Stay by Jennifer Sucevic Page B

as we walk in silence to his car.  Opening the door for me, he leans over, sliding the seatbelt carefully across my chest before snapping it firmly in place.  Then he just sits there, hunkered down on the pavement besides me so that we are eye level.  His golden brown eyes search mine in the darkness as if he’s somehow able to pick carefully through all the thoughts I haven’t been strong enough to give voice to.
    Finally, after what feels like an eternity, he whispers, “I won’t hurt you, Cassidy.”
    Even though his words have something desperate twisting inside me, I say what needs to be said.  “I’m sorry, I just can’t.”
    He takes a deep breath, filling his lungs completely before exhaling softly.  Without another word he stands up, quietly closing the door and walking around to the driver’s side before sliding inside.  The ten minute drive to the dorms is an excruciatingly silent one.
     
    Chapter Eight
     
    Cole
    “What’s your problem, dude, we won!”  Austin shouts this from across the table in the noisy bar we’re sitting in.  “Freaking act like it!”  Almost immediately his attention becomes ensnared by the curvy blonde sitting on his lap.  I’m genuinely surprised he even noticed that I’m sitting across from him in the first place.
    Nursing my beer, I grunt instead of replying because really, what am I supposed to say?  That I’m stuck on some gorgeous chick with the most beautiful ebony colored hair I’ve ever seen?  Or the biggest, clearest blue eyes I’ve ever had the sad misfortune of gazing into?
    Fuck.
    I would literally get the crap kicked right out of me if I said something like that.
    And you know what?  I would totally deserve it.  Hell, I probably deserve it for even thinking along those lines.
    I am so completely screwed.
    Worse than that?
    I’m not sure if there is anything I can do to salvage whatever Cassidy and I have going on between us.  Even though I’ve only known her for about a week, she’s all I think about.  And that can’t be a good sign.  She had jokingly accused me of stalking her.  Well, she’s not too far from the truth.  I mean, no, I am not actually making a conscious effort to follow her around campus.  Luckily for me, we just so happen to run into each other fairly often which makes this little fixation I’ve got going on all the more convenient.
    Well, for me, that is.  Cassidy, not so much.
    At the party last Thursday, I hadn’t thought too much about her reaction when I’d grabbed her arm.  I just figured she’d been pissed that I had stopped her from leaving.  But after tonight, watching what happened, it was like she had snapped into some kind of bizarre trance.
    Like she’d been frightened.
    Of me.
    Of me.
    Which doesn’t make the least bit of sense.
    Clearly this girl has some issues.... but damn if she doesn’t surprise me at every turn.  Now I find out that she knows hockey.  And here I’d thought it was hot that she was into muscle cars. Her knowledge of hockey has totally upped her level of hotness as far as I’m concerned.
    Christ…
    I seriously couldn’t want her more.
    Unfortunately, every time I try inching a little bit closer, she throws up more road blocks.  A few days ago I’d thought that maybe I was making some headway.  Especially after I cajoled her into grabbing dinner.  Guess not.  Because tonight she totally froze up on me. 
    I don’t know what to make of her.  I really don’t.  Feeling frustrated, I run a hand through my hair.  I seriously can’t wrap my mind around this girl.  Hell, she wouldn’t have even told me her name if I hadn’t run into her at the tutoring center.
    Which brings me to how damn smart she is.
    And yeah, that is such a fucking turn on that I’d sat there during our tutoring session sporting a rather uncomfortable boner while she explained whatever the hell it was she’d taken her time to reteach me.  And you know what?  Her explanation had actually