The Final Chance by Cait Marie
Dylan
Dylan checked his phone again. If Beth Ann didn’t return soon, he’d run into one of the RAs. Then, depending on his ability to smooth talk his way out of trouble, he’d either be kicked out or arrested. He leaned his head back against the floor with a sigh.
The elevator dinged at the end of the dim hall. A couple moved through the shadows toward him, hands all over each other. He grinned as he realized they had no idea he was there. Then, he heard her. The man spun her around, and she laughed before passionately kissing him. Dylan watched in horror as the moment slowed and they deepened the kiss.
“Bethy?” He couldn’t have stopped the name from escaping if he’d tried.
The couple stilled. They broke apart but the girl didn’t face him. Maybe he’d been wrong.
“Beth Ann?”
As she finally turned, he pushed himself up off the floor, his heart skidding to a stop.
“Dylan.”
He had a split second to decide how to handle the situation. With only a slight hesitation he hoped she didn’t notice, he switched into his usual, joking self. The familiar mask slid back into place, but his chest ached at the effort it took not to react.
“Had I known this is how you spend your Fridays, I wouldn’t have gone with the surprise plan.” He tried to joke—to brush it off. He winked at the guy standing behind her who looked somewhere between shocked and murderous. Dylan leaned toward the latter based on the way they’d been all over each other moments before. Reaching a hand around her, he said, “Sorry, I’m Dylan, one of Bethy’s friends from home.”
“Bethy?” he asked with a hint of amusement, shaking Dylan’s hand while looking to her.
Beth Ann grabbed Dylan’s arm, breaking them apart, and hissed, “What are you doing here?”
“Nice to see you too.”
She crossed her arms, waiting for an answer.
Dylan shrugged. “I told you I was going to come visit.”
“I’m gonna go,” the guy said, putting a hand around her back and kissing the top of Beth Ann’s head. “You two need to talk.”
She looked up at him with an apologetic smile. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
When she reached up to kiss him properly, Dylan’s hands turned to fists at his side. He looked away, fighting the urge to punch the man in the face. The guy said goodnight then headed toward… the next door.
Great. Dylan rolled his eyes.
Beth Ann didn’t speak. She unlocked her door and flipped on the lights as he followed. He closed the door while she yanked her coat off. Trying not to laugh at her quietly cursing him under her breath, he took his own off and looked around the tiny room. The two beds, desks, and dressers barely fit in here.
She turned to face him, but with the lack of space, he was mere inches away. “Why are you here?” she whispered.
He wanted so badly to reach out and hold her—to erase the pain he saw in those big blue eyes. “You weren’t answering your phone. I miss you.”
“You flew halfway across the country because I ignored your calls?”
Dylan smiled, glad she wasn’t yelling at him yet. “I needed to explain.”
“There’s nothing to explain,” she said, moving to sit on her bed.
He relaxed against the post of the bed opposite hers. “Bethy, nothing happened.”
“Stop calling me that.” She pulled her pillow to her lap with a huff. “And I saw you with Sarah.”
“And I just saw you making out with some random dude in the hall.” He wanted to stay calm, but jealousy was winning out. He’d texted her the truth about Sarah. She clearly didn’t care, and that hurt more than anything.
“Vince has nothing to do with this.”
“Oh?” He gripped the end of the bed, needing something to keep his hands occupied to stop fidgeting. “You honestly expect me to believe that hasn’t been going on for months? I saw you two.”
Beth Ann’s cheeks reddened. “I wasn’t with him when we kissed if that’s what you’re asking. He transferred here at the beginning of the semester.”
She clamped her mouth shut as if realizing she’d said too much. And she had. Dylan’s insides churned, but he couldn’t distinguish the anger from the hurt. They’d kissed at the New Year’s Eve party—just a day before she returned to school. According to Lila, Beth Ann had gone straight to the airport after finding him with Sarah. She’d left early because of him.
“You sure move on fast.” Weeks. It had only been three weeks.
Her eyes narrowed. “No, you don’t get to do that. You don’t get to judge me. You’re the one who slept with my cousin the same night you made out with me.”
“I didn’t—”
“It was just a kiss, Dylan,” she said, cutting him off. “I get it. That’s all it was. It’s fine.”
“Then, why are you ignoring my texts?” he asked. “I explained everything, but you still wouldn’t respond.”
A beat of silence passed, neither seeming to know what to say.
“You promised.” His quiet words were barely audible. “Friends no matter what.”
Her eyes softened. “I know.”
After a long minute, she sighed and stood. As she moved toward him, Dylan held his breath. Her arms went around him, and he didn’t hesitate to hold her close. That’s all he’d wanted to do the past three weeks.
“I missed you too,” she whispered. “Friends?”
His heart twisted, but if that’s what she was offering, he’d take it. For the time being at least. “Always.”
“So, where are you staying?” She took a step back.
“I told you we’d be cuddle buddies since you don’t have a couch.”
She raised an eyebrow, and in that one look, he saw her—the sassy, independent girl he needed back in his life. He’d do whatever it took to make things right.
“Fine. Does your boyfriend have a couch?”
Beth Ann grabbed her pillow and smacked him with it.
Dylan held up his hands in surrender, laughing. “I’m kidding. I’ll get a hotel.”
“It’s almost two in the morning…” She brushed a hand through her long blond hair. “My roommate isn’t coming back tonight. You can sleep in my bed; I’ll sleep in hers.”
He smiled and moved to hug her.
“One night,” she said with a grunt as he squeezed her.
He let go, kicked off his shoes, and sat on her bed. He really hadn’t wanted to wander the streets of New York in the middle of night. Beth Ann pulled out some clothes, saying she’d change in the bathroom down the hall. By the time she returned, he had the blankets wrapped around him. The cold hit differently in that city. It was bitter and chilled him to the core.
Beth Ann turned off the lights and climbed into her roommate’s bed. They laid in silence a long moment before she said in a hushed tone, “He’s not my boyfriend.”
Dylan grinned up at the dark ceiling. He didn’t like what that implied, but it did mean he might still have a chance. And hope flooded him at the thought. “Goodnight, Bethy.”