The next morning, my stomach flutters every time I think about that last dance with Brady. That’s nothing though compared to the kiss. My whole body covers in goose bumps—in the shower, on my way to class, eating lunch. He occupies so much of my thoughts that I don’t even listen to his music on my iPod on a loop anymore.

After my second class, I head back to the dorm and stop by the mailboxes. As I stand there, I can almost feel Brady’s lips on mine, the memory so vivid in my mind. I shuffle through the junk mail and land on a pink envelope. My fingers go weak, and it almost slips through my fingers. I can’t believe I forgot. Guilt grows in my heart because I’ve been self-consumed here in Western—not that I particularly care to remember anyway.

I toss the junk mail in the nearby trash can and flop down in a chair. Resting my bag on the table next to me, I carefully run my finger along the seam. My breathing becomes shallow as I fear what the card says. Slowly opening the card, I release a hollow laugh when star confetti drops in my lap.

The card has a picture of a cake, and the title says, To a Special Daughter on Her Birthday. My mom signed the card with love from her and my dad, instructing me to call soon, but I know they don’t really mean it.

I have to admit, the card puts a small smile on my face since, last year, they either forgot or didn’t care to celebrate.

Tucking the card into my messenger bag, I head down the hall to my room. When I open the door, I wish I had gone to the library. Rob is sitting in my chair, relaxed, with his ankle on the opposite knee, and Jessa is sitting in hers with her legs crossed. They’re both concentrated on the television, and I don’t want to be rude, so I silently enter the room.

“Hey, Sadie,” Jessa says, looking at me from over her shoulder.

“Hi, Jessa. Hi, Rob.” I wave over at him, placing the fake smile my mom taught me across my face.

“Hey,” he replies with no enthusiasm.

That pretty much sums up our usual conversation.

Not wanting to be in the same room as them, I decide on the fly to go work out. Placing my messenger bag on the floor by my bed, I swap it with my gym bag.

“Where are you going, Sadie?” Jessa calls over when my hand is on the doorknob.

“Over to the rec center.” I turn my body halfway toward Jessa.

“See you, Gucci,” Rob says, not taking his eyes off the television.

I open the door, rolling my eyes.

Jessa’s face falls, and she mouths, Sorry, at me before I shut the door.

I don’t understand why she’s with him, and it hurts a little that she never says anything to him when he makes those comments.

I arrive at the rec center with five minutes to spare before the kickboxing class is scheduled to start. Scrambling in the locker room, I switch my shoes and shove my bag into a locker. Jogging out of the room and down the hall, I’m happy to see the class isn’t as crowded as the night classes I usually attend.

Already breathless from my mini sprint, I sneak to the back row and am startled to spot Brady’s friend, Kara, two rows in front of me. She’s wearing a tight tank top and short black shorts, showing off her amazing petite body. A tattoo peeks out of her shirt on her right shoulder blade, but I can’t read what it says. I can only tell that it’s inked in cursive script. She’s cute and beautiful, edgy and put together.

Most of all, I sense that she’s my competition.

---

By the time the class finishes, sweat is dripping from my body, and I pull the shirt off my chest to stop it from clinging to my wet skin. I’m wiping down my face with a towel on the way back to the women’s locker room when I stop dead in my tracks.

Brady’s leaning against the wall. His athletic shorts hang from his hips, and a gray T-shirt with a ring of sweat around the collar covers his chest. He could be a model for one of those workout video infomercials. He’s that hot.

Preoccupied with how stunning he looks, I didn’t notice Kara standing in front of him until now. She touches his forearm while he smiles down to her.

I see red. Friend, my ass.

I knew he was lying that night at Aces, but after last night, I didn’t think he was playing me.

I turn the opposite way, needing to work off some of this anger by running on the treadmill. If I immerse myself in a workout, it should shield the tears that want to trickle down my cheeks. My shoulders fall when I reach the cardio room. It’s completely packed. Every treadmill and elliptical is taken.

Change of plans. I’ll do some weights, but that room is wall-to-wall guys that could bench-press me and Jessa together. Instead, I meander down the hall, hoping to sneak into the girls’ locker room without Brady or Kara noticing me.

Thankfully, when I pass the same spot, they aren’t there. I grab my bag and switch my shoes out, rushing to leave the rec center entirely.

“I thought I saw you.”

I falter back when Kara turns the corner.

“Oh, hey.” I give her a small wave of my hand but keep stepping toward the door.

“You were at Aces the other night, right?” There’s an air of arrogance in her voice that stops my movement.

“Yes, I was. Sadie Miller,” I introduce myself, holding my hand out, thinking that maybe I’m reading her wrong.

“Kara Billings,” she shares as she limply shakes my hand.

At least Brady didn’t lie about her name.

“It’s nice to meet you.” I smile, glancing to the door and then back to her.

“Just so you know, he’s mine.” Her lips go straight, and her eyes bore into me.

I guess that arrogance was on purpose.

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, dumbfounded that someone would actually throw that out there.

“You heard me. Stay away from Brady Carsen. He’s mine.”

“Are you two dating? In some sort of relationship?” I question her, praying she says no.

“No.”

I release the breath that was constricting my lungs.

“But we will be. We’d be already if it wasn’t for you,” she admits, her eyes narrowing. She places her hands on her hips, adding defiance to her arrogance.

