{18+ COMPLETED • COLLEGE ROMANCE}
When a college freshman with a learning disability and a reputation collides with a straight-A, straight-laced girl in the dorm kitchen one night, he sees the darkest parts of himself reflected in her. But the two o...
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M A D I E
November Eleventh
Five
Footprints only last until the next
tide comes in,
until the next wave rolls up.
And then they are washed away like the past.
—
Theocean rushed up to meet us, frigid in its approach. The warmth of the seventy-five-degree skies did not extend to the water. I waded into it anyway, knowing Bren was right behind me. A wave rushed forward, hitting against my knees. It rocked me back into him, and shock spread through my body as I hit his hard chest.
His arms slid around my bare waist, steadying me.
I let out a little squeal. It might have been from the suddenness of his touch or the cold water or his warm breath on my neck as he caught me.
I wasn't sure exactly why I squealed, but Bren responded with, "I've got you, baby."
I shouldn't like it when he called me that, but I did. It should have bothered me. Quinton used the endearment—or whatever it was for him—all the time. But with Quin, the little term slipped out most often when he was trying to apologize or distract me, when he was trying to convince me with his words to forget his actions.
It felt so different coming from Bren's mouth as he murmured behind me. He wasn't trying to prove anything.
"You still want to go swimming?" His lips actually grazed my ear as he spoke.
"You know," I began, "if you're too cold, you don't have to come."
Bren made a little humming noise, like amusement had tickled the back of his throat. "I already told you that I'd go wherever with you, and that includes the icy Pacific."
He lifted me, still holding around my middle, and took two steps forward. We were thrust into a wave, suddenly covered up to our waists with the cold swirls of saltwater.
I squealed again, and I felt Bren shudder a little bit. But husky laughter rippled from him at the same time.
Acting on impulse, I twisted around in his arms so I could peer up at him. I was used to seeing those soft brown eyes by now, but they were different today. There was a spark I hadn't seen before, and it was hitting me, warming me in the freezing sea. Water dripped down from his hair, which had been partly drenched as he'd brought us deeper.
"Hey, Madeline." I'd never heard his voice drop so deep before. I'd never heard anyone say my name like that. A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth, drawing my attention.
