Finding Paige: (The Paige Diaries #1)

by D. K Lake

  I hurry down the stairs and scan the room for Em and spot her at the back of the room playing pool and decide to just leave her. I don't want to spoil her fun and I need to get back. I keep my head down and make my way to the door and manage to walk straight into someone.

  I really need to look where I'm going. That's the second time tonight.

  I spare the guy a quick glance, apologize and slip around him and make a run for the door. Once outside I take off the wedge sandals Em made me wear and carry them because it's quicker, and hurry back to our dorm room to hide under my covers and pretend tonight never happened.

  Chapter 5

  The next morning, I am awoken by Em's deep snoring.

  Ugh. The downside of sharing a dorm with my best friend. I forgot she snored like a frigging bear. I hadn't slept well. Tossing and turning all night. Unable to stop thinking about a certain someone who decided to invade my dreams all night. I lift my arm up and see that I'm still wearing Dario's shirt. I'm pretty sure I took it off before I went to bed and hung it up on a hanger but for some reason, I'm wearing it again. I lift the collar to my nose and breathe in his unique scent. I still can't believe he was at the party. Just seeing him sent my body into a tizzy and kept me up all night. My mind was racing and all I could think about was how we left things last year. But I don't want to be reminded of that night. Hopefully, I don't have any more run-ins with him. I need sleep if I plan to get through college and that won’t happen with Dario keeping me up all night. Mentally, that is.

  I roll over and check my digital alarm clock and see that it's just gone 7 a.m. I figure most people will still be in bed on a Sunday either with a hangover or just having a lay-in, so I grab my wash bag and go in search of the showers. As expected the showers are quiet with only a few running. I hurry inside a stall and wash as quickly as I can. I don't know why I'm in such a rush. But there isn’t a door on the shower and it only has a shower curtain and it's giving me anxiety issues already. Anyone could walk in and see me in all my naked glory. I still can't believe these showers are co-ed. I make a mental note to set my alarm for six each morning to beat the rush of students. I wrap a towel around my body and grab my wash bag and pajamas and hurry back to my dorm wanting to get dressed in the safety of my own room. But when I go to open the door, I remember I didn't take the key with me and left it in the room. I rattle the door handle. The door doesn't budge.

  Dammit.

  I knock on the door, knowing Em is dead to the world when she sleeps and not even a stampede of elephants could wake her. I start to panic as doors start opening and closing and people start to fill up the hallway and suddenly it's like rush hour.

  Of course.

  I get a few looks from some of the girls, and I get a few wolf-whistles from some of the guys. I just want to get back inside my room before I have another embarrassing mishap, like for example, period blood dripping down my leg.

  "Seriously, Em! Wake up!" I bang on the door.

  I happen to glance down the hallway and see the last person I want to run into this morning.

  Dario is standing near the top of the stairs talking to some girl and she's pointing this way. His eyes land on me and I quickly look back at the door and wish it would turn into a portal that leads to another world. I can't see him again. Not like this. Not in a towel!

  I'm still frantically knocking on the door when I feel him creep up behind me.

  "Problem?" Dario asks.

  I hold my towel to my chest and dare a peek over my shoulder and give him the once-over. He's still in the same clothes as last night and his hair is still pulled back in a knot, hidden away under his cap. I wonder where he slept last night. Or more accurately, whose bed he slept in. He must have stayed on college grounds last night.

  Ugh. I don't care. Whatever.

  "I left my key in the room. And Em can't hear me!" I say loudly, gritting my teeth, wanting to throttle my best friend.

  I glance back at him and see him holding my cross-body bag in his hand. I must have left it at the party when I dashed out of the bathroom. I had the dorm key tucked into my bra for safety reasons. Like, say in case I get mugged or something and can’t get back into my room. I mean, you never know. I can’t believe I forgot my bag. My head was such a mess last night that I must have forgotten all about it. I’m surprised I managed to find my way back to the right dorm room.

