The Impact of You

Chapter 12

Avery

After class, Jase stops me on the sidewalk, placing his hand on my lower back and leaning close. “Come home with me,” he says, his ridiculously pretty blue eyes making it impossible to look away.

My mouth twitches and Jase laughs. “Not like that. I mean we’ll study, come up with our strategy for your upcoming assignments. Being a life coach is a big responsibility and I want to make sure I do right by you.”

I do have some homework to do. And Jase’s bed is super comfortable. I don’t want to second-guess and overthink every decision I make. We can do this as just friends. Friends study together. “Lead the way.”

Before I can even question it, I’m falling into step beside Jase. Being near him is increasingly throwing me off. I’m distracted watching the way his long, lean form does amazing things to a pair of jeans and a thermal tee when I realize I’ve almost stepped out into the street.

Oops.

He takes my hand in his, weaving his fingers between mine. The warm, calloused weight of his palm is new and electrifying. It sends a tingle up my arm and into my chest. I file that under Information Jase Does Not Need to Know. “Is this really necessary?” I make a point of looking down at our joined hands.

“Since you seem oblivious to oncoming traffic? Yes. Yes, it is.”

I arrange my mouth in a polite smile to avoid snapping at him. I’d underestimated the distance of one car at that last crosswalk, and suddenly he thinks I need a helmet. I roll my eyes at Jase, but keep my hand tucked warmly within his.

Once inside Jase’s room, he turns on some music from his laptop and plops down next to me, making the mattress dip.

The music is soft in the background, but soulful and deep. I like it. “What’s this? A study playlist?”

He shakes his head. “A playlist? Nah. It’s the Black Keys. I buy whole albums, not individual songs. I’m not afraid of commitment, babe.”

I smirk at his strange innuendo. “Good to know.”

We arrange various books and study implements across the bed, lying side by side on our stomachs. Studying with Jase is pointless. I can’t concentrate with him so close, but it’s much more entertaining than studying alone in my dorm.

After a few minutes, I look up to find Jase watching me. He’s abandoned his psych homework and is watching as I nibble on the end of my pen, trying to decipher my sociology assignment.

I remove the pen from my mouth. “Hi.”

high and he clears his

you could cut through our sexual

back.” I rise from his bed, needing a moment to myself to collect my thoughts. “Is there a bathroom I

steps, second

the door,

let me come with you and scope things out.

to tell him I’ll be fine and don’t need a chaperone, but knowing how truly disgusting this house is, he’s probably right. A dozen guys sharing a bathroom…ew…I shudder at the

His friend Trey walks by just in time to get hit in the face with a stray T-shirt Jase tosses

“What the fuck are you doing?” he asks, like seeing someone clean is the strangest thing he’s ever witnessed. Heck, maybe

returns. “But Avery needs

whipped when you’re not even getting any pussy,

pink and I look down at my shoes, thankful

yours,”

mumble my thanks and flee inside the bathroom.

* * *

the quick coffee dates we have after class, but I know I’m getting too close.

It’s like I can handle anything – take on the world – or maybe just deal with the

and I like how my conversations with Jase push deeper than the surface level crap I talk about with

still with me?” Jase whispers.

up residence in my throat. “I’m

the blue and say, ‘Hi, did you give a baby up for adoption nineteen years ago?’

it’s audible over the phone for his benefit,

“You’d do that?”

a second.

that? You hardly know

“So.”

probably lives across the country for all

trips. Besides, if I’m your life coach, it’s my responsibility to see you to her

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