“Seriously?” Talon whispered from behind. He was so close she could feel his body heat. “He looks like he escaped from the pages of Where’s Waldo? How long did you date this clown?”
Grabbing his hand, she gave it a quick squeeze. “I get the situation is weird, but please act civil. For me.” He squeezed back, but didn’t let her hand go. She didn’t mind. His hand felt big. Strong. She felt safe with him.
When they reached Randy, she made quick introductions. “Do you mind giving Talon a ride, too?” She should have texted and asked him, but she’d been preoccupied.
Randy looked surprised, but took it in stride. “No problem. I’m parked on the street. You’re the guy from Keeley’s phone, right?”
Keeley braced herself when Talon gave Randy a long look, but then he blew out a breath and said, “That’s me.”
When Randy’s back was turned, she shot him a smile. He’d done as she asked. That had to mean something, right?
“And this statue was created to honor our founding fathers who chartered the school in 1852,” the tour guide said. “If you’ll notice there’s a small —”
Keeley rolled her eyes. She’d rather be on that desert island than here.
“Are you as bored as I am?” Talon whispered.
“Tears will be pouring down my face any second,” she whispered back.
“We have to get out of here!”
“We can’t do that.” They’d been given a three-page schedule as soon as they arrived. They were supposed to be on the tour for another forty-five minutes, then dinner. She could see why Zach wanted to come to this school. Barnett had a certain sophistication he would like. It wasn’t her, though. She wanted something less rigid. More creative and open to ideas.
“I don’t know about you, but looking at statues all day isn’t my idea of a good time.”
“We’re not here to have fun.” They were supposed to be learning. Concentrating on colleges and the future.
“If you can’t have fun at college, then where can you? Come on. Let’s explore.”
She’d love to ditch the tour and go away with him. It wasn’t something she would normally consider, but with him, it was different. However, she couldn’t leave Randy. She rose on her tiptoes. He was standing at the very front. He kept nodding as the tour guide pointed out another historical fact.
“Baby doll, if I have to hear one more anecdote about a founding father, I’ll bash my head in.”
Keeley felt the same way. Hell, she didn’t owe Randy anything. Wasn’t like they came together. “Let’s slip away after this. It’s too noticeable now.”
She really shouldn’t be there, she thought. She was wasting the school’s time and her own. Stupid Zach. This was his dream school, not hers. He knew that, too, but did that stop him from pressuring her to come? No! He was always doing things like this, too. Going behind her back and then making her feel bad if she didn’t go along with his plan. She should just say no from now on. This was her life, after all.
When the group began moving, Keeley and Talon shuffled to the back. The tour guide directed the group to a building to the far left. Talon inched toward the right, motioning for Keeley to follow. As the group veered away, Keeley kept her head down and hurried after Talon.
“Now what?” she wondered out loud. They were behind an old building at the edge of campus. Alone. She was happy to be away from the tour, but now she felt a little shy. On the train, there were other passengers. Here, it was just the two of them.
“What’s the thing you’ve been looking forward to most here?”
Him.
But she didn’t say that out loud. “I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know much about this place. Zach wanted me to come, so I did.” How pathetic did that sound? “What about you? Do you want to see anything in particular?”
“I’m in the same boat. I don’t plan on applying to Barnett, but you wanted me to come, so I did. I’ve been curious about you since we switched phones.”
Her face grew warm. “Really?”
Talon looped his arm around her waist. “I came here to get to know you better, Keeley.”
His words made her giddy inside but she also had questions for him. “Then why did you act like we’d never see each other again when you drunk-dialed me? And why did you just leave like that at Java Hut?”
He pulled her till he was close enough to drop his head onto her shoulder. Softly, so only she could hear, he whispered, “I’m always making mistakes with you, aren’t I?”
She tried to ignore their close proximity, but it was difficult when all she felt was him. “Can you please just tell me?”
He pulled away. “I want us to have fun on this trip. Can we save the other stuff for later? Please?”
It was the “please” that did her in. Yeah, she could wait. She wasn’t going to have a chance like this again. This new Keeley was going to go for it. “What do you want to do, then?”
He gestured to the building. “What do you think is in here?”
Keeley remembered the campus map. “A lecture hall.”
“Let’s take a peek,” Talon said, grabbing her hand.
Quietly, they stepped inside. The class was huge! It looked like a miniature stadium. There were at least two hundred people in it, all furiously typing notes as a woman lectured about amino acids. Was this how college was going to be? Keeley noticed one girl playing a game on her phone. That was so her.
Talon nudged her and mouthed, “Boring.”
She agreed. They might as well have stayed with the tour.
As they tiptoed out, Talon commented, “Wow. That was intense.”
“No kidding.” Somehow, seeing that girl made Keeley feel better. Maybe not everyone at college would be ambitious and directed. Maybe some of them would still be drifting, like her.
Her phone pinged.
Randy: Where are you guys?
Oh, man. Keeley showed it to Talon. “I don’t know what to tell him,” she said.
