{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...
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M A D I E
November Tenth
four...?
Where does trust come from?
Is it the head or the heart?
__
Bren looked at me with those brown eyes that I'd been hoping to see for two weeks.
During the first ten days, I woke up and expected him to be there. And he never was. Nessa wouldn't—or couldn't—tell me much. All she said was that Bren had gotten in a fight with Quinton and left to go back home. And then I'd be dosed with more disorienting pain killers and fall back asleep.
In the last few days, I was more aware. And I wasn't sure what was worse, honestly. Because it was within the previous seventy-two hours that I'd lost all hope—when Quinton had called and given me an ultimatum, speaking in hushed tones through the phone about pressing charges.
He hadn't even bothered to apologize this time. He was doing so profusely to everyone else—to the university, the hospital, my parents, his parents—but it seemed he no longer cared about saying sorry to me. It was probably because he knew he didn't have to to get what he wanted.
Studying Bren's expression now, I understood why he left. It still hurt—just another thing that hurt. But I understood. He'd been through a lot. Bren had been through a hell of a lot more than me.
But now he wanted to take me to LA. It was crazy, right? It was crazy, and yet my heart pulsed loudly in my chest at the idea. It seemed insane to even consider leaving campus, but every part of me wanted to say yes.
It would only be a matter of time before Quinton sought me out again. He'd sounded unstable on the phone. It worried me. Because I knew at some point, he would want to talk. But talking never ended well with us.
Bren was still looking at me, a little bit of worry etched into his expression.
"When would we go?" I asked tentatively.
"Now."
The little word surprised me. "Now?"
He nodded. "Every minute you're here is another minute that Quinton could show up. We either leave now, or you're stuck with me until we do." Bren shook his head, his mop of brown hair all disheveled as if he'd walked through a tornado to get here. "I'm not leaving you alone while he's still on campus."
After not seeing Bren for two weeks, I didn't mind the idea of him not leaving me. I was ashamed to admit it, but it was true. Bren was anxious about being here, though, and there was no way to blame him. I was nervous, too.
"How long would we stay?" I couldn't believe I was actually contemplating going to Malibu today.
"Until the end of the semester." He shrugged. "Or whatever you want. Beau said the university gave you permission to study remotely, and his place is empty."
