Chapter 23

Georgina

San Fran State College is amazing. The campus is full of life. The student center and the library are bustling with prospective students.

My arms, well actually my dad’s arms, are full of leaflets about student activities, different courses, and at his insistence, student accommodation.

Jake seems as excited as I am, which surprises me as he didn’t appear too interested in college. It was his dad who insisted he get a business degree to help with the family business later on.

I link my fingers with his, and we pull each other back and forth across the whole campus, getting acquainted with its layout, even knowing that we are about to go on the official tour.

We gather with the other nervously excited students, waiting for the tour to begin, when suddenly Jake darts off.

A couple of seconds later, he reappears with none other than AJ ~fucking~ ~McGabe by his side. He at least has the decency to avoid making eye contact with me.

Since our little almost kiss, he’s gone back to being his usual dickish self, still sitting next to me in his new position in all our classes, but he all but stopped talking to me.

I hang back a bit, choosing to walk with my dad and Jake’s rather than have to be close to that asshat.

Jake and he seem deep in conversation as the perky blonde college girl shows us around. I notice her taking furtive glances at AJ as we trail behind her.

My dad touches my shoulder and motions that he and James are going to go get a drink. I smile and wave before grimacing and moving closer to Jake and AJ.

“Dude. If your mom is saying they’ll figure out a way for you to be able to go to Yale, fucking take it.” Jake has his arm slung over AJ’s shoulders as he talks quietly into his ear.

I sneak a little closer to hear AJ’s response.

“I can’t do it, man. Plus, if you’re here, that’ll be fucking awesome. Imagine the parties, dude.”

I snort, alerting them to my eavesdropping.

Jake drops his arm from AJ and instead pulls me closer.

“Don’t forget our little George here will be attending also!” AJ looks down at me, puzzled.

“I thought you were applying for Ivy League schools?”

“Yeah, well…” I shrug. “I thought you’d already been accepted to your dream school. What are you doing slumming it here with us?” His eyes darken slightly.

“Too bad you broke your ankle and missed out on all those lucrative cheerleading scholarships. It would have been the only way ~you’d~ have been accepted to Yale.” Jake pushes between us, making me aware of how close we’d gotten.

“Chill guys! Jeez. I thought you were getting on now?” We both shrug, making him roll his eyes at us.

I cross my arms, moving so Jake can’t put his arm around me again. He sighs, and I see him nudge AJ, shaking his head slightly.

The tour finishes at the student accommodation. The perky blonde, Ashley, or something, rounds off her little speech about how living in the halls is an experience not to be missed, keeping her gaze fixed on AJ.

He smirks back at her, biting his bottom lip suggestively.

The group starts to disband, and she saunters over to us, flicking her hair over her shoulder and licking her lips as she eyes AJ up and down.

AJ crosses his arms in front of his chest, making his arm muscles flex slightly, his smirk growing wider as her cheeks turn slightly pink.

“Hi!” she says breathlessly.

“Hey.” AJ winks, ~fucking winks,~ ~at her. God, cringe much? “Nice tour. Fancy giving me a personal one now?”

“Sure!” I think her face is gonna split with how wide her grin is.

He puts his arm around her shoulders and turns to smile at us. “Catch you later, guys.”

Jake chuckles.

“Ugh! He’s such a little fuck boy!”

Jake laughs louder.

“What! He couldn’t keep it in his pants for a whole day?”

“You’ve never given a shit what he’s done before, so why are you so riled up about it today?” Jake grins down toothily at me as we make our way back outside.

“I’m not... it’s just...” ~It’s just I think I maybe kinda sorta like AJ fucking McGabe.~ ~“Why is he even here? He got into Yale, for fuck’s sake.”

“He doesn’t want to leave his family.” Jake’s face falls a bit. “He’s worried they won’t cope without him around to look after his little sisters.”

“See! Now that’s kinda sweet. Why can’t he just be a decent guy all the time?”

I glance up at the floor we’d left him on with that girl. ~I wished it was me...~

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