Romancing the R.A. (Campus Crush series) (7 page)

“How do you know Andy?” I ask. It’s not that I want to engage with her any more, but I can’t help being interested in how someone like her would know Andy.

She looks at me again. “We’re both R.As, not that it’s any of your business.”

“Look.” Julia steps around her and stands by my side, making me feel more at ease. “It’s not Noelle’s fault if Andy isn’t into you.”

Her face falls, but she quickly recovers. “Don’t think you’re the first freshman he’s flirted with. Not even close.” She turns and walks out with the blonde on her heels.

“Forget her.” Julia puts her hand on my shoulder. “She’s just pissed he likes you and not her.”

“How do you know? What if I’m not the only freshman he’s hit on?”

She looks me in the eye. “Tell me, is that really what you believe? Because I’ve seen the way he looks at you, and I don’t think any of that is fake. Did it feel fake when he kissed you?”

“Not at all.” I could tell Andy was just as into me as I was him.

“Then forget that girl.”

Julia’s right. Apparently the girls in college are a lot like the girls in high school. I’m so over the stupid games. Why can’t people just be real and straightforward? Like Andy.

We walk back to our dorm. I’m a little surprised it hasn’t blown over with the breeze. Julia starts getting ready immediately, but I lie down on the bed and stare at the crumbling ceiling.

“You need to get ready,” Julia says.

“I don’t think I’m going.”

She stops fixing her hair and turns to me. “You’re kidding, right?”

“No.” I fold my hands on my stomach.

“Is this about that girl in the bathroom?”

“No. I don’t believe her. I just don’t feel like going. Andy said he wasn’t sure he’d be back in time for it anyway. Maybe I’ll wait until it’s almost over and then see if he’s there.”

“And what if Andy is there waiting for you? If you stay in this room all night sulking and find out that he was at the dance and you could’ve been cozying up to him all evening, you’ll kick yourself. Hell,
I’ll
kick you.” She turns back to the mirror. “Besides, if you don’t show, that chick will be all over him.”

I hate it when she’s right. “Fine, but if the dance is a bust, we’re out of there.” I’m only agreeing to go because I want to see Andy. I see no point in staying if he isn’t there.

“Good. Now get dressed. I’m not letting you go wearing that.”

I roll my eyes, but I let Julia go through my clothes and pick out something she thinks is suitable. A pair of skinny jeans, heels, and a black top. It will do. In twenty minutes, we’re dressed and out the door.

We head to Andy’s dorm. Two R.As are standing at the door to let people in. Just my luck, one is the girl from the bathroom.

“Crap. Look who it is.”

Julia shrugs. “So?” Sometimes I think she believes there’s no one she can’t take on. I envy her a little for that.

We walk up to her, and she scowls. “Really?”

“What’s the problem?” the male R.A. asks.

“This is the girl that’s been hanging all over Andy.” She says it as if it’s completely absurd that someone like me would have a shot with Andy. Ironically, I’m thinking the same thing about her.

“Melinda, you’re seriously messed up. Andy doesn’t let anyone hang all over him.” He smirks. “You should know that. He’s turned you away enough.”

I can’t help smiling. I like this guy already. He obviously knows Andy, and he put Melinda in her place.

The guy opens the door and smiles at us. “Tell Andy that Mitch says nice choice.”

I blush, but I nod and say, “Thanks.”

We walk inside, and all I can think is that Andy must be here. Mitch wouldn’t have given me a message for him if he isn’t. I squeeze Julia’s arm.

“I know. I know.” She nods. “Let’s go find him.”

I feel like I could burst out of my own skin. We head past the elevators and to the event room, which we hear long before we see. It’s dark, except for the colored strobe lights. Julia and I laugh because the dance is more high school than high school dances. If it weren’t for Andy, I would turn around and run back to our dorm right now.

“Do you see him?” Julia yells over the music.

“No!” Just as I talk, the music ends. All eyes turn to us—well, to me, the girl who screamed. I raise my hand in an apologetic wave. The DJ announces a limbo contest and puts the music back on. Thankfully, only a few eyes linger on me.

Julia laughs. “You are too good at humiliating yourself.”

“Thanks for pointing that out.”

“I don’t know. I think she just likes to make her presence known.” I smile at the sound of Andy’s voice and turn around to face him.

“Hey, you’re here.”
Way to state the obvious, Noelle.

