Wait for You (Wait for You, #1)

by J. Lynn

Racing up the wide staircase, I barreled through the double doors and smacked right into a brick wall. Stumbling backward, my arms flailed like a cracked-out crossing guard. My over-packed messenger bag slipped, pulling me to one side. My hair flew it front of my face, a sheet of auburn that obscured everything as I teetered dangerously. Oh dear God, I was going down. There was no stopping it. Visions of broken necks danced in my head. This was going to suck so— Something strong and hard went around my waist, stopping my free fall. My bag hit the floor, spilling overpriced books and pens across the shiny floor. My pens! My glorious pens rolled everywhere. A second later I was pressed against the wall. The wall was strangely warm. The wall chuckled. “Whoa,” a deep voice said. “You okay, sweetheart?”

The wall was so not a wall. It was a guy. My heart stopped and for a frightening second, pressure clamped down on my chest and I couldn’t move or think. I was thrown back five years. Stuck. Couldn’t move. Air punched from my lungs in a painful rush as tingles spread up the back of my neck. Every muscle locked up. “Hey,” the voice softened, edged with concern. “Are you okay?” I forced myself to take a deep breath—to just breathe. I needed to breathe. Air in. Air out. I had practiced this over and over again for five years. I wasn’t fourteen anymore. I wasn’t there. I was here, halfway across the country. Two fingers pressed under my chin, forcing my head up. Startling, deep blue eyes framed with thick, black lashes fixed on mine. A blue so vibrant and electric, and such a stark contrast against the black pupils, I wondered if they were real. And then it hit me.

A guy was holding me. A guy had never held me. I didn’t count that one time, because that time didn’t count for shit, and I was pressed against him, thigh to thigh, my chest to his. Like we were dancing. My senses fried as I inhaled the light scent of cologne. Wow. It smelled good and expensive, like his… Anger suddenly rushed through me, a sweet and familiar thing, pushing away the old panic and confusion. I latched onto it desperately and found my voice. “Let. Go. Of. Me.” Blue eyes immediately dropped his arm. Unprepared for the sudden loss of support, I swayed to the side, catching myself before I tripped over my bag. Breathing like I’d just ran a mile, I pushed the thick strands of hair out of my face and finally got a good look at Blue e...

at the waist. An athlete’s body—like a swimmer’s. Wavy black hair toppled over his forehead, brushing matching eyebrows. Broad cheekbones and wide, expressive lips completed the package created for girls to drool over. And with those sapphire-colored eyes, holy moley… Who thought a place named Shepherdstown would be hiding someone who looked like this? And I ran into him. Literally. Nice. “I’m sorry. I was in a hurry to get to class. I’m late and…” His lips tipped up on the corners as he knelt. He started gathering up my stuff and for a brief moment I felt like crying. I could feel tears building in my throat. I was really late now, like no way could I w...

With all my books and pens back in my bag, he stood as he handed it back to me. “It’s okay.” That crooked grin spread, revealing a dimple in his left cheek, but nothing on the right side, though. “I’m used to having girls throw themselves at me.” I blinked, thinking I hadn’t heard the blue-eyed babe right, because surely he hadn’t said something as lame as that. He had and he wasn’t done. “Trying to jump on my back is new, though. Kind of liked it.” Feeling my cheeks burn, I snapped out of it. “I wasn’t trying to jump on your back or throw myself at you.” “You weren’t?” The lopsided grin remained. “Well, that’s a shame. If so, it

would have made this the best first day of class in history.” I didn’t know what to say as I clutched the heavy bag to my chest. Guys hadn’t flirted with me back at home. Most of them hadn’t dared to look in my direction in high school and the very few that did, well, they hadn’t been flirting. Blue Eyes’ gaze dropped to the slip of paper in his hand. “Avery Morgansten?” My heart jumped. “How do you know my name?” He cocked his head to the side as the smile inched wider. “It’s on your schedule.” “Oh.” I pushed the wavy strands of hair back from my hot face. He handed my schedule back, and I took it, slipping it into my bag. A whole lot of awkward descended as I fumbled with my strap. “My name is Cameron Hamilton,” Blue Eyes said. “But everyone calls me Cam.” Cam. I rolled the name around, liking it. “Thank you again, Cam.” He bent over and picked up a black backpack I hadn’t noticed. Several locks

of dark hair fell over his forehead and as he straightened, he brushed them away. “Well, let’s make our grand entrance.” My feet were rooted to the spot where I stood as he turned and strolled the couple of feet to the closed door to room 205. He reached for the handle, looking over his shoulder, waiting. I couldn’t do it. It didn’t have anything to do with the fact that I plowed into what was possibly the sexiest guy on campus. I couldn’t walk into the class and have everybody turn and stare. I’d had enough of being the center of attention everywhere I went for the last five years. Sweat broke out and dotted my forehead. My stomach tightened as I took a step back, away from the classroom and Cam. He turned, brows ...

