Love You More

Chapter 9: Callie

"Seems like we have a habit of running into each other at the most...inopportune times." Beckett says with a pause while his eyes rake up and down my body.

He doesn't even try to hide his stares, and there's something about this that I really enjoy - something that is very unlike me. A chill runs through my body. Apparently done his assessment of me, he clears his throat and speaks again.

"I assume you got my gift?" He says with a smirk.
"I did, thanks. I kind of assumed you had it sent here, I didn't actually expect you to, you know, show up here," I gesture to my dorm room. I don't even chance a look at Taegan or Kenna right now.
"Yes, well I see that I would be incorrect to assume your father told you that I attend Penn as well?"
I try to recover quickly, but I'm positive he heard my unattractive cough, as well as saw my eyes bulge out of my head. Here I am assuming he's a dangerous stalker, when in turn he goes to my college and my dad probably told him to look out for me. Yeesh.
"Oh, you just look so much, uh, older, that I thought you worked for your father and were graduated." I stammer.
"Au contraire, I'm a junior here. I intern for my father, though my major is Finance," he says without breaking eye contact.

We stare at each other in silence before he clears his throat and says "So, I came by to invite you to a party tonight. Many of my friends play for the soccer team here, and all of the athletes usually hang out. I figured a party wouldn't be a bad way for you to meet new people, and since you met me this morning I figured a familiar face might be good..." he trails off and gauges my reaction. "Your friends are more than welcome, too."

Right. Kenna and Taegan. Kenna is videoing Beckett's back, presumably for Snapchat proof. Taegan is staring at the two of us, eyes wide open. She gives me a thumbs up gesture and I remember I should probably answer Beckett.

"Yes, well I think we had plans already..." I begin to say before being interrupted by Kenna.
"If it's the baseball party off of High Street, we'll be there," Kenna interjects while batting her eyelashes. I cock my eyebrow and check to see if Beckett seems impressed. He doesn't, and his express remains neutral, his eyes remain directly on me.
"That's the one. Callie, here's my number in case you girls need directions. It gets kind of confusing around here with all of the even and odd numbers of the blocks."

I wordlessly hand him my phone. He punches a few numbers in, and returns my phone to my sweaty palm. Within seconds, a text pops up from a number I don't recognize. I try not to dwell on the fact that Colton hasn't ever been this thoughtful, yet this total stranger has. Colton is the best boyfriend ever, he just isn't the most insightful one.

"It was nice meeting you...Taegan, is it?" Beckett glances away from me to acknowledge her with a warm smile. Taegan nods at Bekett, clearly unable to speak. He flicks his gaze to Kenna, and then back to me as he says "Good to see you again, Jenna." I stifle a laugh at his mispronunciation of Kenna's name.

"It's Kenna!" She calls out, but the door is already clicking shut.

"Okay, what the actual fuck, Callie. I thought you just met him this morning!" Kenna's eyes are slits and her tone is accusatory as she looks at me.