“So I am.” He motions to the back corner away from the speakers.

Julia points toward the frozen drink bar near the stage. “I think I’ll go get one of those.”

“They’re non-alcoholic,” Andy says.

“Of course they are.” Julia’s words drip sarcasm, but she still feels the need to roll her eyes before she walks away.

Andy takes my hand and pulls me toward the back of the room. “I wasn’t sure if you’d show up.”

“I couldn’t let Julia come by herself.” I turn to see her talking to the cute guy serving the drinks. Good for her. “Oh!” I meet Andy’s gaze. “I almost forgot. I’m supposed to tell you that Mitch said ‘nice choice.’”

He smiles. “He did, huh?”

“Yup. Also, I think there’s a Melinda looking for you. I had the pleasure of meeting her earlier.”

“Ooh, sorry to hear that. She’s…” He pauses, trying to think of the right word.

“Obnoxious?”

“Sure. Let’s go with that.” He reaches for my arm, lightly tracing circles down it. God, how can such a small touch drive me so crazy? “Did she give you a hard time because of me?”

“Nothing Julia couldn’t handle. She’s like my personal bodyguard.”

“Good to know.” He looks over my shoulder. “She seems to have found a date for the evening. You girls have a thing for R.As?”

I close the distance between us. “Is he a friend of yours?”

He nods. “That’s Mike. He’s a nice guy. She could do a lot worse.”

“Good, because I won’t hesitate to act as her bodyguard if I have to.”

“I don’t think you will.”

No, probably not. Julia is more than capable of handling herself.

“Are all the socials this incredibly lame?”

He laughs. “Yes. It’s like they want to make them as much like high school dances as possible so you’ll feel comfortable.”

“And people like me, who can’t wait to get away from high school, are more uncomfortable than ever.”

“You don’t have to stay. It’s not mandatory or anything.”

“I know, but…” How do I casually say I want to be with him, even if it means loud music and colored strobe lights?

“You could come hang out with me.”

I can’t help wondering if he wants to pick up where we left off. I wouldn’t mind a repeat of our afternoon together. “What did you have in mind?”

“Do you trust me?”

There’s a loaded question. I don’t even really know him. But his eyes—the way he looks at me. “I think so.”

“You’re honest. I like that.” His fingers reach forward, brushing mine and setting my body on fire.

Julia looks in our direction and smiles, giving me her approval. I give her a small wave before following Andy out of the room.

He leads me toward the stairs, and my pulse quickens. We’re heading to his room. Even though he’s a nice guy, I can’t help thinking I know what’s on his mind. Because it’s on my mind, too.

Chapter Eight

I hesitate in the hall after he opens his door and steps aside for me to go into his room. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, I just…I don’t know.” Damn my brain for making me question every move I make. Why can’t I just let myself do what feels right?

“So you
don’t
trust me.”

“I don’t really know you.” It’s the honest answer.

“You were alone in my room with me earlier.”

That was different. The sun was still up. “I know. I just have to ask. Why’d you bring me here?”

He steps toward me. “Because you were having a miserable time at that sorry excuse for a social downstairs.”

“True.” I smile because even though we just met, he can read me really well.

“So, will you come in?” His eyes are pleading with me, asking me to trust him.

I can’t say no. “Sure.”

He closes the door behind us but hesitates before clicking it shut. “Would you rather I leave this open?”

I’m back to being the lame freshman. Maybe I never stopped. “It’s fine,” I say, pushing the door closed so he knows I mean it.

“I have a ton of movies on Blu-ray if you’re interested.” He opens his closet and pulls out a drawer full of movies. He has everything from comedy to action adventure to horror.

“Nice selection.” I don’t see any date movies. No mushy romances guys only watched to get girls into bed. I guess Mitch was right about him. “Ooh, you have the third Transformers movie.”

“You like them?”

“Are you kidding me? The only problem is I can’t decide who I like more, Optimus or Bumblebee.”

He stares at me, his eyes lighting up.

“What?”

“I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone like you.”

“Like me? Come on.”

He takes the movie from the drawer and brings it to the TV. “I’m serious. You’re not like most freshman girls.”

“Undecided major, fell for the hot R.A., thinks the social is ridiculously stupid? Okay, maybe not the last one. Most of the people downstairs looked like they were having a good time.”

“What did you say?” He turns around and stares at me.