Page 28 of Redeeming the Villain
“Umm—” Finn hesitates, but Dean’s eyes widen, and stress tightens his features. “Yeah, uh, let’s go.”
Clearly some kind of silent conversation commenced. But I’m not privy to the details.
“Do you think you can find your way back?” Finn asks me, already stepping toward Dean.
“Yeah. Go. I’ll be fine!” I assure him, mentally tracing my steps back to the group.
He flashes me a smile before taking off after Dean, who is nearly running between people down the hallway.
Weird.
Doing my best to divert my attention back to my overfilled bladder, I try the handle to the bathroom, happy to find it unlocked and empty. I quickly lock the door behind me before taking my seat on the porcelain throne.
Feeling immensely better after peeing, I wash my hands and take a look in the mirror.
God, it’s eerie how similar I look to my mom when she was younger. The same eyes, nose, and lips. And the same long blonde hair.
My father used to tell me I was the spitting image of her. Which must be why he couldn’t stand to be around me as I got older, looking more and more like the woman he had loved and lost. That’s one of the excuses he gave me anyway.
Refreshing my lip gloss, I run my fingers through my loosely curled hair, detangling any errant strands. When I open the door to the bathroom, a girl rushes in past me, slamming the door behind her.
That would’ve been me had I waited any longer.
I giggle as I wander down the hall, taking a moment to appreciate the fine details in the design of the house. Crown molding; spotless, dark hardwood floor; intricately carved doorframes. Every room was custom built with character.
Turning the corner, I bump straight into someone. “Oh crap. I’m sorry!”
The tall guy with defined arms and shaggy brown hair smiles down at me. “Don’t be. I’m happy you ran into me.”
Something about him looks familiar, and a light bulb goes off in my head. It’s the guy from my dorm that called me pretty in the hallway.
What are the odds of that?
“Let me get you a drink. Your hands are empty.” His full lips outline his stark white smile, charisma oozing from him.
He’s cute. But I also don’t want to make Blair or anyone else wonder what happened or why I didn’t come back.
“I have a drink. It’s just back with my friends. I appreciate the offer though.” I rock on the balls of my feet, nerves fluttering in my stomach.
“How about some fresh air?” he offers, and to be honest, it sounds amazing. “Come on. I’ll behave, I promise. Although,fuck, you are the most stunning girl I’ve ever seen, and it’s going to be hard not to touch you.”
My cheeks warm from his compliment. There’s no harm in just a moment. Right?
“For one minute, then I have to get back.” I extend my hand, and his face lights up.
“I’ll be happy for just a minute with you,” he leans in and whispers in my ear as his fingers interlock with mine.
Is this stupid? Is it dumb to just go hang out with a guy I don’t know? Probably. But I deserve a chance at meetingsomeone.
I can hear my father’s tone in my ear, telling me this isn’t responsible. But I push his irritating voice away.
Besides, this guy is sweet. I have no reason yet to question his intentions.
As we approach the front doors, a cool breeze skates across my shoulders, and I shudder.
“Are you cold? We don’t have to go all the way out if you don’t want to.” His attentiveness doesn’t go unnoticed.
He’s in only a T-shirt and jeans, so I can’t imagine he’s much warmer than me. But my body temp is always fluctuating, so it’s hard to tell if it’s just me or the weather.
