Combust (The Wellingtons #1) (15 page)

I don’t think I have to worry about his warning though. There’s only been one girl who’s ever made me feel anything more than lust, and she’s been long, long gone. I don’t want to think about her right now, but unfortunately, the damage is done and Branson’s words echo through my mind. Closing my eyes, I try to picture her ruby-colored hair, her sea-green eyes, the adorable smile that I swear makes her freckles stand out. It’s a face I haven’t seen in years, yet I just can’t seem to forget. The fact that, after freshman year, it seemed like she fell off the face of the Earth has bothered the hell out of me, and I think it’s made my…curiosity—yeah, that’s it—for her grow with each year that passes.

The thing is, it’s only on nights like these, when I’m alone and the liquor is flowing through me, that I even allow myself to think about her. Andi. Andi… I laugh to myself. I can’t believe that some part of my heart is still hung up on a girl whose last name I don’t even know. The one thing I do know is that no amount of screwing, no amount of messing around, no other woman has ever been able to completely push her out of my mind, and if I can admit it, part of me hates her for doing this to me. And the other part hates myself.

BANGING ON the bathroom door, I feel both annoyance and exasperation that he’s taking so long. “Hurry up! If we aren’t out the door in ten minutes, I’m going to be late, and I cannot miss this appointment!” I yell, hoping he hears me over the shower.

I hear a muffled response, and when the water turns off, I sigh in relief and head towards the kitchen, where I pour myself a cup of coffee. As I inhale the mouthwatering aroma of hazelnut, I tell myself to relax, that the meeting this morning is going to be just fine.

After taking a seat at the stool, I watch the morning news and sip on my coffee, anxiously tapping my foot, becoming increasingly impatient as the minutes tick away. Matt Lauer’s going on about the coverage for the upcoming Olympics, but I honestly couldn’t care less. I’m too stressed about the new—and what should hopefully be my last—semester starting.

“Hey, babe. You ready to go?”

I swivel in my stool and give him a scowl. “Theodore Alexander Bennett, I could kick your ass. I’ve been ready for over half an hour. You know my car’s in the shop and I need you to drop me off on campus before you go to work. I swear, even after three and a half years, you still live to drive me insane.”

Teddy rounds the counter and wraps his arms around me, giving me a sloppy kiss on the cheek. “Yeah. But admit it. You still love me anyway.”

Laughing, I turn and pat his cheek affectionately. “It’s true. Heaven only knows why, but it’s true, Teddy Bear.”

He steps back from me and lets out a groan. “Seriously? If I can’t call you Candy Cane then you can’t me Teddy Bear. I have no idea how many times we’ve gone over this. At least yours is a delicious treat I can suck on for hours until it melts in my mouth. Mine is a stuffed animal that dogs like to hump. So please, for the love of God, no more Teddy Bear, especially when we’re out in public. It makes me look soft.”

Grinning up at him, I poke him in the stomach. “Oh, well, excuse me, Teddy. Heaven forbid anyone get the idea that you’re soft. What would the ladies think then?”

Reese chooses that moment to walk into the kitchen, giving us both a dirty look. “God, you two are so freaking annoying. I can barely function before noon and you’re already all dressed up like some power couple ready to take on the day. I have no idea why I put up living with you two. It’s bad enough that Cy has to get up at the ass crack of dawn for his grad school classes, but then the two of you are all energetic morning people. I hate it. You suck.” She leans across the counter and grabs my cup, downing it in just a few gulps.

Teddy and I stare at her, used to this rant. In Reese’s defense, she’s been bartending at night in order to save up money while she finishes school. If I were coming home at three a.m. and had to be up for classes by nine, I’d be pretty damn grumpy, too.

Pouring a new cup, I hand it over to her. “Okay, grumpy. We’re getting out of your hair. I probably won’t see you before you leave for work, but you can pretty much guarantee I’ll be in there for a drink tonight. It’s going to a long day.”

