Uncovering You: The Complete Series (Mega Box Set) (211 page)

The Frisbee wobbles in the air and falls to the ground about ten feet short of the tree.

“You win,” Andrew rustles, not even looking at his throw. He turns to face me. His hands lock behind the small of my back. “Your choice, Paige.”

I look up at him. Blood is thundering in my ears. He smiles and tugs me close. My hands fall to his shoulders. “I…”

“Yes?” he asks, peering down at me. His eyes look so intense, so beautiful.

I don’t know what to say. How can I answer?

“You keep looking at me that way,” he says slowly, “And I might have to kiss you.”

That makes up my mind. “Yes,” I say. “Kiss me.”

Andrew’s mouth crashes down and covers my own. I want to gasp when I feel the warmth of his lips against mine. His hands catch my face. Mine tangle in his hair.

His tongue trails my upper lip, then meets mine. He tastes intoxicating, musky and sweet at the same time. I can
feel
the passion in his kiss. The raw, unadulterated desire that he harbors for me.

It’s exciting. I’ve never been kissed this way before.

Andrew lets me go.

“Wow,” I breathe.

“Yeah, wow.” He looks at me and brushes a strand of hair from my face. “You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting to do that.”

I feel all giddy inside, so I giggle. “How long?”

“Since the moment I first saw you,” Andrew says. He picks up my hand. Our fingers twine together. “Come on.” He glances up at the darkening sky. “Let’s get back before we push our luck too far.”

Chapter Five

We’re about a quarter of the way to shore when the first raindrop hits my face.

At first, I think it’s just a splash of water from the paddle. But then the next one falls, and all of a sudden, the placid lake is being assaulted by hundreds of heavy drops from the sky.

Andrew laughs. “I guess the weatherman was right!”

A crash of thunder sounds overhead. I jump. “Shit!”

Andrew’s face turns serious. “Paddle fast!” he exclaims. “A metal canoe in the middle of a body of water makes for an easy lightning rod.”

My heart leaps to my throat. I stick the paddle in the water and row. I do it with every ounce of strength in my body.

The rain is coming down so hard that I’m soaked to the bone within minutes. Another flash of lightning brightens the sky, followed immediately by rolling thunder. Andrew’s face is a picture of grim determination. “Row!”

I swallow my fear and row with everything I’ve got. I dip my paddle in, drag it, and pull it out. Dip, drag, pull. Dip, drag, pull.

I’m so focused on the motion that I’m caught completely off guard when our canoe bumps the shoreline. Andrew jumps out, splashing through the water, and drags the canoe onto land.

He’s breathing hard, but there’s a smile on his face. “We made it!”

I look at him, soaking wet in the rain, feet sunk in the sand, and start to laugh. Adrenaline’s pumping through my veins. I feel a thrill unlike any I’ve experienced before. I feel
alive
.

“What’s so funny?” Andrew asks.

“You look ridiculous!” I call out to him through the sound of rainfall. “Soaked like a wet dog!”

Andrew throws his head back and laughs. He spreads his arms to feel the rain. “Come on,” he grabs my hand. “Let’s get out of the storm!”

Together, we run from the lake, laughing even as our feet slip in the wet ground. Andrew unlocks his car and we jump inside, finally finding a reprieve from the elements. The rain beats down on the car so hard that it’s impossible to see a thing through the windows. It sounds like there are thousands of tiny drummers on the roof.

Andrew wipes the water from his brow. When he looks at me, his eyes are shining. “So. How do you like frolf?”

I lean back into my seat and throw my arms up. “I love it.”

***

Andrew holds my hand the entire drive back. His thumb traces my fingers, sweeps over my knuckles. It makes me feel warm and tingly inside.

We blast the heat in an attempt to dry off. All of it goes to waste when Andrew parks his jeep and we’re forced to run across the lawn to my dorm’s entrance.

“I had fun with you tonight,” he says when we’re under cover of the eaves.

“Me, too.” I think it’s a shame that the night has to end early. But, I’m not as bold as Katy. Not even close. “Will I see you again?” I ask, suddenly shy.

“Of course. You have a cell?”

“Yeah.” I tell him my number. He punches it into his phone.

“All right, Paige.” Andrew turns around. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

I nod. “Let’s do it.” He starts down the steps. “Andrew! Wait.”

He stops and turns back. “Yes?”

I offer a sultry smile. “Get back here.”

He bounds up to me. I’m flattened against the brick wall as he kisses me again. He’s strong but gentle at the same time.

I think I can get used to this. He’s so yummy.

Andrew pulls away. “I’ve got to go.”

“I know.”

“I’ll call you tomorrow,” he promises. “And I won’t stop thinking about you until then.”

I slap him on the arm. “Don’t make fun.”

“I’m serious.” He looks me right in the eye. “I don’t think I’ve ever met another girl like you.”

“One of these days, you’ve got to tell me what that means.”

He laughs. “All right. Tomorrow.
If
you behave.” He winks, turns around, and ducks his shoulder to keep the rain away as he runs to his Jeep.

I wave as he drives away.

***

“And where did you disappear to all day?” Katy asks when I open the door to our dorm. She’s flat on her back in the middle of the living room, holding Pickles above her head. He purrs as she swings him back and forth. “You missed some intense roomie bonding.”

“Oh, are the other girls here?” I ask, looking around.

“They were. For all of the five seconds it took them to recognize each other from high school. Turns out they were super enemies back then.”

