He Turned Me Down, So I Dated His Best Friend Instead Chapter 10

He Turned Me Down, So I Dated His Best Friend Instead Chapter 10

In the car,

I received a message from Mia.

[Why did Julian sound kind of passive–aggressive?]

I typed back, [Did he?]

Sitting beside me, she fired off another reply. [That’s how it came across to me… But maybe I’m reading too much into it.]

The rest of the drive passed in silence.

Mason dropped us off outside the dorm.

After my roommates had gone inside,

I finally turned to him. “Um…”

He held the umbrella over me. “Yeah?”

I took a breath and rushed through the speech I’d rehearsed in the car.

“It was nice meeting you.”

“But I’m really not looking to date anyone. You don’t have to keep chasing me. You’ll only waste

your time.”

It was still early, and the dorm windows glowed behind us. Rain whispered through the maples as Mason watched me and laughed softly.

He said with shameless confidence,

“Then let’s start as friends.”

“I fell for you the second I saw you.”

Suddenly, I had no idea what to say.

Wasn’t that exactly how I’d felt about Julian?

What if

one day, I really did fall for the man standing in front of me?

The thought made me realize

that I wasn’t opposed to the possibility.

So I looked at him and, almost against my better judgment, didn’t turn him down again. “I’m heading upstairs.”

That night, Mason and I followed each other on Instagram and exchanged numbers.

Mason knew how to make himself impossible to ignore.

He came to Hartwell often and brought me little gifts. None of them were expensive, but every one

showed how much thought he’d put into it.

Mia sighed dreamily.

“I heard he’s never had a girlfriend. And look at him. If I were you, I’d say yes.”

As she said it,

a message from Mason lit up my phone.

[Want cinnamon rolls? The ones from your favorite bakery. I’m downstairs.]

Growing up,

plenty of people had pursued me.

But no one had ever pursued me as openly, or met every obstacle as head–on, as Mason did.

That day, I went to an interview.

By the time I walked out, the sun was blazing.

I wasn’t used to walking in heels, and I rolled my ankle.

Pain shot up my leg, and I sucked in a breath.

Someone caught my arm from behind.

An even male voice asked, “Are you okay?”

I looked up and froze. “You?”

Julian and I had barely spoken over the past several weeks.

The semester was almost over, and classes were winding down.

Whenever we did run into each other,

Dawn was beside him, and Mason was beside me.

They still greeted one another and exchanged a few words.

I stood to the side and never joined in.

This was the first time in more than a month that Julian and I had been alone.

He nodded, studied me for a long moment, then said simply,

“Wait here.”

Without waiting for an answer, he turned and headed into the convenience store across the street.

He’d only been gone a few minutes

when Mason arrived.

He’d come to pick me up.

He’d been held up, which was why he was late.

He crouched so I could climb onto his back, then carried me to the car.

Once I was inside,

I thought about my run–in with Julian. After a moment’s hesitation, I was about to mention it.

Then I spotted him a few yards away.

Julian stood beneath a tree with a shopping bag in his hand.

Inside was a pair of flats and a tube of pain–relief gel.

His expression was icy as he watched me.

But the second our eyes met, he turned away and threw the entire bag into a trash can.

I watched him walk away.

After a long moment, I looked away too.

Mason hadn’t noticed Julian. He asked casually, “What are you looking at?”

I shook my head and answered barely above a whisper.

“Nothing.”