We leave Reese in peace, and even though I gave her coffee, I really hope she gets some more rest. Lately, she’s been picking up extra shifts at the bar, and between that and her classes, I’m afraid she’s taking on too much.

Teddy and I make small talk on the way to campus, and I’m grateful his accounting firm is only a few miles away. He drops me off in front of the academic advising building, and as I move to get out of his truck, he catches my hand. When I turn back to him, I see him giving me a warm smile.

“Andi, you can do this. It’s one more semester. It’s one class. You’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and I know you’re going to be amazing when you leave this place. You just have one more hurdle to cross, and I have complete faith that you can do it.” He gives my hand a squeeze, and I cross the cab of the truck to place a soft kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks, Teddy. That means a lot. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.” He gives me a warm smile, and I scoot out of the truck before turning back to him. “It’s just a few more months, right? Like you said, I can do it. Have a great day a work, and I’ll call you when I’m ready for a ride home.”

After shutting the door, I turn back towards the building and take a deep breath. All I have to do is make it through the next four months, and then it’s graduation day. Setting my shoulders, I head inside the building, hoping this meeting doesn’t end in a catastrophe.

“ALL RIGHT, Ms. Kane. It looks like we’re all set. I have you scheduled for CHEM 110 – general chemistry, which will also include a lab. Because you waited until the very last second to take your natural sciences course, I’d strongly advise you to get set up in the tutor center.”

I grimace, knowing that going there is the last thing I want to do as a senior in college, but at this point, I’ll do whatever I have to do to graduate. “Okay…” I tell her, apprehension lacing my voice.

Ms. Elliott gives me a sympathetic smile. “Ms. Kane, it’s just a precautionary measure. In fact, you’re in luck. The student who is on track to graduate highest in his class has actually agreed to tutor select chemistry students this semester. Throughout the rest of your academic career, you’ve gotten stellar grades. You squeaked by with Cs in your required math courses, and I don’t want to see you struggle when it comes to chemistry. So take my advice. Let me set you up with this tutor. Usually the center randomizes their student/tutor pairings, but I can pull a few strings. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, he will ensure that you pass, which ultimately will lead you to graduating. How does that sound?”

I want to tell her that tutoring sounds awful and I feel like I’m in the fifth grade again. However, it’s my own fault for putting off this required course until now, so I lift my chin and give her a smile. “That sounds perfect, Ms. Elliott, and I sincerely appreciate you working with me on this. I promise I won’t disappoint you.”

We both rise and shake hands. “Trust me, Ms. Kane. It won’t be me you’d be disappointing, but yourself. According to your academic record, you’re an extremely bright girl. You’re just not scientific minded. Don’t tell my boss, but I think it’s absolutely insane that a journalism major needs to understand chemical functions, but I’m not paid to plan or question the curriculum. Take advantage of the tutor. I promise you won’t regret it.”

Nodding to her, I glance down at my paperwork, not seeing a tutor name. “Excuse me, Ms. Elliott? How will I know who I’m meeting? There’s no name here.”

She waves me off as she sits back down. “Oh, don’t worry about that. I can’t give you his name because the tutor center has the final say. I’ll put in my recommendation. Nine times out of ten, they take it, and even if they don’t, there are still a ton of extremely capable tutors to help you out. Give me an hour to make some phone calls and then head on over to the tutor center sometime after that. He might not be there when you check in, but if you do get assigned to him, they’ll give you a time and a place to meet with him. Sound good?”

She gives me an enthusiastic smile and I try to return it. “Sounds great, Ms. Elliott. I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to help me out. I guess I was too focused on my major courses and I let this one slip under the radar. I will take complete advantage of the tutor center and hope I get the guy you think is best for the job. Thank you again for your time.”

Once I leave her office, I have to unbutton my jacket. I have no idea why I started sweating in her office, but the finality of all of this is finally setting in. If I don’t pass this course, this one measly science course, I’ll have to put off graduation, and that’s the last thing I want to do. As much as I looked forward to college nearly four years ago, I want to leave it all behind even more.