Nineteen

Chapter Forty-Seven

He shifts uncomfortably at the mention of me transferring. "Yeah, that'd be alright, I guess."

He is very hard to read. Sometimes he is nice and charming, then the next he is reminding me that he's a stranger after all. 

I decide to change the subject after I grab a drink from one of the waiters. "So, your mom. Do you see her often?"

I sip the drink and it is delicious. It reminds me of a fruit punch, and I can taste the alcohol.

"Every now and then. She's nothing like my dad and I."

I want to push further and learn more, but I decide against it. For now, anyway.

"Are you enjoying our date?" 

I cough at the words as soon as he says them. A date?  It never registered with me.

"Yeah, it has been fun." I reply, but I feel my cheeks getting red.

"How does you hand feel? With the cast and all?" he motions at the lump that I call my hand. 

"It's fine. Thanks again for doing everything you did, I don't know what would have happened if you didn't."

He waves me off. "Let's not talk about it"

Okay?  I don't say anything else as I grab another drink.

Nearly three hours later the boat pulls back into the dock. I've had multiple fruit punch drinks and I feel great.

I stumble down the ramp and nearly loose my footing, but luckily I grab onto the railing. I giggle really, really hard.

I feel someones hand on my back and I flinch from the sudden contact. "It's me," Collin say as he helps me step off of the ramp.

"How many drinks did you have?" 

"I don't know. I thought they were punch." I grin at my mistake. My stupid, innocent, mistake.

My feet are killing me and I need to sit down before I get sick. I stop walking and bend over to put my hands on my knees. I laugh at the way I probably look like I'm resting from a long run or something.

"Are you okay?" he asks me.

"Yeah, just a little tired."

"Let me carry you," he says.

I laugh at him, "What? No, that is ridiculous, I'm too heavy for-" but I'm cut off by him grabbing me and throwing me over his shoulder.

"Collin!" I shout at him, but it doesn't come out as serious as I had hoped. I'm laughing way too hard, and I can hear him laughing as well.

He's running now. I can tell we're in the parking lot, but I'm too busy laughing I can't comprehend where the truck is parked until he places me back onto the ground.

I nearly stumble and fall over when I'm back to reality, realizing I had too much to drink.

Collin's smile fades from his face right as mine does. I don't think I have ever seen him giggle, let alone full on laugh. It looks good on him.

He opens the door for me before walking to his side and getting in the truck as well.

"Do you want me to stay with you again tonight?" he asks me as he buckles up.

I forgot that it was just yesterday that I seen.. him, at the football scrimmage. My body tenses. 

"I seen him at the football game. Do you think he is a student? Or lives in the area?" The thought never crossed my mind until now. I feel a whole new level of fear.

He doesn't say anything for a few moments. I can feel my heart begin to race.

"Oh my god, he could be on campus everyday!" I begin to panic.

"I'll stay with you tonight," he says, but I ignore him.

"He could run into me again, and it could be worse!" I begin to cry now.