  "You left it in the bathroom." he tells me.

  I hold my hand out for the bag but he holds onto it.

  "I can help you." he gestures to the door.

  "Really? You have a spare key by any chance?"

  "No. But I have this." He digs out his wallet and lifts out a strange-looking piece of metal that has been bent for a purpose. He then kneels in front of the door and places my bag on the floor next to him that is out of my reach. I can't exactly bend down and retrieve it because it would mean flashing my coochie to the whole hallway. I move back a step to give him some space, and because he's so close his arm is brushing my thigh. He jiggles the piece of metal in the lock and the door pops open a second later. I should be worried that he can do that so easily, but right now I don't care. I just want to get inside and hide. He stands back up with my bag in his hand and holds his arm out, inviting me inside my own room.

  "You're welcome." he says with a smug smile.

  I snatch my bag from him and storm inside about to slam the door and give Em hell. She's already out of bed and yawning and before I can get the door shut, her eyes widen, and her mouth drops open at the sight of Dario. He gives her a little wave and flashes me a smile before sauntering away. I slam the door and lean back against it.

  "Ohmigawd! What was he doing here?" Em gapes.

  "You snore like a bear!" Is the first thing that flies out of my mouth. "I have been knocking for ages, Em!"

  "I'm sorry. You know what I'm like when I sleep."

  "Are you hungry?" I ask to change the subject.

  "What? No. I mean, yes. But enough about that. What was Dario Boston doing here?"

  "I thought we could grab breakfast at that coffee shop near campus."

  "Ooookay. But can you stop ignoring my question."

  She follows me around the room as I collect my clothes and try to put them on with her getting in front of me. I find my glasses and slide them on my face, not bothering with my contacts this morning.

  "Paige! I have a million questions here."

  "All right, all right," I sigh. "He was at the party last night."

  "What? When? I didn't see him. Is that why you left?"

  "No. I left because I got my period and didn't have anything on me. And I may or may not have bled all over their couch."

  "That was you? One of the frat boys got in a right strop because he thought someone had spilled ketchup on the new couch."

  "Yeah, not ketchup."

  "Where's my dress?" she wonders out loud.

  I point to the trashcan. There was no way the stain was going to come out.

  "I'll buy you another." I assure.

  "I don't care about the dress. Why didn't you come and get me?"

  "Because I couldn't exactly walk around with a massive red stain on my butt, and you were having fun and I didn't want to ruin it for you. I snuck up to the bathroom and then Dario found me in there."

  "What was he even doing there?"

  I look at her but don't answer as I pull on my skinny jeans.

  "He's dealing on college grounds?" she asks with wide-eyes.

  "I don't know what he was doing there, but we both know he doesn't attend college. So, why else would he be there? Unless he was just there for the party and to find someone to hook up with."

  "So what was he doing here just now?"

  "He was returning my bag. I must have left it behind yesterday. I was so embarrassed by what had happened I didn't even think about my bag. I just wanted to get out of there." I search through my boxes for a clean top.

  "Did he see it?" she asks, eyeing the dress in the t
rashcan.

  "Maybe."

  "Ohgawwwd. No wonder you bolted out of the party. Maverick said you nearly knocked him off his feet."

  "Who?"

  "Maverick," she says his name as though I'm supposed to know who that is. "He was asking about you last night."

  I remember running into two people last night. The first one was on the way to the stairs that I guessed was Dario because I recognized his shirt, and the second one on the way out of the party must have been this Maverick guy.

  What kind of a name is Maverick anyway? Did his mom have a mad crush on Tom Cruise?

  "Well, I don't know any Maverick. All I know is, last night was the most embarrassing moment of my life and surprisingly the person that came to my rescue is the person I was trying to stay away from."

  "Funny how things work out." Em grins at me mischievously.

  "Shut up and get dressed. I want waffles for breakfast."

  "Hmm. That's not all you want for breakfast," she says, reaching for my pillow and pulling out Dario's shirt. "Who does this belong to?"

