Outside, it’s just starting to snow and it makes the whole campus look like a winter wonderland covered in a dusting of magical whiteness.
“I’ll walk you to your dorm,” Warren says.
That’s highly unusual too. He’s never offered to walk me to my dorm before, and it’s freezing out and his dorm building is in the completely opposite direction.
“That’s okay,” I say. “You don’t have to do that, I’ll be fine. The streetlamps are all lit, and the paths are clear.”
Warren turns his head to both sides to look around on the campus.
“There’s no one else walking out here now,” he says. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to walk alone. I’d feel better if I walked you.”
I stand there and look in his eyes and for a moment, it feels like one of those movies where the girl and the guy are both about to not do something that they really want to do. The gentle snowfall and the way that the snowflakes stick to the top of his nose for a split second before melting from his body heat, make the moment seem even more intense. I might have actually stood here for a lot longer if he hadn’t said something.
“Aubrey?” he says, waiting for me to respond.
“Okay, sure,” I say in regard to being walked back to my dorm. “Thanks.”
Still, I involuntarily shiver once before we head off down the path together—and it’s not from the cold.
We don’t talk much on our way, but I notice him glance over at me a few times. I didn’t bring my gloves, so my hands are freezing, and of course the coat I chose to wear today doesn’t have any pockets.
“Here,” Warren says as he reaches for my hand. Before I even realize what he’s doing, he sticks the hand closest to him inside his pocket, and he doesn’t let go.
I look over at him to say something—although I’m not sure what, maybe another ‘thank you.’ But his eyes meet mine and I see something in his gaze that makes me think this is one of those moments in which talking will just screw it up. So instead, I let him hold my hands and am silently grateful for the warmth. By the time we reach my dorm building, I am all sorts of confused about yet another one of the guys.
The way they’ve been acting lately, I’m starting to wonder if maybe they’re all on something.
“Goodnight,” Warren says simply before turning around to leave and walk back to his own building.
“Night,” I call after him quietly, and I’m not sure if he hears me.
I walk through the common area of the dorms and see a fireplace lit in the hearth with a bunch of the girls, including Bridget, gathered around it talking about their Thanksgiving plans.
“Oh, hey Aubrey,” Tammy says when she sees me walk in. “What are you doing for Thanksgiving break?”
I’m sure that she meant it as an innocent question, but I can see Bridget smirking beside her because she knows that I don’t have anywhere else to go but here.
“I’m just going to stay on campus and try to catch up on some of my schoolwork,” I say with a polite smile.
Bridget knows that I’m just trying to save face, but she doesn’t say anything—smart.
“Well, at least you should be able to get a lot done since it’ll be so quiet on campus,” Tammy says in what I think is an attempt to be nice.
“Yeah,” I say as I turn and walk upstairs to my room. I hope that Bridget stays down here until I fall asleep. I could use some time alone with my thoughts to sort out the mixed feelings I’m having about Sterling, and now Warren too.
I have no energy left for Bridget these days. I know my hold on her is slipping, but I don’t care.
Chapter Fourteen
When the break arrives, I see that Tammy wasn’t wrong. It is very quiet here alone on campus—again. Or at least, I think I’m alone.
I’m walking back from a trip to the bookstore, at least they still have the bookstore and coffee shop open and staffed so that I can get a decent latte. Though calling it staffed is a bit of an understatement. It took me thirty minutes to get this latte, and only after I begged the librarian taking a nap behind the counter with more than a few tears.
They didn’t even have to be faked.
I convinced Bridget to leave cash in her dresser drawer for me to pull from since I’m still dirt-broke. I kind of get the feeling that every time I ask her to do something, it pushes her one step closer to going off on me, which I really don’t care about anyway since I’m not trying to be her friend.
At this point, I almost wish she would.
I’ve been growing increasingly tired lately. Tired of her. Tired of this game. Tired of this place.
Every time I think I’m getting ahold of myself here, I lose it again.
And it’s always thanks to the same thing. The same people.
Warren. Chase. Sterling.
Bridget plays a part, sure, but it really boils down to them. They have a hold on me that I don’t understand, and maybe I never will.
I just have to hold it together until the review. Maybe I can convince Sterling’s father that I’m ready to get the hell out of Ridgecrest.
Or, at the very least, that it’d be better for me to be there than here.
The snow is coming down heavier on my way back to my dorm. This side of campus is essentially empty since everyone has gone home for the break and any of the staff who stayed on campus is
