Stay by Jennifer Sucevic Page A

great tongue.”
    I give her a little whack in the arm because there’s no way in hell that’s about to happen.  And when Cole’s face pops up in my mind, I actually want to groan.  No, no, no, no, no.  We are so not going to go there.
    Other than the whole tongue comment, maybe Brooklyn has a point about letting my guard down but that doesn’t make it any easier to do.  Sometimes it still feels like I’m trying to find my way back in the dark.  I have so much to prove this year.  To myself.  To my family.  I almost cringe even thinking about them.  Their disappointment last year had been nothing short of palpable.
    “Okay,” I finally agree because one) maybe I do need to loosen up just a tiny bit and two) I just want to end this conversation as quickly as possible.  And agreeing with Brooklyn is the easiest way to accomplish that.  “Maybe you’re right.”
    She beams just like I knew she would.  I watch out of the corner of my eye as a guy passing by us almost stumbles all the while gawking at her.  My mouth quirks up with amusement.  Yep, that’s totally the effect she has on the male species.  “Good, because a lot of the guys on the hockey team live off campus and there’s a party next weekend.  You can start by loosening up there.”
    Aw crap.
    My shoulders instantly fall at that bit of news.  “You can’t just go with Austin?”  If we go to a hockey party, Cole will probably end up being there and I’m not ready to see him again.
    “Cassidy…” she says in a warning tone that tells me not to bother arguing with her.
    “I’ll- I’ll think about it, okay?”  That is seriously the best she’s going to get from me right now.  Everything that transpired last night is way too fresh in my mind for me to even consider hanging out with Cole anytime soon.
     
    Chapter Ten
     
    It’s not quite seven in the morning as I run through the still sleeping streets of Oakton, the small town Western University calls home.  The sun is just beginning to peek over the horizon, washing everything in a soft pink glow.  The air is crisp, the leaves overhead vibrant in their orange, red, and yellow colors.
    After the Timber Wolves hockey game last week, I’d made the decision to slowly start incorporating exercise back into my routine again.  In high school, I’d spent a ton of time working out. But after failing out last year, that had fallen by the wayside too.  So now I’m trying to run three times a week.  Okay, maybe it’s actually more of a jogging/speed walking type of thing but still… I’m out there doing it.
    I’m pretty sure that has to count for something.
    Not working out six days a week for the the last nine months has definitely taken a toll on my waistline.  I used to have muscles and be tone all over.  Not so much anymore.  I’m a lot softer than I once was.  A nice side benefit to working out is that it helps clear my head.  Because I had spent so much of my high school years exercising, doing this actually feels like a little piece of normal clicking back into place. Today I haven’t stopped to walk one single time and I’m already twenty-five minutes into my run.  Pushing myself just a bit more, I turn down Elm Street, doing my usual loop.
    Just as I’m rounding the corner, I see another jogger.  He has a long legged stride that quickly eats up the sidewalk between us.  I veer to the right so we can pass one another.  When he’s about thirty feet from me, my belly hollows realizing that it’s Cole looking more delicious than any sweaty guy has a right to look.  I, on the other hand, know my face is beet red as if I might stroke out at any given moment.  When he realizes it’s me, he slows his pace before stopping completely about five feet away.  I have no choice but to do the same.  Nerves suddenly scamper across my exposed flesh.
    His smile is tentative as his eyes drift slowly over me.  “Hi.”  He doesn’t even sound winded.
    “HI.” I’m