“Just tell him we ditched.”
“But we didn’t invite him to come along. It seems rude.”
Talon looked at her like he was seeing something new. “Since when are you anything but direct? Here. I’ll tell him.” Talon grabbed her phone.
Left. Be back later.
“Problem solved.” Talon turned her phone off, then did the same with his. “There. No distractions. Just us and college.”
But now what? They had no direction.
Talon didn’t seem to have the same dilemma. He grabbed her hand again and tugged her to a different building. “Let’s take our own tour.”
They spent the rest of the day exploring the campus. They had no idea where they were going or what they were doing, and it was fabulous. There was no pressure to act a certain way or say the right thing. She could just be … herself. Well, the version of herself that seemed to pop up whenever Talon was around.
Thank God Talon came on this trip. She shuddered to think about being stuck with Randy the whole time. Randy had never been this accepting of her. It always felt like he wanted her to be something more. More of what, she didn’t know. It made her self-conscious. Like she was lacking in some way. But Talon … well, he seemed to accept her for who she was.
It was getting late, and Keeley and Talon were wandering around one of the dorms when a group of rowdy guys passed. They were handing out orange flyers. At first, it seemed random, but then Keeley realized they were being selective. They were only choosing really attractive people.
“Party tonight, man,” a guy told Talon. He gave Talon a flyer and completely ignored her. “Lots of free booze. And the girls.” He let out a low whistle. “Finest on campus.”
Talon handed back the flyer. “I’m good.”
“Come on! It’s going to be epic. We have an ice luge.” Again,
he spoke directly to Talon. It was like she wasn’t even there.
Talon motioned to Keeley, including her in the conversation. “We’re here for a campus tour. We don’t even go to Barnett.”
“Even better! I’ll show you the ropes. Give you a taste of the real college experience.”
“That’s okay.” Talon looked at Keeley. “I’d only go if you go.”
His consideration touched her. If Randy were here, he wouldn’t have consulted her. Heck, he probably wouldn’t have even included her in the conversation. “I’m not interested,” she said.
Talon looked relieved. “Sorry, man. Thanks for the offer, though.” He put a hand on Keeley’s back and whispered, “Let’s get out of here.” They followed one of the hallways, but quickly got lost. Finally, someone pointed them to an exit, but when they got out, they realized they were on the opposite side of where they came in.
“I forgot how close the beach is,” she said, staring across the street at a long strip of white sand and blue ocean. Several palm trees dotted the area, offering some shade. Not that they needed it. The sun was almost set. Only swirls of orange and pink were left in the sky.
“I have an idea. Come with me.” They walked down a street that ran parallel to the beach. Stopping at a supermarket, he led her inside and then told her to stay put. “I’ll be right back.”
He returned several minutes later with three large grocery bags and a mischievous smile. He held out his elbow in a silent invitation and Keeley twined her hands through, following his lead. She trusted him completely. There was nowhere else she would rather be.
They crossed the street to the beach and took off their shoes when they reached the sand. He guided her to a small fire pit that still had wood left over from the previous user. He pulled out matches, graham crackers and a chocolate bar. It was like it was meant to be.
“We’re going to make s’mores?” she asked.
His blue eyes twinkled in the moonlight. “Correction. Peep s’mores.”
“Isn’t it the same thing?”
Talon put the back of his hand on her forehead. “Are you feeling okay? You’re becoming delusional.”
Keeley smiled. “You’re an addict. How many hours can you go without eating one? Three? Four? Do your hands start to tremble when you don’t get your next fix?”
“Just sit your ass down and prepare to be amazed,” Talon ordered, striking the match. While the logs started to burn, he assembled the chocolate and graham crackers. “Uh-oh,” Talon said after opening the pack of Peeps. “I forgot to get something to roast them on.”
The stab of disappointment took her by surprise. She hadn’t realized how much she wanted to be here, roasting Peeps with him, till now. Well, she wasn’t going to let something so tiny stop her. She’d find something. Even if it took her all night.
“Hold on.” She ran over to a tree where she remembered seeing some sticks. She found two long, thin ones perfect for roasting.
“You’re my hero,” he exclaimed. Her heart drummed in her chest. Did he have any idea the effect he had on her?
He gave her a Peep, but not before making her swear not to burn it. They roasted the Peeps, then slowly slid them onto the chocolate and graham crackers. The Peep softened into a mass of molten marshmallow, melting the chocolate. Suddenly, her mouth was watering.
“Okay,” Keeley said after taking a large bite, “I have to admit these are really good.” The sugar on the outside of the Peep had melted to make a caramelized crust, giving a little crunch to the gooey treat. She had one more before calling it quits.
She watched Talon pull a puffed Peep off a stick and stuff the whole thing in his mouth. It must have been too hot because he grimaced and sucked in air, trying to cool it. He looked absolutely ridiculous like that, his lips pursed out, panting for air.
She needed to know something … “Why Peeps?”
“What do you mean?”
“Of all the things to like — why Peeps?”