  "No one." I say, pulling on a cardigan and shaking out my hair before snatching it from her and hiding it back under my pillow.

  Em smiles to herself and goes about collecting her things for the shower. She's not as hungover as I expected her to be which is the only good thing to come out of this morning. I unpack one of my boxes as I wait for her to return from the shower. She takes forever in the shower and then when she finally returns, I have to wait even longer for her to do her makeup and decide on what to wear. It's nearly lunchtime by the time we eventually make it out of the dorm block. Why am I not surprised?

  The coffee shop is within walking distance from campus and once inside we find it filled with other students who all have the same idea. We find a spot on the couches at the back and I order a tall latte and a chocolate chip muffin. Em spends most of her time scrolling through her phone and it bugs me that I don't have a phone. I need to buy a new one, unfortunately, I can't afford it. I’m still mad at my mom for not letting me have my old one back. I need a phone.

  I fall back in the seat and my eyes drift around the café and I see a group across the room taking up most of the couch area. One of the guys with the group is sitting on a barstool at the side and he's looking straight at me. I self-consciously look away and push my glasses back up my nose and turn to see what Em is looking at and see her liking photos from the party last night, and there's about a dozen of her eating some guy's face.

  "Who's that?" I ask, pointing at one of the photos.

  "Um...Clive something. Or maybe it's Clinton?"

  "And that one?" I point to another photo.

  "Greg, maybe?"

  "Seriously? How many guys did you make out with last night?"

  "A few."

  I give her a pointed look. She's only been here a few days and she's already kissed more boys than I have my whole life. She's going to get herself a reputation.

  "What? I'm having fun. I was just testing the water to see if I like any of them?"

  "And?"

  "Well, this one kisses like a wet fish, and this one smelled of antiseptic cream for some reason which made me want to gag, and this one, I could see his nose hair which kinda freaked me out."

  "That's disgusting." I laugh as she shows me the photos.

  I glance back across the room to see the same guy on the barstool still staring at me while he talks to his friends. I take a moment to look him over. He's cute, I'll give him that. Lean and muscular, and he's wearing loose jeans, a gray t-shirt and a pair of scruffy Converses that look well-worn and loved. He has soft brown hair that is curling around his ears and looks clean. Chocolate brown eyes that match his hair, a strong jawline, and straight nose, and nice clean teeth, and perfect lips that are currently smiling in my direction.

  "I'm just going to use the bathroom." I say, tearing my eyes away from the stranger.

  "K." Em mumbles, scrolling up on her phone.

  I keep my eyes down as I leave the room and head to the bathroom. If I keep staring at him, he's going to think there's something wrong with me. But he did make eye contact first. He started it, but now it’s getting weird. He’s cute, but I'm not interested in dating.

  I use the toilet and wash my hands and smooth my hair down in the mirror. I quickly leave the bathroom, not wanting to be in there too long, and as I'm turning the corner I walk smack-bang into someone's very solid chest.

  "Sorry." I quickly apologize and happen to glance up and see the same guy from before that had been watching me is now standing in front of me.

  He smiles down at me and my heart flutters in my chest. He's even better looking up close. And he smells amazing. Fresh cologne and something minty.

  "No, I'm sorry. I keep getting in your way." he says, his voice is deep although you can still hear a hint of his younger voice as though he never lost it when his voice changed. He seems friendly and his smile is infectious.

  I frown, feeling slightly confused, and he goes on to explain. "That's the second time you've run into me. Last night at the party?"

  I'm still staring at him gormlessly.

  "You bumped into me when you were running out of the party last night." he reminds.

  "Oh, that was you?" I remember running into someone on the way out, but I didn't pay them much attention.

  I need to stop running into people.

  "Yeah, it was me. I uh…talked to your friend Emily last night."

  Talked to her? Is that code for he made out with her as well?

  "She's quite a lively one."

  "Yup." I smile politely and try to edge around him.

