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.”

he clears his throat,

cut through our sexual tension with a knife.

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

down the steps,

I start for the door, and Jase stops

and scope things out.

I want to tell him I’ll be fine and don’t need a chaperone, but knowing how truly disgusting this house

shoving things into drawers. His friend Trey walks by just in time to get hit in

the shirt and frowns. “What the fuck are you doing?” he asks, like seeing someone clean is the strangest thing he’s ever witnessed. Heck, maybe it is given the state of this house. “The

returns. “But Avery needs to use the

to be pussy whipped

look down at my shoes, thankful Jase didn’t hear that. Jase emerges a few

all yours,”

thanks and flee

* * *

outside of our human sexuality class and the quick coffee dates we have after class, but I know I’m getting too close. Jase has continued issuing challenges and I brazenly accept. So far, they’ve been innocent – flirting with the guy at the

anything – take

asked me to do something I don’t know if I can. He’s challenged me to contact the adoption agency to get my records. I’m silent while I weigh the decision. On the one hand, it’s something I’ve thought about doing the last few years, and I like how my conversations with Jase push deeper than the surface level crap I talk about with most people. But I don’t know. Once I’ve seen what’s in those files, I can never go back to not

with me?”

that’s taken up residence in my throat. “I’m

track her down, show up out of the blue and say, ‘Hi, did you give a baby up for adoption nineteen years ago?’ That sounds freaking terrifying. What if she’s crazy and horrible? What if she wants nothing to do with me? Maybe I’m

audible over the phone for his benefit, and Jase continues. “I think you’ll regret it if you don’t. I could come

“You’d do that?”

second. “Of course I

you do that? You hardly

“So.”

the country for all I know.”

if I’m your life coach, it’s my responsibility to see you to her doorstep safe and sound.

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