“Because they’re awesome. Why else?”
“No. This goes way past just liking them.” His obsession was unnatural. Knowing he wasn’t being direct, she said, “There’s a story here. Spill.”
He turned away from her, the fire creating deep shadows across his face. “I think it’s because my grandfather always bought them for me. When I was little, I was … well, I was fat. And kids were mean about it. Gramps found me in the barn crying one time. I was so ashamed. I thought he was going to tell me to suck it up and stop being such a baby, but instead he opened a pack of Peeps. He didn’t say one word the whole time. We just ate, and when we were done, he patted my head and said he was proud of me.”
“Sounds like the two of you were really close,” she murmured, hoping she was saying the right thing. She remembered when Nicky’s dad died. It had felt like she was constantly walking on eggshells.
“We were. We spent a lot of time together. He would take me geocaching on the weekends.” At her puzzled look, he explained, “It’s kind of like treasure hunting. We would pretend we were pirates and spend the whole day exploring new places. Everyone in our family thought we were crazy, but it was fun. He was fun.”
“Do you still geo-whatever-it’s-called?”
“Geocaching. And no. I haven’t been since he died. I guess I could do it here but it’s not the same. It was our thing.”
Keeley knocked her knees against his. “You weren’t really fat, were you?”
“I was. I swear! My growth spurt didn’t come till I was thirteen. Right about the time I moved here. You should have seen how awkward I was.”
“Is that why you don’t have any pictures of yourself on your phone?”
He avoided the question by saying, “You don’t have any on yours either.”
“That’s because I just got it. Your Peep obsession makes a whole lot more sense now. I’m kind of jealous. I wish I had something I was passionate about.”
“Oh, come on, there has to be something.”
“Trust me, there’s not. I have to write a college essay this weekend. I’m supposed to be telling them about myself, but I have nothing to say.”
“Maybe that should be your essay. A blank page,” he joked.
“I’m serious! This whole college thing has been freaking me out. My life’s always been the same. I’ve had the same friends, done the same things, and now it’s all …” She used her hands to mime an explosion. “I’m scared it’s going to change, and then what do I have left? Nothing.” Zach and Nicky would change and grow and leave her behind.
“I’ll tell you what you have left — you.”
“But what if I’m not enough?”
Talon massaged Keeley’s shoulders, working out the knots. “Enough for what?”
“I don’t know. Life. Family. Friends. All of the above.”
“You’re basing everything off what other people think. What do you think?”
She bit her lip, then leaned into him, letting him take all her weight. “I don’t know.”
Talon smoothed her hair down and rested his head against hers. “Baby doll, from what I’ve seen, the you that you are right now is pretty great.”
Talon pressed a soft kiss against her forehead. Then another at her temple. Her breathing grew unsteady when he nuzzled her cheek. He shifted closer, and she shivered despite the heat of his body. In perfect unison, almost as if they planned it, he dipped his head down while she angled upward. Their lips touched.
It was a moment of admission. Her feelings on full display. She felt scared, unsure, but he accepted what she had to give and returned it with just as much feeling. He pulled away first, his breathing as rough as hers. Her eyes traced the contours of his mouth. He had been a stranger, but now he was so much more. She felt like she knew him better than anyone else.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while,” he to
ld her.
“Me too.”
He kissed her again.
“Next stop, Main Street. Main Street, next stop,” an electronic voice announced over the train’s intercom.
“Home, sweet home,” Keeley declared. She glanced at Talon, who was still passed out in the seat next to her. “Talon. Wake up,” she sang in his ear. She was surprisingly energetic even though she stayed up for hours playing video games with some of the girls in the dorm. If this was what college was like, she could get used to it.
“Go away,” he mumbled.
“Talon,” she said again, this time louder. When he still didn’t move, she nudged his side with her elbow. “You sleep like the dead.”
“If I was dead, would you leave me alone?”
“You have to get up or we’ll miss our stop.”
He gave a long stretch just as the train came to a halt. They grabbed their bags from the overhead compartment and stepped onto the platform. “Do you need a ride home?” he asked, digging into his backpack for his car keys.
“My brother is picking me up.”
“Zach?” Talon asked. He looked wide-awake now.
“He should be here. I texted him what time the train arrived.”
Suddenly Talon grabbed Keeley’s shoulders with both hands, forcing her to look at him. “Keeley ... I-I …” he faltered and rubbed a hand over his face. “Damn it. Okay, listen, I …” he trailed off, looking slightly uncomfortable.
“What’s wrong with you? It’s not like you’re meeting my parents or anything.”
“Keeley —”
Her eyes lit up as she saw her brother. She waved her hand in the air, trying to gain his attention. “Zach!” she shouted.
Zach gave her a chin nod and headed toward them.
“Keeley,” Talon said urgently, shaking her shoulders. “Listen to me. I have to tell you something —”
“Hey, Keels,” Zach greeted her, while approaching them.
Talon’s eyes closed for a brief second, his face a mixture of resignation and dread.
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