  "I was actually hoping to run into you again. Not literally." He laughs. God, even his laugh is beautiful. He's easy on the eyes and has one of those faces that will never lose its youthful appearance and makes him appear younger. Em would call him cougar candy. One of those guys that never grow old until they have to. The kind the older ladies chase after. Tempting. Hot. Swoon-worthy.

  Paige, no. Not happening. He probably had his tongue down Em's throat last night.

  "It's Paige, right?"

  He knows my name. He really did ask about me.

  I nod my head and my eyes dart back to the couch where Em is too busy with her nose in her phone to notice me.

  "I'm Maverick." he informs me.

  "Huh. Weird name." I blurt. "I mean, it's different." I smile apologetically.

  God, I'm an idiot.

  "Yeah, my mom had a thing for Tom Cruise back in the day." he tells me and doesn't seem offended in any way.

  "Well, I better go..." I try to get away from him again and he steps in front of me.

  "Wait, uh...Em said we have a few classes together. We'll probably see each other in English Lit."

  Had she given this guy my class schedule as well? Great. Did she tell him my bra size, too?

  "Probably." I smile.

  "Em said you just moved back from Nebraska."

  "Uh-huh."

  Bloody Em. I want to strangle her.

  "Em said you went to Radley High before you left Colorado?"

  Em said this, Em said that. Em needs to keep her damn mouth shut.

  "Yes, before I moved." I reply.

  "I was in the year above but they put me back a year and you must have left by then."

  I nod, thinking he must have been in the same year as my sister...and Dario.

  No, not thinking about him.

  "Why did you get put back?" I find myself asking.

  Why do you care?

  "I was abroad for most of it with my parents. I was home-schooled, but I fell behind and failed my finals, so I had to redo my senior year. So, are you going to Ethan's party next week?" He changes subjects quickly.

  "Who?"

  Maverick points to some guy I don't know sitting on the couches with his other friends. "You gotta celebrate your first week at college. It's mandatory. Your friend Em knows him."

  "Of course, she
does." I mutter. "We'll see." I look back at Em to see her watching Maverick and me and she looks interested. She's got this smile on her face and she can't help but make kissy lips at me and I want to smack her.

  "I better go, Em is waiting for me."

  Maverick looks over his shoulder at Em and she quickly stops what she's doing when he catches her, and he turns back to me with a smile on his face.

  "Well, it was nice meeting you, Paige Moon."

  He knows my surname as well? She probably did give him my bra size.

  I just force a smile. I don't know how much Em has told him but he seems to know a lot about me.

  "You look cute in glasses," he says as I'm walking away and I don't even have to look at him to know he's smiling at me.

  I hurry back to Em and pull her off the couch and out of the café.

  "What's the rush? Why didn't you stay and talk to Mav?"

  "I don't even know him, but he seems to know everything about me? How much did you tell him last night?"

  "He asked about you. He thought he recognized you from school he just couldn't remember you. I remember him, though. He was a hot topic among the cheerleaders, but he was never seen with any of them. I don't think he had a girlfriend for the whole year. He was too busy focused on football."

  "So, he asked about me? Was this before you played tonsil tennis with him?"

  "Oh, I see." She folds her arms and smiles at me. "You like him."

  "I do not."

  "Uh-huh. Well...I didn't kiss him, and he didn't kiss anyone else or hook up with anyone if that's what you want to know. He was too busy cornering me and asking me questions about you."

  "Really?" I say and scrunch up my face. Why would he ask about me? I'm nothing special.

  "I don't know, but he was really interested in you. He wanted your number. I told him you didn't have a phone. I'm not sure if he believed me or not."

  She watches me for a moment.

  "He's cute, isn't he? God, my mom would love to sink her teeth into him. He is the definition of cougar can-"

  "Candy." I finish for her.

  "How do you always know what I'm going to say?" She playfully smacks my arm.

  "I'm your best friend." I remind. "I've spent more time with you than my real family."