{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 Sixteenth
Four
Do you remember the first time you saw the sun?
What about the stars?
They burn in the sky for us,
But we don't even remember when we came to
Know their brightness so well.
—
As soon as we paid the dinner bill—the wholly outrageous and overpriced bill—I hopped up from the table, ignoring the jolt that always happened in the back of my head when I moved too quickly. Hiding a grimace, I grabbed Bren's warm hand and dragged him toward the stairs that led to the lower level.
Once the clock had hit ten, music started flowing up into the intimate dining room, harshing the vibe. But most diners had cleared out by then, anyway.
Handing over the cover charge to the bouncer at the door, we slipped into the dim, cavernous room. Just like Bren had said, there was a DJ at the front of the space, a bar at the back. It was already packed, and I wondered if there was a backdoor that people were flooding in from.
Bren grabbed me around the waist, halting me. I jumped a bit when I felt his hot breath on my neck, his soft voice in my ear. "Do you want anything to drink?"
I nodded and led him wordlessly over to the far end of the room, where we ordered some mocktails and settled into a small space between occupied stools. There wasn't enough room for us to stand side-by-side, so Bren had me caged in his arms, pressed between his chest and the bar.
He lifted his drink, presumably taking a sip. I couldn't see his reaction, but I heard a cough of distaste. "This could really use some alcohol."
I laughed. "I bet you could flirt with that blonde bartender, and she'd give you a shot without checking IDs." I pointed to a busty woman a few feet away, pouring two kinds of liquor into a glass with one hand. Then I glanced back at Bren and tilted my head to the side. "You can pass for twenty-one, anyway."
He rolled his eyes, ignoring me. Then he brought his head down so I could feel his breath on my neck as he spoke. "I mostly need the alcohol for what I know you're going to ask me to do."
I was momentarily confused, feeling a little dizzy from the music and how close he was to me.
"Did you still want to dance?" he breathed.
Leaning back into his chest, I looked up at him with a sly grin. "Yes."
Bren slammed his glass down on the bartop. "Screw it. Okay."
