Tracy threw the door open, her eyes wide. Jennifer watched as Tracy’s expression changed.

Tracy began to laugh, lightly at first, and wound up until she folded on the floor, gasping for breath between the gales.

Jennifer glanced in the mirror and saw what had grabbed the back of her neck. It was one of her teddy bears that fell from the shelf. Heat crept into her cheeks and she peeled the bear from her shoulders, flinging it to the back of the closet. She flipped the light switch on and off as the laughter simmered out of her. “The bulb must have blown.”

“The bear got you!” Tracy pointed through the laughter.

“Do we have a light bulb?”

Tracy nodded, her laughter calming. “You scared the daylights out of me. When I heard you scream…,” she trailed off and headed into the bathroom. In the pantry, she pulled a light bulb out and grabbed one of the stools.

“Sorry, I kind of freaked out. It was so dark and cold in there and when the bear fell, I guess it sent me over the edge.” She laughed as she took the stool and stood on it with Tracy spotting her. Jennifer unscrewed the dead light bulb, handing it to Tracy in exchange for the good one. When she stepped off the stool and hit the light switch, bright light filled the closet. “Thanks.” She smiled and looked back at her clothes.

“I’d wear this.” Tracy reached across and pulled out a blue sundress with spaghetti straps. She handed the dress to Jennifer and walked out with a smile.

Jennifer reached down and grabbed her flip-flops, slid them on, and stepped out of the closet. She flipped off the light and started to close the door behind her. Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw a flash of red and opened the door again, peering into the darkness. There was nothing there but the damn draft drifting over her legs and making her shiver. She shut the door.

Jennifer put the dress on, combed her hair and refreshed her makeup. She stood back in the dressing room and scanned herself with a critical eye.

“He’s going to love that on you.” Tracy glanced in at Jennifer. She had changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants, and carried her textbook for her Law of Libel and Communications class.

“Homework already?”

Tracy shrugged. “I got my books today and I figured this is the class that’s gonna be the most difficult and I better get a jump on it if I want to keep my GPA up there.” She shrugged. “I’m going to park myself on the couch, watch some scary movies and do a little studying tonight. I don’t think Billy will be coming by.” She took a breath. “Are you coming home tonight?”

“Yes. I’m not staying at the frat house,” she said. She had done that once with Tom and didn’t want a repeat of the morning awkwardness. Only one bathroom for a dozen guys was ludicrous. “Do you mind if Steve comes back with me?”

“Yum, eye candy.” Tracy grinned, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

Jennifer chuckled. “He looks particularly good in the morning.” She headed out, swiping her notebook, pocket book and keys off the hall table and closed the front door behind her.

Chapter 16

Steve caught up with Bill. “I don’t intend to hurt her.”

Bill stopped and turned toward him. “I hope not. Because she’s special.”

“I’m aware of how special she is.”

Bill softened a little. “You know, I should kick your ass for what you pulled on Tracy and me.” He crossed his arms and leaned on the entry wall.

Steve shrugged. “Yeah, well, blame that on the actress.”

Bill raised an eyebrow. “You did some first class acting yourself.” He looked at the bruise on Steve’s face. “You should have told me.” He started to walk away.

“Why?”

“Because I’m your fraternity brother,” he said, facing Steve and taking a few steps backward before he turned away. “There are no secrets here,” he said over his shoulder before disappearing around the corner.

Steve went to his room, threw the notebook on the desk, and collapsed face-first on the bed. Reaching over to turn the radio on, he closed his eyes. Just for a few, he thought and drifted to sleep, listening to the soft music and the distant conversations in the frat house.

Chapter 17

Jennifer gently ran her hand over his back, startling him out of a sound sleep. He looked up at her and then around the room in surprise. “What time is it?” he asked, his tone groggy with sleep.

“Twenty after ten.”

Steve’s head turned sharply to confirm what she had told him. The green numbers of his alarm clock read ten twenty-two. “Holy shit.” He sat up straight. He hadn’t even heard her come into his room. “I never sleep that soundly,” he grumbled and looked around as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

“I guess I tired you out today.”

Steve shrugged and got up. “I’ll be right back,” he said, grabbing a toothbrush and toothpaste before he disappeared down the hall. Quiet permeated the fraternity and he stopped, listening to the nothingness before continuing. He slipped into the bathroom and threw cold water on his face to wake himself up. He brushed his teeth, getting rid of the pasty sleep taste he woke up with.

“Where is everybody?” he asked when he returned.

“I don’t know. One of the pledges let me in and pointed me to your room.”

Steve sat down next to her. “I haven’t slept that soundly since I was in high school.” He rubbed his face. “I didn’t hear everyone leave or you come in either.” He glanced at her. “That’s not good.”

Jennifer scanned the room. It was neat and organized. Nothing was out of place except the notebook, which had been carelessly tossed on the desk. It wasn’t the same organized chaos as the cottage, and she wondered which one was the real Steve. “This is a little more organized than I expected.” She looked back at him.

Steve smiled and leaned over, biting her earlobe. “I’m more organized in my job than in my private life,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. He ran his lips over the corner of her jaw and turned her face toward him so he could kiss her.

Time stopped with the kiss, the world around them disappearing as they floated on the intensity of their shared emotion. Breathlessly, they pulled away and the room came back into focus.

“What if I told you I wanted to runaway to Vegas with you,” he whispered, his voice husky from the heat rushing through him.

“And do what?”

“I was thinking about one of those cheesy wedding chapels,” he answered, nipping at her neck. “You know, the ones where the justice of the peace is dressed like Elvis.”

Jennifer giggled and he pulled away from her neck and raised an eyebrow. “Is that funny?”

“Yes, very.”

“Why?” Irritation started to crawl up his spine.

“You don’t remember?”

She stumped him and he bit the side of his lip, wondering what she was referring to.

“When we were kids, you promised to marry me in Las Vegas when I turned twenty-five.”

His eyebrows shot up and the past flooded in like the tide. “Shit, that’s right. I forgot about our little pact.”

“And we sealed it with blood,” she said and looked at her finger.

His index finger tingled with the memory and he smiled. “So do you still want to?” he asked and returned his lips to her neck, the question hanging on the air like a thick bank of fog and his heart jumped into hyper drive, waiting for an answer. The answer.

“We’ll see,” she said as his lips trailed down her neck.

Steve stopped. “You used to say that when we were kids,” he said, pushing her away. “When you didn’t really want to do something.”

Jennifer shook her head. “No. I said it when I wasn’t ready to make a decision.”

Steve sat up, frustrated. “Do you feel the same way I do?”

“I’m reasonably sure I do,” she answered, sitting up.