me. You’ve marked her as yours, and I hate it when she doesn’t come home because she’s with you.”
“So you do like me?”
Brielle rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes. Minutes later she responded. “You always want what you can’t have.”
“Trust me, I know.”
By the time we pulled up to her dorm she was peacefully sleeping. “Brie.”
“Hmm.”
“We’re here.”
I jogged around the car and helped her out. She leaned on me as we walked up the stairs and she fumbled with the key.
Handing it to me, she mumbled, “I can’t do it.”
I slid the key into the slot and pushed the door open. Brielle strolled to her bed, pulled the covers back, and climbed in. Digging through their make-shift kitchen, I found a bottle of water and some Advil.
“Nate,” she muttered.
“Yeah.”
“Half kisses are stupid.”
“I know.” I wrote out a note for her. “Maybe one day you’ll let me kiss you.”
“That’s if I don’t throw up on you first.” She giggled.
Placing the bottle of water and the note on her side table, I tucked her into bed. “It sucks that you won't remember this.” I brushed her hair away from her face.
“Maybe it’s better that way. I won't fall any further for you than I already have.” She smirked.
Shaking my head, I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips to the corner of hers. It was another half kiss, because when I fully kissed her I wanted her to remember it. “Goodnight, Brie,” I whispered and left her dorm knowing there was no way I could forget her.
Julian was out of the picture; he would be going home for winter break, while I stayed on campus to work. Delaney would be with her parents. I would find a way to spend every possible chance with Brielle.
Chapter 11
Brielle
C hristmas Eve .
Most of the student body had returned home for the holiday season. There were a few stragglers who stayed back and I was one of them. I realized after my first semester that traveling home for the six weeks wasn’t worth the trouble. I’d spend a fortune on gas and tolls, and there was always the chance of a snow shower along my drive. And after I got home I’d only miserable for the entire month and a half until I left again. Even though I loved my mother dearly, I hated my father. And my mother turned a blind eye to his whorish behavior.
I’d settle for staying on campus, jump-starting my workload for the following semester, and enjoying having my room all to myself. I loved Delaney, but being able to blast the music as loud as I wanted and not worrying about bothering my roommate was liberating.
Christmas alone did suck, though. I considered myself a tough person, but even I had a warm place in my heart when it came to Christmas. My father wasn’t always an asshole. If I dug deep, I’d find a memory of him carrying a Christmas tree into our house. My mother’s illness became severe when I was a young girl. I did have many happy memories, even though the bad outweighed the good.
Delaney had gone on her family’s Christmas vacation, and Julian was with his family, so I planned to throw myself a Christmas party with alcohol, carbs, and chocolate.
I placed my items on the conveyer belt of the local grocery store near campus and was greeted by a kind and familiar smile.
“Hey, Chloe,” I said as I grabbed a Snickers bar from the rack. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Brie.” She slid my items over the scanner one by one. “I thought you usually go home for the holidays.” Chloe was one of the few students I knew who actually lived in Charlotte.
“The drive is really long and it snows a lot in Chicago.” I shrugged. “I'm better off here.” She scanned another item and I tried to change the subject. “Working on Christmas Eve must really suck.”
“It's really not that bad. My parents don't do Christmas Eve dinner till much later in the evening, and since I'm working I don't have to help clean up the dishes while my mom
“So you do like me?”
Brielle rested her head on the seat and closed her eyes. Minutes later she responded. “You always want what you can’t have.”
“Trust me, I know.”
By the time we pulled up to her dorm she was peacefully sleeping. “Brie.”
“Hmm.”
“We’re here.”
I jogged around the car and helped her out. She leaned on me as we walked up the stairs and she fumbled with the key.
Handing it to me, she mumbled, “I can’t do it.”
I slid the key into the slot and pushed the door open. Brielle strolled to her bed, pulled the covers back, and climbed in. Digging through their make-shift kitchen, I found a bottle of water and some Advil.
“Nate,” she muttered.
“Yeah.”
“Half kisses are stupid.”
“I know.” I wrote out a note for her. “Maybe one day you’ll let me kiss you.”
“That’s if I don’t throw up on you first.” She giggled.
Placing the bottle of water and the note on her side table, I tucked her into bed. “It sucks that you won't remember this.” I brushed her hair away from her face.
“Maybe it’s better that way. I won't fall any further for you than I already have.” She smirked.
Shaking my head, I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips to the corner of hers. It was another half kiss, because when I fully kissed her I wanted her to remember it. “Goodnight, Brie,” I whispered and left her dorm knowing there was no way I could forget her.
Julian was out of the picture; he would be going home for winter break, while I stayed on campus to work. Delaney would be with her parents. I would find a way to spend every possible chance with Brielle.
Chapter 11
Brielle
C hristmas Eve .
Most of the student body had returned home for the holiday season. There were a few stragglers who stayed back and I was one of them. I realized after my first semester that traveling home for the six weeks wasn’t worth the trouble. I’d spend a fortune on gas and tolls, and there was always the chance of a snow shower along my drive. And after I got home I’d only miserable for the entire month and a half until I left again. Even though I loved my mother dearly, I hated my father. And my mother turned a blind eye to his whorish behavior.
I’d settle for staying on campus, jump-starting my workload for the following semester, and enjoying having my room all to myself. I loved Delaney, but being able to blast the music as loud as I wanted and not worrying about bothering my roommate was liberating.
Christmas alone did suck, though. I considered myself a tough person, but even I had a warm place in my heart when it came to Christmas. My father wasn’t always an asshole. If I dug deep, I’d find a memory of him carrying a Christmas tree into our house. My mother’s illness became severe when I was a young girl. I did have many happy memories, even though the bad outweighed the good.
Delaney had gone on her family’s Christmas vacation, and Julian was with his family, so I planned to throw myself a Christmas party with alcohol, carbs, and chocolate.
I placed my items on the conveyer belt of the local grocery store near campus and was greeted by a kind and familiar smile.
“Hey, Chloe,” I said as I grabbed a Snickers bar from the rack. “Merry Christmas.”
“Merry Christmas to you too, Brie.” She slid my items over the scanner one by one. “I thought you usually go home for the holidays.” Chloe was one of the few students I knew who actually lived in Charlotte.
“The drive is really long and it snows a lot in Chicago.” I shrugged. “I'm better off here.” She scanned another item and I tried to change the subject. “Working on Christmas Eve must really suck.”
“It's really not that bad. My parents don't do Christmas Eve dinner till much later in the evening, and since I'm working I don't have to help clean up the dishes while my mom
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