“I’m sorry, Kara, but Brady is a grown man, and he’ll make his own decisions as to who he dates.” I disregard her, attempting to flee through the door before she hammers an ice pick into my chest with her glare.

She grabs my wrist and squeezes it tight. Twisting my head, I glance at her hand on my skin.

“Listen, don’t think you can come here and take something I have been working on for two years. He was ready to be mine this summer, but then you pranced into town, and he pushed me aside,” she says, her nails pricking at my skin.

I yank my wrist free, holding it with my other hand. “Obviously, if it has taken two years, Brady isn’t interested,” I curtly respond.

I backstep to the door. She rushes by me, her shoulder squarely knocking me into the wall, and I can finally read that tattoo.

On her left shoulder blade, it reads The Invisibles in a calligraphy script with black hearts for dots on top of the i’s. Oh, this girl has it bad, which makes me want to know exactly what her and Brady’s relationship was—or is.

I shake my head and walk out of the rec center, thankful I don’t run into Kara a second time, but I’m still trying to make sense of it all. Brady doesn’t seem like a guy who would pursue someone and then toss her aside, no matter how many times my fearful thoughts put him in that scenario.

Walking up the hill to my dorm, the same homeless man is curled up on the bench, wearing the same brown corduroys and plaid shirt as the other day. I smile, noticing the white paper food bag next to him. Someone else must have left him a sandwich, so I reach into my wallet and tuck twenty dollars in his open shirt pocket. It saddens me, thinking about what he’ll do when winter comes. His clothes are not nearly warm enough to last through the cold and snow.

Continuing down my path, I pray that Rob has left my dorm room. I’m not in the mood for his snide remarks. Suddenly, goose bumps cover my body when I look up and find Brady standing on the sidewalk, directly in my path to the dorm. He looks inquiringly at me but smiles when I get closer.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

I notice those athletic shorts are still on, but sadly, a sweatshirt is covering up his chiseled chest.

“Don’t do that, Sadie,” he demands with a firm tone I’ve never heard from him before.

Taken aback, I rear my head. “Do what?”

“You shouldn’t be leaving money for bums. Don’t go up to them like that.” He motions with his head to the homeless man on the bench.

I wave him off. “Oh, Brady, he’s harmless. I’m thinking about getting him a jacket for the winter.” I walk past him, ignoring his comments.

He lightly grabs my wrist, a more gentle touch than Kara. “Sadie, listen to me. They call that one Vodka Vince because he’s never seen without a bottle of vodka.”

I turn around to face him, surprised he can be so judgmental toward people less fortunate than himself. “Why do you think he would harm me—or anyone else, for that matter? Just because they don’t have a home and might have a drinking problem doesn’t mean they’re dangerous,” I spit out.

“Please, just keep your distance. Alcohol can make people do things…out of character.”

He softly touches my arm, and heat rises through my veins. There’s sincerity in his eyes that I can’t ignore.

“All right.” I shrug, wondering if he’s talking about himself. Maybe that’s the reason he no longer drinks.

“Thank you.” He smiles, his personality doing a complete one-eighty. “It’s nice of you to leave money though.”

Man, he’s moody.

I change the subject. “What are you doing out my way anyway?”

“Well, I was on my way back from your dorm. Jessa told me you were working out. Sorry I missed that sight,” he says, his eyes roaming over my legs and shorts before finally landing back on my face.

“Yeah, I finished my class about a half hour ago. I was going to do more, but the place is packed.” I decide not to inform him that I saw him there.

“I was lucky. I got there just in time before classes changed. You should tell me next time you go.” He follows me back to the dorm.

“Do you want to come to my kickboxing class with me?” I laugh.

“I might surprise you someday, but I’m actually more of a runner.”

He puts his arm around me, and I’m amazed at how comfortable it already feels, despite the fact that we are both covered in gym sweat.

“Oh,” I say as I inch a little closer to him, taking advantage of his warmth.

“So, when are you going to mention that you saw me there?”

I stop walking and stare into his brown eyes filled with humor. He grins down at me.

My face must be red from the flush flowing through my body. “Um…you seemed preoccupied,” I admit before biting my lower lip.

His smile turns down. “Sadie, I’m never preoccupied when it comes to you.” He squeezes my shoulder tight, drawing me closer.

I’m not ready to let the topic go just yet. “What exactly is your relationship with Kara?” It’s none of my business, but it’s been driving me crazy.

“Our parents worked together.” Twisting his body my way, he rests his hands on my shoulders. “Sadie, I have no interest in her.”

“Are you sure? She’s cute,” I say, revealing my insecurity, as I meet his eyes.

“Cute is for puppies and kittens, Sadie. I prefer this stunningly sexy woman I’ve been seeing recently.” He winks down to me, and butterflies flutter in my stomach.

“Really?” I ask in disbelief. Will I ever wholeheartedly believe him?

“How many times do I have to tell you?” He holds my arms with his hands. “I’m a one-woman man, Sadie, and you are her.”

He bends down, letting his lips graze across mine, while he moves his arms down to my waist, pulling me closer. Our chests rise and fall against one another, and he sucks my bottom lip into his mouth before his tongue enters with purpose. His tongue finds mine, and they slide along one another while my fingers thread through his sweat soaked hair.

Like every time I’ve been with Brady, everything else fades away, and it’s only us standing on the sidewalk in the middle of campus.