The Hazards of Skinny Dipping (Hazards #1)(35)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“He was older. Had I known you’d look like this…” I gestured at him. Of course, I was joking. Nothing could have ended my crush on Dylan other than actually being with him.

“So it was all superficial?”

“I guess. I built him up to be this superhuman, you know? This older guy who was going to sweep me off my feet and teach me everything I needed to know.”

“Not so much…”

“Yeah. Who knew skinny dipping could be so dangerous?” We reached campus.

“We’ll have to do it sometime.”

I wasn’t sure if he was joking or not, but I assumed he wasn’t. “Oh no. Never again.”

“It would be different…”

“You know how weird this is, right?” I hoped Kyle realized nothing was going to happen between us. I’d just broken up with Dylan, and I wasn’t looking for any relationship, especially not with another Bradley.

“What?”

“Talking about skinny dipping with my ex’s brother.”

“I liked you first. You liked me first.”

“We were kids.”

“I bet you’ll change your mind.”

“You’ll be the first to know if I do.”

***

The hickey faded ever so slightly by the time I woke up the next morning. I tied on Cara’s scarf, glad the temperature had dipped into the forties overnight. I grabbed my books, and Cara and I walked out together.

Dylan leaned against the wall just outside the dorm.

I groaned. “What are you doing here?”

“I need to talk to you.”

“Then talk.”

His hair was all messed up, and it looked as if he hadn’t slept at all. Dylan never left the house without looking put together. He was worse than a girl that way. “Alone.”

“You want me to stick around?” Cara asked.

“No. I’ll get this over with. See you for lunch.”

She waved and walked away.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“Us.”

“There is no us.”

“We had a fight. Couples have fights.”

I chortled. “Maybe it could have been ‘just a fight,’ but you decided to screw Amanda. It’s one hundred percent over.”

“It wasn’t my fault. I got drunk, I was so mad you left like that, and Amanda was over, and she let me talk and—”

“You fell into bed?”

“No…but.”

“Save it. I really don’t care.”

“Yes, you do.” He touched my arm.

I shrugged his hand off. “It was inevitable.”

“What was? Me cheating? I’m not like that. Does it matter that it’s not going to happen again? We both agreed it wouldn’t be more.”

“Oh, did you? How nice.”

“Juliet. Please.”

“Please what? You didn’t do anything wrong. Is that what you want to hear?”

“No! I want to hear the opposite. We’re still together, and I f**ked up, and I’ll have to work hard to earn your forgiveness.”

“We’re not together. And if you want to see Amanda again, by all means do it. You two deserve each other.” I started to walk away.

He grabbed my shoulder to turn me back to look at him. “I only want you.”

“That’s not true, and you know it.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Let’s see, you’ve already f**ked Amanda. I guess I should have left a mark on your neck.”

He must have noticed the scarf, and reached out to untie it. I grabbed his hand and stopped him. “Don’t touch me.”

“I already offered to let you leave a mark… I’d like it.”

“Go bother Amanda. Maybe she actually wants to have sex with you.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” I started moving again.

“Wait, Juliet!” He caught up with me. “Are we still on for tonight? Your party?”

“What do you think?” He couldn’t actually be that dense, could he?

“You’re going alone?”

I smiled. “Maybe, maybe not.”

“Who are you going with?”

“It’s none of your business.” It felt so good to say that and mean it.

“It’d better not be Reed.”

“None of your business.”

Chapter Nineteen

To: [email protected]

From: [email protected]

Subject: Re: sigh

Dear Juliet,

Whatever happened, you’ll get through it.

Your Always There For You Cousin,

Amy

There was nothing fun about being the only one at a date party without a date. It was even worse when your friends got there late because they were having dinner with their dates. After walking aimlessly around the bar for a few minutes, I ran into the last person I wanted to see. Well, maybe second to last.

“Hi Amanda!” I said with fake cheerfulness. I could do it. I could be the bigger person—or at least pretend I was.

“Hi… can we talk?” Amanda asked nervously. I didn’t think Amanda got nervous.

“Why?”

“Come on, please.”

I nodded. What else did I have to do? “Whatever you have to say doesn’t matter. We were already broken up. I don’t care.”

“I messed up. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You wanted to screw with me. Or sorry, you wanted to screw Dylan.”

“He’s the only guy who’s ever turned me down.” She flipped her hair off her shoulder.

“He turned you down?”

“Yeah… I always had a thing for him and finally decided to make a move the first time I saw him this semester. He wasn’t interested. He claimed there was someone else.”

“Oh.”

“It didn’t take long to realize it was you.”

“That’s why you’ve been a bitch to me this whole time?”

“Pretty much, yeah. If I’d known before bid day…well, you wouldn’t be in the house.”

“Honest. Wow.”

“It’s the truth, so I’m glad I didn’t know.”

“Wait, are you actually saying you’re glad I’m pledging?”

“You’re pretty cool.”

“Good to know.”

“He’s still crazy about you. He may have slept with me, but he didn’t really want to. He wanted you.” It sounded like it was hard for her to say it.