Out of the Shallows (Into the Deep #2)(16)
Author: Samantha Young

Catching my hesitant tone, Beck gave a reassuring smile. “I wouldn’t go there. I do have some control over who I sleep with.”

“That’s good to know, I guess,” I said, sounding a little doubtful. The last thing I wanted was Claudia returning to the apartment one night to find Beck stumbling out of Maggie’s room. I think that might just be the straw that would break the camel’s back. About to stick my nose in and ruin our pleasant camaraderie, Beck’s next question halted me.

“So, why do you want to know if Melissa is okay?”

I shrugged, feeling that familiar gnawing guilt. “I’d think that was obvious.”

As we climbed the steps to the student union, Beck fell silent. Once inside, he turned to me, a small smile playing on his lips. “Jake is right. You and Claudia are not like other women.”

I arched an eyebrow. “I’m taking that as a compliment since I happen to know for a fact that Claudia and I are freaking awesome.”

Something sad flashed in Beck’s eyes as he smirked back at me. “I’m not to going to argue with that.”

I wish I had a magic potion to shove down his throat and make him see that whatever was stopping him from taking a chance on Claudia didn’t compare to how bad the regret would be later. I sighed inwardly and followed his tall body upstairs to the Library Bar.

I almost slammed into him when he drew to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway. I peered around him. “What’s up?” I followed his confused gaze across the room.

Claudia was cozied up in a booth with Lowe. Her laptop was open in front of her but they were sitting turned into one another, laughing about something.

The muscle under my hand tensed and I glanced down to see Beck’s fists tightening.

“They’re just friends,” I assured him.

Sure, the way they were sitting suggested otherwise but I had assurances not only from Lowe that he wouldn’t go there, but from Claudia also. Only yesterday she told me how much fun it was to hang out with a guy and not have to worry about any sexual tension.

The chemistry wasn’t there for them, which was a little disappointing, but the whole point was for Claud to have someone who would distract her from Beck, and Lowe was doing the job.

“I didn’t say a word.” Beck glowered down at me.

And just like that, I had Broody Hero of the Year on my hands. “You need to work on your poker face. It sucks.” I strode away before he could reply.

“Hey there, hot stuff,” I said as I slid into the booth.

Lowe grinned. “Hey, yourself.”

“Oh, as pretty as you are, babe, I was talking to Claudia.”

Claudia smiled and opened her mouth to reply only to freeze at the sight of Beck with me. “Oh. Hey.”

He nodded as he slid in beside me.

“Hey, man,” Lowe said, something akin to excitement in his eyes. “Guess what Claud’s doing for us?”

“I have no idea,” he replied in a tone that suggested he couldn’t give a shit.

I kicked him in the shin, eliciting a grunt.

Claudia narrowed her eyes. “Who spit in your bean curd?”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

I tried not to smile, deliberately avoiding Lowe’s eyes because I knew he’d make me laugh.

“It means,” Claudia gave a long-suffering sigh, “what’s your problem?”

“I don’t have a problem. I just sat down.” Beck pulled his buzzing phone from his pocket, glaring at Claudia. He looked at the screen. “According to Maggie, Melissa is doing okay. She’s even got a date this weekend.”

A little weight lifted off my shoulders. “That’s good to hear.”

Claudia caught my eye. “Feel better?”

“Much,” I admitted. “You know I hate guilt.”

Relaxing, I had a drink with my friends, listening to Beck and Claudia snipe at each other. They were on the cusp of giving me back the tension I’d just gotten rid of, so I decided it was time to leave.

“I need to go too.” Lowe slid out of the booth at my announcement. “I have stuff to do. Claudia, if you and Beck can stop griping for five seconds, why don’t you show him the plans for this summer?”

Claudia’s green eyes filled with something like panic.

“Go ahead,” Beck said, clearly not in the mood to leave her company. “Do you want another coffee?”

Instead of answering, my friend looked to me for help.

I needed to get her out of this somehow. I looked at Beck, but any excuse that might’ve been making its way from brain to tongue melted upon seeing the puppy-dog look on his face.

Crap. No wonder she has such a hard time resisting him.

I looked back at Claudia and shrugged. “I’ll catch you guys later.”

Seriously. Where was my willpower? If I couldn’t harden my heart enough against Beck to keep them apart, how the hell was she supposed to?

Lowe and I hit the top of the steps off Chamber Street that led to my apartment. We were about to descend them when I started at the sight of Jake coming up them.

His head down, hands jammed into his jacket pockets, he was listening to whatever band was singing through his earphones. A rush of longing ripped through me. My heart soaked in what little it could see of his familiar face; my eyes drank in his broad shoulders and long legs.

I missed him.

Even when I was with him I missed him. What we had wasn’t what we’d had before. At this point I only had myself to blame for that.

Lowe chuckled beside me as we waited for Jake to reach us. “I never had a chance, did I?” he joked.

I made a face. “I’m that obvious?”

“Only when he’s not looking,” he said, seeing way more than he should.

Perceptive pain in my ass.

Jake looked up, faltering on a step. At first he didn’t seem sure how to react to the sight of me with Lowe, but he quickly shrugged it off, bestowing a gorgeous smile on me. He pulled his earphones out. “Hey, you,” he said, coming to a stop at the top of the stairs. He leaned down to kiss me, his lips soft. He smelled great.

“Hey,” I whispered back, unable to speak any louder over the force of my emotions. It still surprised me that my feelings for him had the ability to bowl me over without warning.

“Hey, man.” Jake nodded congenially at Lowe. I was relieved.

Lowe seemed to be too. He gave Jake a small smile and nod. “Well, I better get back to the apartment. I have an essay due in two days and we have a gig tonight.”