A Spotlight Summer (Jack Gilinsky)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Kelsey POV

"Who invited us to this party again?" I shouted at my roommate Brynn over the deafening music playing around us.

"Danny from chem!" she answered. I nodded and followed her as she weaved through the crowded frat house. I decided not to mention that I didn't even know there was a Danny in our chemistry class.

Brynn was the complete opposite of me and I've spent the past two weeks wondering just how the hell we got placed together for dorming. She's drunk more often than not, practically never has any clothing on, and wears more makeup than anyone I have ever seen. At first I was filled with dread when I saw her, but I decided that a new personality type would be fun to live with. Why shouldn't I be going to parties? This is college after all, and I was not going to let myself work as hard as I did in high school. It was time to let loose.

"Kelsey! Look over there!" Brynn excitedly pointed to a figure in the distance. I followed her outstretched hand and noticed the attractive male standing near all the alcohol. Although he looked enticing, he was definitely much too old to pursue. When I brought this up to Brynn, she waved my comment away and said, "Kelsey, there is a reason I have this much eye shadow on tonight and it's not to make me look younger."

I laughed at her remark and before I could wish her good luck, she was already heading over to him. Brynn oozed confidence and I made a resolution to be more like her. She was most certainly going to get the full college experience.

I decided to follow her lead.

I left Brynn alone with her new distraction and headed toward another crowded room of the oversized house. As I was trying to squeeze through a particularly small doorway, I felt a strong body bump into mine. Then, I felt the wetness start to drip down my shirt. A gasp escaped my throat as I clutched my soaked black blouse.

"Shit, I'm sorry," the male who knocked into me apologized. I slipped my hair behind my ears and looked up at him. His eyes were pleading with mine and I didn't have the strength to be mad at him.

I shook my head and reassured him, "Oh, it's fine. At least I wasn't wearing white."

He laughed at my ease and replied, "That would have made this a very different type of party."

"One of which I am not eager to attend," I smiled. We both stood leaning on opposite frames of the doorway and I struggled to maintain eye contact with him. He was much taller than I and we were standing very close.

The stranger looked at his empty red cup and dismissed the piece of plastic, throwing it to the ground. "I'm Kyle," he introduced.

I fluttered my eyelashes upward and answered, "Kelsey."

Kyle nodded, pleased with this new information and held his thumb in the direction of the alcohol. "Kelsey, can I get you a drink? I promise I won't spill it on you this time."

I cocked my head and ordered my tongue to speak. "Sure. It's not like I have a boyfriend," I flirtatiously grinned.

Kyle grabbed my hand and led me to his desired destination. I willed my brain not to think about how his hand didn't seem to fit right with mine.

Once he was satisfied that I had a drink in my hand, he leaned toward me and asked, "So what's your story, Kelsey?"

"I can't believe they made you do that!" I laughed, my hand coming up to cover my mouth.

Kyle threw up his hands and exclaimed, "I lived on a ranch in Virginia! That's what was expected!"

Still fighting laughter, I squeaked, "Oh my god, no wonder you decided to come to New York."

"Yeah, I figured the girls here were better than the cattle back home."

"Oh really?" I teased.

Kyle and I had since found a secluded loveseat and quizzed each other on our former lives. He told me about the south and I told him about field trips to the MET museum in the seventh grade. Everything was going good-great, even. Kyle was also going into medicine and somehow knew exactly what to say to make me laugh. I haven't laughed in a while.

It felt liberating.

At my statement, Kyle locked eyes with me and silence came over our conversation for the first time that night. His eyes searched for resistance and when he concluded that he saw none, he leaned forward. His forehead touched mine and my chest was most certainly heaving up and down. His lips were inches from mine when he whispered, "Yes."

Just as he was about to close the gap between us, something switched on in my brain. While he leaned forward, I jumped out of my seat and away from him. Kyle, taken aback, looked up at my now standing frame and opened his mouth to say something but I couldn't be bothered to stay around and hear it. I muttered an apology and ran away from the guy I just met who gave me absolutely no reason to abandon him.

I exited the claustrophobic house and struggled for air even though I was now outside. I licked my red lips and swore at myself. These past two weeks, I have worked so hard not to think about him. Not to long for him next to me late at night or miss the feeling of his lips brushing across all parts of my skin without warning. I willed myself not to remember how his hand felt on my bare leg during a chemistry lesson or how angelic he looked in a suit while Brynn droned on and on about some guy she hooked up with the night before.

I was doing so well.

I was going out to parties and mingling with new people and keeping up with my classes and not remembering the reason I was late to school in the first place. It was becoming easier. All of this stupid pain was becoming manageable, as long as I distracted myself.

And then Kyle just leaned in to kiss me and I realized, with complete and absolute certainly, that I didn't want to kiss anyone but Jack.

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration at myself. Jack is the one who ruined our relationship. Jack is the one who mistreated me and yet here I was, freezing my ass off at one in the morning outside of a frat house in New York City.

Thousands of miles separated us.

Millions of people separated us.

And I still wanted him.

Disgustingly so, I still wanted him.

A/N: Don't slit my throat for either the late update or the wretched pain I am causing. Love you lots xx

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