Campus Love (sequel) Malexmale

15

After my ten o'clock class, I met up with Ava and Lucas so that we could walk around campus and find a dining hall to eat breakfast.

I must have slipped back into my reserved demeanor because I barely said a word in the conversation we were having. Or maybe I just had way too much on my mind. I was still in the clouds regarding my conversation with David last night. The thought of us actually starting a family-it was surreal. When I graduated high school, I would've never thought that I'd find love in college. And if someone told me that would be the case, I'd have laughed in their face.

I just didn't want to let that love go. Not ever.

"Earth to Casper," I heard Ava say. I looked at her with my bright blue eyes and dark furrowed eyebrows.

"What?" I quietly asked.

"Dining hall's this way."

I realized that I was starting to go the wrong way. I smiled it off and followed my friends into the building.

"What're you thinking about?" Lucas queried. "Jon told me Rowan showed up; I've been dying to talk to you about it."

"Wait, are you serious?" Ava gasped as we found a table. "When?"

"Saturday."

"On Valentine's day? You're kidding."

"True story, Av," I assured as we sat down. Ava's eyes were as wide as a deer caught in the headlights.

"Holy... What happened?"

"I just..." I shook my head, rubbing my temples. "It's so complicated; I don't even know how to tell you everything."

"You don't have to," she understood. "Are you and David okay at least?"

I stared at the table for a moment then shrugged. "Maybe?"

"I don't like the sound of that," Lucas grumbled. "That sounded like 'I think Rowan's a threat and back to take my man' and I do not approve."

"He survived the plane crash, the one everyone thought killed him."

"And how did he manage that?" Ava squealed out. I sighed, scratching my head and glancing out the window.

"Well, he lost part of his leg. He's amputated at the knee and I'm pretty sure he had burns along the same leg. Of course, it's healed by now, but he wears a prosthetic and... I don't know, I couldn't even handle hearing his story. David's dad did terrible things to him and Rowan warned me all those months ago that I might be next."

"We need to figure out how to keep you safe from that old guy's wrath. He's fucking crazy."

"I mean, if he thinks I'm leaving David, he needs a wake-up call. It's not happening. He managed to dig up some dark stuff from Rowan's past which prompted him to keep his life a secret, but it's not like I've got a dark past. Anyway, David said he's gonna speak to his dad today. The strange part? Rowan apparently did his own digging on Mr. Larsen and has information on him that can put him in jail for up to 30 years."

"Holy shit, what did the guy do?" Lucas asked.

"Bank fraud."

"Called it," Ava deadpanned, flipping her sandy blonde hair over her shoulder. "That'll totally hurt him."

"That's not everything." I folded my arms. "Apparently... before Rowan's plane incident, he and David were in the process of adopting a baby named Alex. His mother decided to keep him after his birth."

"Goodness, Cas, how did things get so complicated for you in such little time?"

"It was always complicated. I'm dating my former teacher who's twice my age and is technically still engaged to a man he thought was dead for 8 years. For goodness sake, they were going to have a son, they were about to be married. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. I feel like such a fool, thinking I actually stand a chance against all that history and love between them."