Crazy for You: 80's Baby Series Read online

  As I reach Corbin Hall, the mathematics building for my stats class, my gaze is drawn to a clump of students standing around outside the three-story, red-brick building. In the center of that crowd is Rowan. I don’t have to see him physically to know that he’s close. The muscles in my belly contract with awareness. It’s like a sixth sense. One I wish would go away. He’s the last person I want to be cognizant of.

  As I jog up the wide stone stairs to the entrance, my gaze fastens on him. A smirk twists the edges of his lips, and my eyes narrow before I drag them away and yank open the door to the building. Relief rushes through me as I step inside the air conditioning and disappear from sight.

  “Hey, Demi, wait up!”

  I turn at the sound of my name before slowing my step. The dark-haired guy jogging to catch up smiles before falling in line with me.

  Justin Fischer.

  He’s a baseball player and teammates with Sydney’s boyfriend, Ethan. We’ve been seeing each other for about a month. It’s still casual at this point. With school and soccer, I don’t have a ton of time to invest in a relationship. He seems to understand that and isn’t pushing to be more serious.

  When he leans in for a kiss, I angle my head. At the last moment, he tilts in the opposite direction, and we end up bumping teeth instead of locking lips. With a grunt, I pull away and chuckle. My fingers fly to my mouth to make sure I haven’t chipped a tooth.

  Maybe I’ve been reluctant to admit it to myself, but that kiss sums up our relationship perfectly.

  Awkward and a step out of sync with each other.

  “Sorry,” he murmurs with a slight smile. I search his face and wait for any telltale sign of sexual chemistry to ping inside me. Unfortunately, my insides remain completely unfazed, which is disappointing but not altogether unexpected. I had a sneaking suspicion when we first got together that it might turn out this way.

  “No problem,” I say, hoisting my smile and brushing aside those thoughts.

  “I haven’t seen you for a couple of days,” he remarks as we turn a corner and continue walking.

  “It’s been busy.” Which isn’t a lie. School might have recently started, but the academics at Western are rigorous. And being a Division I athlete is more like a job. If you’re not ready to put in the work, don’t bother showing up. There’s no half-assing it around this place.

  “When’s your next game?” he asks.

  “Tomorrow at six.” My gaze flickers in his direction. Not that I expect him to come, but...

  Fine, so maybe I do. If he wants to be my boyfriend, then he needs to show a little support.

  His dark brows draw together. “That sucks. I’ve got a mandatory study hour I have to attend.”

  I shrug off the disappointment. It’s another nail in the coffin of this relationship as far as I’m concerned. “That’s cool. It’s not a big deal.”

  “But I’ll see you tonight?”

  Oh. Right.

  Tonight.

  Well, damn. In a moment of weakness, I threw out an invitation to join our Wednesday evening dinner. It’s one I now regret. If only there were a gracious way to rescind the offer.

  “If you’re busy, I totally understand—”

  “Are you kidding? No way.” With a grin, he shakes his head. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m looking forward to meeting Coach Richards.”

  Great. So this is more about my father than me? Exactly what every girl wants to hear.

  I force a brittle smile. “Awesome. He’s excited, too.”

  That might be something of an overstatement.

  Justin nods toward the end of the corridor. “I better get moving. Professor Andrews is a real stickler for punctuality.”

  “Yup. See you later.”

  This time, when he leans in, our lips align perfectly. The kiss is nothing more than a fleeting caress. There and gone before I can sink into it.

  And I’m left feeling...absolutely nothing.

  I bury the disappointment where I can’t inspect it too closely before giving him a wave as he takes off. For a moment, I stand rooted in the hallway and watch as he disappears through the crowd. There’s nothing to distinguish Justin from the thousands of guys who look exactly like him on campus. He’s of average height and build with dark hair and espresso-colored eyes. He’s nice enough. Although, if I’m completely honest, he’s a little self-absorbed. He talks about baseball all the time. If Ethan hadn’t introduced us, he’s not someone I would have looked twice at. We don’t have a ton in common.

  As much as I hate to admit it, this relationship has probably reached its expiration date.

  Now it’s a matter of pulling the plug.

  Ugh. I hate breakups. Although, it’s doubtful this will end up destroying him. I’ll have to make it through tonight and figure out the rest.

  With a sigh of resignation, I head to the classroom and find a seat tucked away in the far corner of the small lecture hall. A lanky guy I recognize from a few of my other classes settles beside me. He flashes a dimpled smile as we empty our backpacks.

  The tiny hair at the nape of my neck rises seconds before Rowan enters the room. It’s like my body knows when he’s within a thirty-foot radius. I glance at him from beneath the thick fringe of my lashes before shifting away. Air becomes wedged in my lungs as I wait for him to take a seat. And it won’t be next to me because I’m—

  “Hey man, would you mind moving?”

  Surrounded on both sides.

  Damnit. I’m hoping the cutie next to me will tell Rowan to go take a flying leap.

  What? It could happen. Not everyone at this university is enamored of the football-playing god. Although I realize the odds aren’t stacked in my favor. Rowan is the most recognized athlete on campus. People fall all over themselves to accommodate him.

  It’s a little sickening.

  Okay, maybe more than a little.

  “Sure, no problem, Michaels.” The guy next to me hastily packs up his books before vacating the desk. Unable to ignore him any longer, I glare as Rowan slides onto the seat next to me.

  “Did you really think you could evade me that easily?” Laughter brims in his deep voice. A voice, I might add, that does funny things to my insides.

  “One can always hope, right?”

  “Oh, answering a question with a question.” He leans closer, eating up some of the much-needed distance between us. “I like it.”

  I roll my eyes as his lips stretch into a satisfied grin. Irritation bubbles up inside me when sexual tension blooms at the bottom of my belly. Or maybe that tension has settled a little lower.

  It’s definitely lower.

  I’m tempted to swear like a sailor. How is it possible that I feel nothing for the guy I’m actually dating, and yet my pulse skitters out of control for someone I don’t even like? It’s so freaking ironic. It’s been this way since we met, and nothing I do stomps it out. I can try to fool myself into believing it’s not there, but that doesn’t make it any less true.

  It’s a relief when Professor Peters takes his place at the podium and clears his throat. Once he’s captured everyone’s attention, he delves headfirst into the probability of dependent and independent events.

  Grateful for the excuse to ignore Rowan for the next fifty minutes, I open my textbook and concentrate on the lesson. Just as the blond boy fades into the background, his bare knee bumps into mine. Electricity ricochets through my entire being. I glance at him to see if he’s noticed the strange energy we always seem to generate and find his ocean-colored gaze fastened to mine.

  My guess is that he does.

  Damnation.

  About the Author

  Jennifer Sucevic is a USA Today bestselling author who has published eighteen New Adult and Mature Young Adult novels. Her works have been translated into both German (as well as audiobook format) and Dutch. She has a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology. Both degrees are from the University of Wisconsin-Milwauke
e. Jennifer spent five years working as a high school counselor before relocating out of state with her family.

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