
As the other guys cracked up, I glared at Vin.
“Seriously?” I asked in frustration.
I was ready to contradict them when Grant bent down and whispered in my ear, “Ignore them.”
“Ignore them?” I hissed. “Are you kidding me right now? They think we just had sex, and you’re just going to—”
“They wouldn’t believe me even if I told them that we hadn’t,” he told me plainly.
“Oh, how your reputation precedes you.”
“You and I both know what happened. Why does it matter what anyone else thinks?”
“Because I have a reputation, too, and I don’t want you to make me look like one of your sluts.”
Grant laughed at my comment, but I didn’t think it was very funny.
“Sorry, babe, but it’s a hazard of being around me.”
I opened my mouth to say something smart back, but he wasn’t finished.
“And you’ve already promised to see me again. I’m not letting you back out now.”
“You’re going to make me regret this, aren’t you?”
He winked at me. “Not a chance.”
Two guys I didn’t recognize walked up to us. “Grant,” one of the guys said, “Hurst said tonight was the biggest crowd we’ve had.”
“Epic,” Grant said.
I glanced between them and wondered why I was left standing here awkwardly. So, I thrust out my hand and introduced myself. “Hi, I’m Aribel.”
Both guys looked at me in surprise and then back at Grant.
After a second, one of them took my hand slowly, like he had never been introduced to anyone before. “Miller.”
“Nice to meet you.”
He quirked a smile at me. “You, too. This is McAvoy.”
McAvoy’s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked really out of it, but he still managed to nod at me.
“Hi,” I peeped. “Who is Hurst?”
Both guys’ eyes bugged, and they turned to Grant. What the hell is wrong with them?
“He owns the bar,” Grant informed me without glancing at his friends.
“Oh, well, that’s great for you guys, right?”
“It is,” Miller said. “Bigger the shows, the better the business is for him.”
“Bro!” Vin called, barging in between them.
I was thrown back into Grant and grunted as I slipped on my high heel. He put his arm around me to help me regain my balance.
“Bro, where is Sydney? I thought she was going to come to the show.”
I raised my eyes to Grant, who still had his arm around me. Who is Sydney?
“She couldn’t make it,” Grant said.
“Dude, you spend all week with her and can’t even bring her back to share with me?” Vin asked.
He was clearly cracking himself up, but Grant looked like he was about to pummel him.
I moved away and crossed my arms. So, that is why he had been gone. He had been away, visiting someone else. If I had to wager from Vin’s comments, she was probably someone who was a lot easier than I was.
“What the f**k have I told you about talking about her like that?” Grant growled.
“I’m an ass man. You can’t fault me.”
“Um…who is Sydney?” I managed to get out.
Grant took his eyes off Vin for a second to look at me, and his anger dissipated. “Oh, no. She’s not…” he said, fumbling for the right words.
“She’s not what?” I asked. Why am I getting defensive? It wasn’t like we were dating.
“Ari, Sydney is my cousin.”
“Oh.”
Well…shit. I really am an idiot. I had gotten worked up, thinking he had hooked up with some girl all week when he just went to visit his cousin. I wasn’t sure why I had even been getting worked up over him. It wasn’t like we were together or anything—or that I was even interested in that. He’d intrigued me, that was all. God, maybe I am judgmental.
“I, um…okay,” I said. My face heated, and I turned to walk back to my friends. I should probably get back to my quiet, invisible life. Calculus is way easier than this.
“Ari,” Grant said, following me into the crowd. “Aribel, will you stop?”
“What, Grant?”
His eyes were fixed on me, but all I could see was everyone else staring at us. It was like the quad all over again, except all of our friends were here this time.
“I’m starting to think you’re going to back out of our arrangement.”
“What arrangement is that?”
“You said you’d see me again. I want some collateral on that,” he said, stepping closer to me.
I just narrowed my blue eyes. “What kind of collateral?”
“I was thinking your phone number.”
The people around us had gradually grown silent. Everyone was giving me the same expression that Miller and McAvoy had given Grant when I introduced myself. Maybe Grant actually didn’t go on dates with anyone…
“You want my phone number?” I whispered now that the room had quieted.
“Then, I can make sure I can find you.” He was so close to me now that his lips were nearly grazing mine.
“Just kiss her already!” Vin called out.
Grant smirked, and my heart stopped. His hand found the back of my head, and then we were kissing. Full-on making out in front of all these people, and I didn’t even care. I just wanted to let this desire course through my body and live in the moment. Live the moment that I’d never allowed myself before.