Premature Evacuation (Underground Sorority #1) by Rachel Shane Page B
Authors: Rachel Shane
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glare. Erin’s date would be driving her separately.
Corey squeezed my hand as we sped down the highway. He hadn’t complimented me yet. I wanted him to at least lie and tell me I was beautiful. I wanted him to actually think I was.
Snow slowed down our trip, sticking to the windshield and robbing us of clear vision. Strong winds whipped the heavy flakes in random directions the wipers lost their battle against. By the time we arrived at the hotel, a good foot covered most of the walkways. I stepped strategically into other people’s shoe tracks to avoid getting my pants too wet. Flashes of the last snowfall, Corey’s body heat the only thing keeping me warm, melted into my mind. He and I exchanged mischievous smiles.
“I have a surprise for you,” he whispered into my ear as the warm lobby swallowed us.
Once checked in, Corey jumped in the shower. I rummaged through my bag hoping to find something to eat but came up empty handed. I didn’t even have quarters for the vending machine. I stripped out of my travel clothes and slid on my dress. It sparkled from every angle and hugged my curves, quite a change from the prom I attended with Ryan, where I wore a princess dress too big to fit through the limo door. Now I felt sexy. Worthy. No longer the naive girl who hadn’t known what she was missing. When Corey returned from the bathroom, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands clasped in my lap, trying to breathe steadily.
He’d already put on his suit, and my mouth parted at the sight. He looked so clean, so proper, so unbelievably hot. It took all my will power not to jump his bones right there. But Bianca was waiting for us in her room to pre-game.
“You look beautiful.” He grabbed me and kissed me.
At first I didn’t want to mess up my lipstick, but I surrendered to the moment. “So what’s the surprise?” I asked.
He grinned against my lips. “You’ll see later.”
I glanced at the clock. “Okay, it’s later.”
“When we get back.” He tugged me toward the door but stopped at the threshold. “Listen, maybe tonight isn’t the best night for Bianca to tell Nate how she feels, okay?”
My stomach dropped like an anvil to the floor. Did he still have feelings for her? “Why not?”
He shrugged. “I tried to feel him out about it like you asked—not mentioned it directly, of course. I get the feeling he’s not into her that way. So I don’t want her to ruin her night.”
I swallowed hard. “Sure. I’ll tell her.”
On our way down to the Bianca’s room, Corey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin, which glinted in the overhead lights. At first I thought it was loose change until he stopped, staring at the gold object resting in his hand. Beams of light surrounded the image of an angel.
“My grandmother.” His voice cracked. He took a deep breath. “My grandmother gave this to me. She told me to always keep it with me so I would know she was thinking about me. I thought I’d lost it.” He patted down his pockets like it might reveal more hidden treasures. “The last time I wore this suit was…her funeral.”
I squeezed his hand. I didn’t know what to say, but I thought the moment was beautiful.
Inside Bianca’s room, Nate doled out drinks, beers for the guys and rum and diet for us. Just in case the sorority held to their promise of no underage drinking, we figured we’d get sloshed before the formal to keep the buzz lasting all night. Corey and Nate were the only ones already twenty-one thanks to being a grade above us. Everyone sprawled out among the two queen-sized beds. I eyed Bianca quizzically, wondering why she had booked me a single and taken a double for herself, but she didn’t catch my meaning.
Erin entered a few minutes later, dressed in a long plum gown that accentuated her boyish figure in all the places she needed extra help. When Harrison Wagner stepped inside the threshold, he shoved his hands in his pockets and swayed awkwardly in the
Corey squeezed my hand as we sped down the highway. He hadn’t complimented me yet. I wanted him to at least lie and tell me I was beautiful. I wanted him to actually think I was.
Snow slowed down our trip, sticking to the windshield and robbing us of clear vision. Strong winds whipped the heavy flakes in random directions the wipers lost their battle against. By the time we arrived at the hotel, a good foot covered most of the walkways. I stepped strategically into other people’s shoe tracks to avoid getting my pants too wet. Flashes of the last snowfall, Corey’s body heat the only thing keeping me warm, melted into my mind. He and I exchanged mischievous smiles.
“I have a surprise for you,” he whispered into my ear as the warm lobby swallowed us.
Once checked in, Corey jumped in the shower. I rummaged through my bag hoping to find something to eat but came up empty handed. I didn’t even have quarters for the vending machine. I stripped out of my travel clothes and slid on my dress. It sparkled from every angle and hugged my curves, quite a change from the prom I attended with Ryan, where I wore a princess dress too big to fit through the limo door. Now I felt sexy. Worthy. No longer the naive girl who hadn’t known what she was missing. When Corey returned from the bathroom, I was sitting on the edge of the bed, hands clasped in my lap, trying to breathe steadily.
He’d already put on his suit, and my mouth parted at the sight. He looked so clean, so proper, so unbelievably hot. It took all my will power not to jump his bones right there. But Bianca was waiting for us in her room to pre-game.
“You look beautiful.” He grabbed me and kissed me.
At first I didn’t want to mess up my lipstick, but I surrendered to the moment. “So what’s the surprise?” I asked.
He grinned against my lips. “You’ll see later.”
I glanced at the clock. “Okay, it’s later.”
“When we get back.” He tugged me toward the door but stopped at the threshold. “Listen, maybe tonight isn’t the best night for Bianca to tell Nate how she feels, okay?”
My stomach dropped like an anvil to the floor. Did he still have feelings for her? “Why not?”
He shrugged. “I tried to feel him out about it like you asked—not mentioned it directly, of course. I get the feeling he’s not into her that way. So I don’t want her to ruin her night.”
I swallowed hard. “Sure. I’ll tell her.”
On our way down to the Bianca’s room, Corey reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin, which glinted in the overhead lights. At first I thought it was loose change until he stopped, staring at the gold object resting in his hand. Beams of light surrounded the image of an angel.
“My grandmother.” His voice cracked. He took a deep breath. “My grandmother gave this to me. She told me to always keep it with me so I would know she was thinking about me. I thought I’d lost it.” He patted down his pockets like it might reveal more hidden treasures. “The last time I wore this suit was…her funeral.”
I squeezed his hand. I didn’t know what to say, but I thought the moment was beautiful.
Inside Bianca’s room, Nate doled out drinks, beers for the guys and rum and diet for us. Just in case the sorority held to their promise of no underage drinking, we figured we’d get sloshed before the formal to keep the buzz lasting all night. Corey and Nate were the only ones already twenty-one thanks to being a grade above us. Everyone sprawled out among the two queen-sized beds. I eyed Bianca quizzically, wondering why she had booked me a single and taken a double for herself, but she didn’t catch my meaning.
Erin entered a few minutes later, dressed in a long plum gown that accentuated her boyish figure in all the places she needed extra help. When Harrison Wagner stepped inside the threshold, he shoved his hands in his pockets and swayed awkwardly in the
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