I sit beside Katy on the floor. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“Actually, it turned out great.” Katy rolls over and sets Pickles down. “Both their dads came up here and had this huge fight. You should have seen it. I thought they’d start throwing fists.”

“How is that ‘great’?” I ask.

“Great for you and me,” Katy grins. “The other two girls couldn’t stand the sight of one another. They went to administration and
demanded
to be put in separate housing.”

I get a sinking feeling in my stomach. The only way I can afford to pay for this place is if we split rent four ways. “And?”

“And with their dads there, the school had no choice but to give in. Apparently they’re both big-shot alumni, or something.” Katy shrugs. “Either way, now you and I have the whole place to ourselves.” She reaches over and scratches Pickles between the ears. “Plus this cuddly guy.”

Blood drains from my head. I start to feel light-headed. I steady myself with a hand on the floor. “Katy, there’s no way I can afford to pay half of rent!”

She laughs. “No, you don’t get it. It’s not our fault, so our rate stays the same.”

My eyes widen. “What?”

Katy beams. “Yeah, sister! So it’s just me and you here all semester. It’s going to be great.”

***

“Rise and shine!” a too-cheery voice announces above me the next morning.

I open my eyes. Katy is beaming down at me. Sunlight streams in through the window.

“Ugh,” I groan, holding my head. “How is it that you’re up before me?”

“Dunno. But I do know if you stay in bed any longer, you’ll miss orientation.”

I sit up and set my feet on the floor. “Orientation?” I mumble.

“Yeah. All the freshmen get divided into groups by our dorms. Each group is assigned a peer leader. One of the upperclassmen. They show us around campus today, and then act as a liaison between us and the RAs all term.” She scratches her wrist and shrugs. “Part of the student council’s attempt to get us
‘integrated’
on campus.”

“How is it that you know so much about all this?” I ask.

“Haven’t I told you yet?”

I shake my head.

“I’m not really a freshman. Well, I am, but not like you. I was here last year. But I left halfway through first semester to, um, sort out some personal things.”

“So you’re a year older?” I ask.

“Yeah.”

“How come they put you back in the freshman dorms, then?”

“I never got any credits, so I came back with a clean slate. It’s like I was never here!” She winks. “But I know
tons
of things about campus life. So, you and I are on the inside track.”

“Heh. I’m glad I’ve got someone by my side who’s done all this before.”

“That you do,” Katy agrees. She takes my arm, pulls me up, and shoves me down the hall to the bathroom. “Now, hurry up! We don’t want to be late. Word is,
our
peer leader is a total hottie.”

***

Katy and I rush into a packed classroom ten minutes past eleven. Despite her familiarity with campus, we had a little bit of trouble finding it.

There’s an excited energy in the room. A ring of blue plastic chairs rims the outside. Most are taken. I spot two empty ones and point them out to Katy. We go and sit down.

“Hi,” an over-eager guy says beside me. “I’m Johnny.”

“Paige,” I reply, shaking his hand. “This is my roommate, Katy.”

“Nice to meet you,” he says to both of us. “I take it you’re both freshmen, too?”

“Well, technically…” I begin.

“WELCOME!”

Everyone’s attention snaps to the center of the room. A hush falls over the students. They start moving to their seats to carve out a space in the middle, where a tall man with light brown hair is holding up his arms.

“That’s him,” Katy hisses beside me. “He’s hot, just like I said, isn’t he?”

“How can you tell?” I whisper back. “All we can see is the back of his head!”

“Ahem. Once I make sure everyone’s here,” our peer leader says, “we can get started.”

“I can tell,” Katy assures me. “The way he has his shoulders pulled back is proof enough.”

“We’ll see,” I mutter.

The guy in the middle starts counting heads. His hand dips down slightly every time to acknowledge the count. “…eleven, twelve, thirteen…”

Something about his posture tickles the back of my mind. I don’t know what. I strain my head to the side, trying to get a look at his face. So far, I can’t see anything except his hair.

He turns slowly as he continues his count. “…twenty-four, twenty-five…”

Then I see the side of his face, and my breath catches.

It’s
Andrew
.

“Wow, what’d I tell you?” Katy chortles beside me. “Total dreamboat, right?”

“Yeah,” I say weakly.
Andrew
is here?

Katy looks at me sideways. “What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, look sharp!” she alerts me, sitting up straight in her chair. “He’s getting to us.”

Andrew’s forefinger bobs up and down as he continues his count. He gets to me and Katy. Our eyes meet. A look of complete and utter shock flashes across his face.

“Oooh, he likes you,” Katy whispers once he has moved on. “Did you see the way he choked up when he saw you?” She clicks her tongue. “Too bad it’s against the rules to get involved with your peer leader.”

I turn on her. “
What
?”

She looks at me funny. “Yeah, like,
duh
. The RAs don’t want peer leaders having favorites. They’re supposed to be, um, ‘impartial advisors,’ as the student council calls them. Being romantically involved? Total no-no.” She winks. “Otherwise, half the girls in here would have jumped him already.”

Andrew starts saying something in the middle of the room. I don’t hear a word. Katy’s words ring hollow in my ears.
Total no-no.

Andrew makes us go around the room and say our names, one by one. Katy has to nudge me when it’s my turn. “Paige,” I offer, lifeless. I feel numb inside.

Andrew doesn’t look at me once during the meeting. There’s only one reason for that: He
knows
. He
knows
we cannot be together. All because of some stupid rule. It’s not fair. Just when I come across the first good thing in my life, it gets snatched away.

The orientation meeting wraps up. People start filing out of the room. I get up and try to blend in with them.