matchmaker is now fully at your service, and first things first, you seriously need to up your game. Hagan at least thought of giving Sophie his hoodie so he’d have an excuse to see her again. I don’t like him either, but you have to admit, he’s pretty smooth.”
“Last time I checked, lending a girl your stinky hoodie isn’t smooth.”
“Whatever you say.” I hated the knowing look in her eyes. Growing serious, she slipped her arm through mine. “I’m sorry Hagen brought up Benson. Does it bother you that so many people are talking about him?”
“Does it bother you?” I asked, knowing how close they’d been.
“Of course, but I’m not the one they’re accusing of murdering him. I hate what they’re saying about you.”
Why did you do this, Benson? Look what it’s done to us. We’re so lost and broken without you.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said.
“Okay.” Mia rested her head on my shoulder. “But if it matters, I do like Sophie. A lot. You two would be good together.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, not allowing myself to get wrapped up in the thought.
She straightened with a gasp. “Wait. I have the perfect idea! Have you stockpiled your dorm yet?”
“No. I’m living at my parent’s house this semester.”
“But it’s tradition!”
“Yeah, an Everett and Benson tradition,” I corrected her glumly.
“Oh,” she said, catching on. “Then I’ll stockpile my dorm in Benson’s honor, and you can stockpile Sophie’s. Just think. She’s probably in her room right now. Alone. With Hagen. It will give you the perfect excuse to break up the love fest.”
If my dream was telling at all, a love fest wasn’t what I was worried about, but Mia was convincing nonetheless.
“Fine,” I relented. “The kitchen staff is probably busy cleaning. Maddy will let us raid the pantry if we hurry.”
“Yay!” Mia squeaked.
Chapter 13
Stupefied
“Wow!” Hagen breathed, looking around. “Who’d you bribe to get this dorm?”
His eyes roamed about the room. Like an escaping prisoner avoids the spotlight, I avoided his gaze for fear of getting caught there again.
What happened in the cafeteria was strange. When Hagen looked in my eyes, my brain seized up, only computing what he said. And then, I found myself unthinkingly following his orders. It was more like my dream than I wanted to admit, scaring me to be alone with him now. Though, the accusation seemed ridiculous. Hagen has hypnotizing eyes? It was laughable. When it happened, I was flustered from spilling my tea, so maybe I imagined it.
Hagen smiled and ran his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair, looking like he’d stolen the move from a soap opera. Then everything went blank, for he’d caught me in his gaze. One moment, we were near the front door and I was admiring the way his blue eyes sparkled as he smiled down at me. The next, we were standing by the couch and he was going in for a kiss.
“Hagen!” I started. “What are you doing?” I pushed him away.
My head felt foggy and pulsed with dull throbs. How had we gotten to the living room? The more I strained to remember the worse my head hurt. I collapsed on the couch, feeling like I might be sick.
“Are you okay?” Hagen asked, sitting next to me.
“No. I suddenly have a terrible headache.”
“Oh. It’ll be over soon.”
“Huh?” I looked up, confused.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Hagen and I jumped. I made a dash for the front door, thankful for the distraction. Mia and Everett stood at my doorway, balancing paper bags full of food on each hip.
“Move! I’m about to drop my groceries,” Mia said, pushing past me and running for her dorm.
Spying a bag of frozen peas in one of her bags, I grabbed it as she passed, pressing it to my head.
“I told you not to take that huge jar of pickles, Shrimp,” Everett called after her. He turned to me. “It probably weighs as much as she does.”
“I’m not a shrimp,” Mia yelled from her
“Last time I checked, lending a girl your stinky hoodie isn’t smooth.”
“Whatever you say.” I hated the knowing look in her eyes. Growing serious, she slipped her arm through mine. “I’m sorry Hagen brought up Benson. Does it bother you that so many people are talking about him?”
“Does it bother you?” I asked, knowing how close they’d been.
“Of course, but I’m not the one they’re accusing of murdering him. I hate what they’re saying about you.”
Why did you do this, Benson? Look what it’s done to us. We’re so lost and broken without you.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” I said.
“Okay.” Mia rested her head on my shoulder. “But if it matters, I do like Sophie. A lot. You two would be good together.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I said, not allowing myself to get wrapped up in the thought.
She straightened with a gasp. “Wait. I have the perfect idea! Have you stockpiled your dorm yet?”
“No. I’m living at my parent’s house this semester.”
“But it’s tradition!”
“Yeah, an Everett and Benson tradition,” I corrected her glumly.
“Oh,” she said, catching on. “Then I’ll stockpile my dorm in Benson’s honor, and you can stockpile Sophie’s. Just think. She’s probably in her room right now. Alone. With Hagen. It will give you the perfect excuse to break up the love fest.”
If my dream was telling at all, a love fest wasn’t what I was worried about, but Mia was convincing nonetheless.
“Fine,” I relented. “The kitchen staff is probably busy cleaning. Maddy will let us raid the pantry if we hurry.”
“Yay!” Mia squeaked.
Chapter 13
Stupefied
“Wow!” Hagen breathed, looking around. “Who’d you bribe to get this dorm?”
His eyes roamed about the room. Like an escaping prisoner avoids the spotlight, I avoided his gaze for fear of getting caught there again.
What happened in the cafeteria was strange. When Hagen looked in my eyes, my brain seized up, only computing what he said. And then, I found myself unthinkingly following his orders. It was more like my dream than I wanted to admit, scaring me to be alone with him now. Though, the accusation seemed ridiculous. Hagen has hypnotizing eyes? It was laughable. When it happened, I was flustered from spilling my tea, so maybe I imagined it.
Hagen smiled and ran his fingers through his shaggy blonde hair, looking like he’d stolen the move from a soap opera. Then everything went blank, for he’d caught me in his gaze. One moment, we were near the front door and I was admiring the way his blue eyes sparkled as he smiled down at me. The next, we were standing by the couch and he was going in for a kiss.
“Hagen!” I started. “What are you doing?” I pushed him away.
My head felt foggy and pulsed with dull throbs. How had we gotten to the living room? The more I strained to remember the worse my head hurt. I collapsed on the couch, feeling like I might be sick.
“Are you okay?” Hagen asked, sitting next to me.
“No. I suddenly have a terrible headache.”
“Oh. It’ll be over soon.”
“Huh?” I looked up, confused.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Hagen and I jumped. I made a dash for the front door, thankful for the distraction. Mia and Everett stood at my doorway, balancing paper bags full of food on each hip.
“Move! I’m about to drop my groceries,” Mia said, pushing past me and running for her dorm.
Spying a bag of frozen peas in one of her bags, I grabbed it as she passed, pressing it to my head.
“I told you not to take that huge jar of pickles, Shrimp,” Everett called after her. He turned to me. “It probably weighs as much as she does.”
“I’m not a shrimp,” Mia yelled from her
Similar Books
