What happened between Karsen and I was still replaying in my head days later.

It was all so hard to forget and I was actually surprised he hadn't brought it up yesterday at the pizza parlor, but maybe it was a good thing that he hadn't because I wasn't sure if I was ready to talk about it all. I mean, what even was there to say?

I liked it? But I wasn't sure where to go from here?

I was nervous, confused, but also, for the first time in a long time, I was actually kind of... fine.

Fine. As in I wasn't a complete mess even if it wouldn't have been surprising if I was a mess, especially after what had happened at home between my mother and I, after I caught her and her ex husband.

I was fine. I felt fine. Nothing more, nothing less.

I stayed the night with Summer, going to college with her, most of the entire day not seeing Karsen apart from in passing through the hall between classes which was when he just poked between my ribs and I slapped his hand away.

But nothing more.

Because he had a game later today we didn't work on the project together after school, and so I was thankful for that because it meant I didn't have to go home just yet.

And truth was, I was avoiding my home more than I was avoiding Karsen. I was barely even avoiding Karsen, because some reason, he hadn't at all brought up what had happened.

And it made me wonder if I was just used as his release over our short vacation. The girl he used to make him feel good for the mean time till he moved onto the next fresh fuck.

I ignored the thought now as I sat in the car with Summer who was driving us to the guy's Football Game, and of course I was using Summers clothes.

A black skirt and navy color jersey, my hair up in a bun and I held myself, staring out the window, hoping Karsen was okay and not anxious as hell wherever he is.

The car comes to a stop in a parking spot, and when its in park I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out the car, sighing softly as Summer does the same.

"Drinks?"

"I need a water, urgently." I tell her, already feeling the growing dryness in my throat and she nods, playing with her keys over her fingers as we walk over to the food truck.

"You and Karsen seem a little closer now." She tells me as we make our way there, getting to the back of the line which thankfully was not filled with many people since the game was a minute away from starting and I blink, looking over at her, "I accepted our friendship."

She smirks slowly before she speaks, "Oh, just friendship, huh?"

I almost cough. "Yep, friends." I drag the words out, looking over to the person in front before ordering my water, and a corn dog just as she orders a cold drink, just a cold drink.

We wait a few minutes for our things before we get it and walk off to the stands. "Well, I hope your friendship lasts forever." She says, emphasizing on friendship, like she knew that word was a substitute for something else and I blush even though I roll my eyes, following her over to our seats with no response in return.

===

Most of the whole game I was on the edge of my seat, quite literally. My butt almost slipped off but Summer pushed me back with a soft snort.

I was staring out at one person the entire game, forcing my eyes to follow him even if he was fast as hell, and I was thankful he wasn't hurt or slowed down by anything.

He was focused.

And so when they won the game, I wasn't surprised.

I was excited, yeah, but not surprised.

Once again Summer runs over to Chance, the golden couple of the school doing their thing as I decide against waiting for anyone since the last time, that ended in me almost kissing Karsen.

Which now would probably lead to us having a full blown make out session in the locker rooms.

So yeah, no.

I force myself to walk to the parking lot instead, even after Cherry makes her way over to talk to Karsen, or attempt to fuck him, or something along the lines of that.

I keep walking. Pushing the jealousy away.

Walking.

Walking.

Still walking.

That is until I bump into someone.

And I almost trip.

I look up from my feet, hands darting out to the persons arms to not fall and I look up to their face.

And when I see who it is, my eyes grow ten times its original size.

When he sees me his eyes widen too, almost into the size of saucers and Im thankfully we're both equally shocked right now.

What the hell was he even doing here?

"Brent?"

He nods slowly as if acknowledging that was him, but he was still staring at me, completely baffled, "You remember my name?"

I raise a brow, "Did you forget mine?"

"Not at all Ms Adrienne."

I almost grimace at the coincidence of us meeting once again, especially now when we were so far into college, why the hell was he here all of a sudden?

"What're you doing here?" I ask him, moving back, arms moving away from his biceps and I cross my own arms over my chest as he scratches at the back of his head of hair.

"I just transferred, Im in my second last year."

I smirk, "You know, you're a year younger than I am."

He rolls his eyes at that, "Whatever, why are you at a football game anyway? Boyfriend playing?" He asks me and I look down, scratching the nape of my neck. "No boyfriend... It's complicated actually." I tell him instead, not knowing what else to say to elaborate on it and he hums, "Does he play football?"

"Yep, he does." I say and he nods, "Then he's gonna be pissed when he finds me walking his girl to her car."

I snort back a laugh, "That's not at all it Brent." I reply, smiling a small smile as we continue walking and I get to Summer's passenger side of her car, and he simply nods, clearly unconvinced, "Im sure."

I shake my head, still smiling till I look around and away from him, just to see Karsen walking with Cherry not too fat from here.

He smiles at her, nodding at something she'd said and I feel my smile slip a little off my face until its just a line.

I wasn't always accustomed to jealousy, so I barely knew what jealousy felt like, but for some reason, I assume it felt something like how I felt in that moment, or when whatever I felt when girls were around Karsen.