“Can’t what?” He took a step toward me. And I bolted. I actually spun around and ran like I was in a race for the last cup of coffee in the world. As I made it to those damn double doors, I heard him call out my name, but I kept going. My face was flaming as I hurried down the stairs. I was out of breath as I burst out of the science building. My legs kept moving until I sat down on a bench outside of the adjacent library. The early morning sun seemed too bright as I lifted my head and squeezed my eyes shut. Geez. What a way to make a first i...

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I have cookies.” “Cookies?” My brows rose. “Yeah, and I made them. I’m quite the baker.” For some reason, I couldn’t picture that. “You baked cookies?” “I bake a lot of things, and I’m sure you’re dying to know all about those things. But tonight, it was chocolate and walnut cookies. They are the shit if I do say so myself.”

The weather was pleasant and not sweltering hot, so our little group took our lunch outside, sitting under the shade of one of the thick oaks near the library. Jacob tipped his bowler hat up, the one from last year’s Halloween party as he frowned at the dozen or so styrofoam cups in front of him. He was building a pyramid. I didn’t ask. I popped my straw through my cup as I kicked off my flip flops. Brit reached for my toes and I shot her an evil look. “You touch my feet, you die.” “She’s serious.” Cam nudged me. “I touched her pinky toe once and almost lost a finger.” “That’s not the only thing you almost lost.” “Oh, that sounds serious.” Brit glanced at her tub of mayo and then her fries. She sighed. “I miss Ollie. I loved grossing him out with my fries.” “Well, you have all of us to gross out.” Jacob’s lip curled. “Which you are doing right now.”

“It’s not the same.” She pouted. “Ollie was hot.” “Excuse me?” Jacob almost knocked over his pyramid of awesome. “I’m hot.” Cam frowned. “So I am.” I elbowed him in the stomach. “Well, since I must explain the obvious.” Brit plopped her fry in the mayo with flourish. “Jacob, you don’t like girls. Cam, you’re hopelessly devoted to Avery, and that left Ollie.” I grinned. Jacob looked up, his lips slipping into a small grin. “Well, there is one more.” Twisting at the waist, I followed his gaze. Jase was across the road, heading for us. Brit sighed. “Yeah, I couldn’t handle him.” “Why not?” I asked, eyeing Cam’s friend. She made a noncommittal sound. “He’s not the relationship kind or so I hear.” “And do you want a relationship?” I asked her.

“No.” She laughed, dabbing her fry. “But I have a feeling with someone like him, you get one taste and you will always want more.” “Sort of like crack?” Jacob suggested. “Or Cheetos,” Brit supplied. Cam made a face as he swiped some of my fries. I sent him a death glare that I ruined when I kissed his cheek. Jase dropped down beside us, stretching out his long legs. He looked a little off, his near perfect features pale. “Okay. Am I hallucinating or did I just see your sister walking into Knutti?” “You’re not hallucinating,” Cam replied. “You saw her. She enrolled here late.” “Oh.” Jase’s eyes’ narrowed as he stared off into the distance. “That’s… that’s good.” I caught Cam’s eyes and he shrugged. Wit...

“Obviously,” I muttered, eyeing them both. Jase winked at me and he was as ridiculously attractive as Cam doing it. “You all coming to the luau this weekend?” I nodded and it struck me again how much difference a year made. This time last year, I wouldn’t even considered a party, especially one being thrown by a frat. I smiled to myself as I finished off the rest of my fries before the boys devoured them. “Are you guys really having a pig?” Brit asked. “Because last year, that wasn’t a pig. It was a wild turkey and that was gross.” Jase laughed. “We’ll have a pig this time.” Beside me, my side pocket of ...

It was a text—a text from a normal telephone number. A Texas area code. It’s Molly. Can we talk when u have the time? Please. A little tremor went down my arm as I stared at the message. Molly hadn’t contacted me since I left Texas. Nothing from her and the texts before that were never this friendly, even though this didn’t scream best friends forever. I immediately texted back. Yes. Call you this evening. Several minutes passed as I stared at the phone. Molly had texted back with an okay, and I was still stunned. “Everything okay?” Cam asked, placing his hand on my lower back. Concern pinched his brows. “Yes.” I dropped my cell back into my bag. Everything was okay. Maybe ...

I don’t know what my life would’ve been like if I hadn’t decided to uproot my life and break free from my past. I knew it wouldn’t be like this. And I also knew if I hadn’t met Cam, I wouldn’t be sitting here right now. Maybe I would’ve come around eventually on my own, but I was woman enough to admit that I had help. And I was woman enough that whenever I looked up at the night skies and saw the Corona Borealis—or something that vaguely resembled it—I thanked it. Leaning back against Cam’s chest, I tipped my head back as I reached up, cupp...