Page 29 of Bad Man on Campus

“You need to back away,” I say. But he’s looking over my shoulder as Kace’s friends take hold of him and pull him back.

“You don’t need any more problems,” Fitz says.

I give Zak a mean look and grab the beer off the table and dump the remains on the floor then wipe my hands. People laugh. Probably Dooley, but I don’t know because I’m too focused on Kace, who’s being held by Fitz and Brick. They loosen their grip.

Kace shakes his head and scrapes a hand down his face. I go to him and he pulls me into his arms. Zak disappears somewhere, but I don’t care.

“You’re killing me, sunshine.”

He used to love my over-the-top boldness, but now he’s too worried about me. But if I’m not the old me, then who am I?

I’m still buzzed, so I have no answer. I want to sober up, I want to fully appreciate making love with Kace all night long, the feel of his skin next to mine. I practically moan just thinking about it as we go back to our table.

But Phoebe, the woman I’m trying with all my might not to hate, interrupts my thoughts in time to prevent a full panty melt.

“Good choice,” she says.

I smile at her. Kace kisses my forehead and says he owes Fitz a game of darts. I eye him through the crowd and he’s lost in some kind of hockey-related discussion as they set up for darts, his face animated and his hands moving.

“Of course,” I say, turning back to her, vowing to be friendly. Vowing to become best friends, because if Kace dated her once upon a time, then she must be a good person underneath the college social-climbing obsession Dooley has told me about.

“What’s your major?” I ask her.

“What? Oh, business.” She waves a hand like it’s of little importance and my smile falters, but I re-up the effort.

“Mine is early childhood development,” I say, smiling, thinking about my kids.

“What? To teach kindergarten or something?”

“Yeah. Or something.” I’m not so buzzed that I don’t notice the condescending note in her voice. This girl needs help. Possibly more help than I do because, after all, I have Kace. A wash of empathy rolls through me for this poor girl and I move closer to her.

“I heard you’re on the dance team.” Phoebe leans in to be heard over the music. “Congrats.”

“Thanks.” I’m surprised, but I shouldn’t be because I know she has more to say.

“How did you manage that at the last minute? I thought the team was picked last semester.”

I know she knows very well that there was a last-minute tryout because notices were plastered everywhere at the cafeteria and the field house. But then I remember, she doesn’t eat at the caf, she eats in her sorority house.

“There was a tryout, an emergency situation, to replace a girl who got hurt last semester and couldn’t come back this year.”

“Oh yeah. I heard about that. A bad accident.” She pauses, then adds super casually, “A drunk driving accident. So I heard.” She gives me a meaningful stare and all the breath goes out of me like the room has turned into a vacuum. I scream at myself to breathe. She can’t possibly know about my drunk driving accident. Either of them. Kace would never have told her. But they did date.

“Wh-what?”

“Earth to Glory? The girl on the dance team got hurt in the accident and had to quit. Now she hates drunk drivers with a passion.”

“Oh. Sure. I didn’t know.”

Dooley comes with an ice water in each hand and gives them to us. I’d kiss him if I didn’t know better.

“Ladies. You look like you could use a referee. And I know just the man.” He waves his hand wildly and even in the crowd he can’t be missed. Another half minute of sham small talk, and Kace shows up and wraps an arm around my shoulder as he reaches me. Wariness creases his brow as he glances at Phoebe. I sip my ice water. Dooley says something to Phoebe to make her laugh, taking her attention away from me and Kace and I wonder what he said.

“What are you doing, babe?” Kace says in my ear.

“Having fun.”

“With Phoebe?”