{18+ COMPLETED • COLLEGE ROMANCE}
When a college freshman with a learning disability and a reputation collides with a straight-A, straight-laced girl in the dorm kitchen one night, he sees the darkest parts of himself reflected in her. But the two o...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
B R E N
"Is there a reason why you're ignoring me right now?"
I'd noticed Madie walking in my direction, but I hadn't expected that to come out of her mouth.
Her fucking mouth.
It was the perfect shade of peach, and she kept biting her lip, plumping it up just like the goddamn fruit.
This was exactly why I was ignoring her. I was already a little drunk, and now she was so close to me that I could smell her flowery perfume. How could I pretend I wasn't attracted to her when my defenses were lowered, absorbed by hazy music and a few bottles of craft beer, courtesy of Beau?
But I tried. I took a deep breath, lowered my gaze to hers, and told her the only honest thing I could.
"Look, Madie, you seem really nice. I'd like to be friends with you."
Well, maybe it wasn't completely honest.
She tilted her head to the side adorably. Madie had stormed over here with fire in her eyes, but that hard gaze was already softening. I wouldn't let myself look at that mouth of hers, but her eyes told me she was smiling a little. She was just too goddamn nice.
"But I don't want trouble with your boyfriend," I muttered and took another swig of my beer, letting it wash away the taste of those words.
The brightness in her gaze dimmed again. "I'm just being friendly," she protested, and I knew that somehow I had hurt her feelings. "It isn't like that..." she trailed off, looking away awkwardly.
As if I needed a reminder that it wasn't fucking like that.
I sighed. "I know, Madie. But I don't think you've seen how Quinton glares at me when you say hi."
She frowned but didn't argue. "Right," she said. "No, I get it. Sorry." With a tight nod, she spun around, taking one step away.
Then it was two steps away... and three steps away.
A guilty feeling settled in my stomach. She'd done nothing wrong. Madie Lenertz was likely completely innocent in everything she did. She'd gone out of her way to make me smile on more than one occasion, and now I was the reason she was walking away with a frown.
It wasn't her fault that Quinton was controlling.
"Shit," I muttered. Running a hand through my hair, I called out to her. "Madie, wait."
She whirled around, her softly curled hair flying over her shoulder as she did. Staring at me with eyes like saucers, she hesitated mid-step.
I tried to talk, but words failed me as I let myself really take in the sight of her for the first time that night. Madie had this effortless kind of beauty that was a rarity. It wasn't the kind that Shakespeare wrote sonnets about, or men launched ships for or any of that crap. No, it was a soulful beauty that hit you, like the perfect song on a clear day. She didn't just look good. She made people feel good.