I look away and over to Brent, telling myself to stop being this way. "So, what major are you?"

He leans back on the car, "Film."

"Fun." I drawl the word out, "Or at least I think it is."

He shrugs, "It's good most days."

"Like everything in the world." I replied and he hums, nodding after, "Just trying to get by-"

"Hey Adrienne!" I hear a screech and look back over to Cherry, her arm now hooked with Karsen's but he's too busy looking between Brent and I to notice my annoyed stare over at them.

"Hi Cherry." I reply with a nod and her grin widens as she looks to Brent beside me, her eyes bemaing, "You're new, are you Adriennes boyfriend?"

"Not yet no." He teases, sliding his arm over my shoulders and I roll my eyes, looking to him beside me with a glare when he pulls me into his side.

"What your name?" She asks him.

"Brenton, but I prefer Brent."

"You two would make such a cute couple." She chips in and I snort, pressing my chin on his arm as I look at him. He was cute, but not my type. Not that I had a type.

Maybe my type was Karsen.

"Oh I'm sure we would, don't you have somewhere to be Brenton?" I ask, sending him a pointed look and he looks down to me with a grin, "No where at all darlin."

I almost growl.

"You two should come to the after party." She adds in another word, clearly entertaining this not at all real relationship here, "It's at Matt's house."

I knew where it was, I knew about it too, but I wasn't going to go to the party anyway.

"Wanna go?" Brent asks me and I shake my head, looking to Karsen who just eyes me and I blink.

He almost looks hurt and so I move away from Brent.

Hoping my eyes told him that Brent and I were friends, and him? He was everything.

"Im not go-"

"You can come with me." Karsen says, walking closer to me and he grabs my hand in seconds, already tugging me lightly.

I'll take you, I need to talk to you anyway." He says all of that in one quick breath, walking away, pulling me away before I could speak and I yelp.

"Karsen." I hiss softly as he drags me away from everyone else.

He doesn't stop walking, pulling me along with him, and I try not to trip and instead focus on keeping my footing.

"Krist, what the fuck has gotten into you?"

No answer.

We walk.

And walk.

Turn and walk.

Walk and turn and walk.

Speed walking till-

Suddenly he turns me around, pressing me against the wall behind the bathrooms and his lips are on mine and I gasp between a moan, my hands moving up and around onto his jaw and I kiss him back.

His tongue sweeps over my lower lip before he nibbles it, fingers digging into my hips and his tongue pushes into my mouth and I almost choke when his hand moves lower and he grabs a handful of my ass.

I draw soft circles on his jaw and it clenches against my touch, before he relaxes and moves closer to me, till our bodies almost touch and my head tilts back.

Abruptly he moves back from the heated kiss and speaks, "What is he doing here?" He asks me when he pulls away, looking down to me and I'm left panting, staring at him wide eyed and definitely with an annoyed expression.

"He goes... to this college too..." I pant it out softly, but the words come out much too confused, "Why'd you do that?"

As in kiss me all of a sudden?!

"Do you have feelings for him?" He asks instead.

What? Of course not!

"Do you want her?" I question, and his eyes glitter lightly.

"If I did?"

"Then i'd be confused as to why you're so concerned about Brent and I."

"Brent and you?" He asks me incredulously. "So there is something?"

"I told you there isn't, you're the one still with your fucking ex Karsen, not me."

He sighs, "Im not with her Adrienne."

"She kissed you." I tell him.

"Yeah, long ago, when you were still adamant on not being with me."

I huff, just about to push him back so walk away when he leans down, kissing over my lips softly but I don't kiss him back.

He keeps kissing.

"Please, just one more kiss baby?"

My breath hitches but I don't.

His fingers make way to my jaw before he presses his fingers into cheeks, forcing my lips to pucker and he kisses me and I smile, almost laughing at how cute he could be.

But I stop when I realize we're still in public.

"K-karsen, not here." I say it softly and he sighs when moves back and I look up to him and he pulls me closer, wrapping his arms around me, pulling me into a hug, "Come with me."

"Where to?" I ask, wrapping my arms around his torso, chin on his chest as I look up at him.

"The party, I don't want to go without you."

"Then come home with me."

He raises a brow, a mischievous smile taking place on his handsome face. "What're we gonna do?"

"The project." I say with a deadpan stare and he hums, tipping my chin further back, "Tomorrow, today I'm taking you to the party, then you're coming home with me."

I roll my eyes, "Matt will understand if I don't come."

"I won't." He says, rolling his own eyes, "So lets go."

"You're so damn annoying Krist." I mumble and he leans down, kissing down my jaw, "Karsen, we're in public."

"We have to talk about what happened in that alley Adrienne." He says in my ear before backing away, holding his hand out for me.

My eyes widen at his words but I take his hand.

"Do we really?"

"Yes." He says, holding my hand tightly in his as we make our way to his car and I know for a fact, he was serious.

"Later though?" I say softly, holding his hand in mine and he nods, rubbing circles over my hand, "Yeah, later Addy."