Wrecked Read Free Page A

the
dorms, you’ll be frozen stiff by the time you get there. My place is just past
that trail.” He pointed to a jogging trail leading into the forest. “Let’s go
there and get you warmed up first. Get us both warmed up.”
    As much as
I hated to admit it, he was right. If I wanted to go back to my room, I’d have
to walk halfway across campus. My clothes would probably become ice armor by
the time I got there.
    I thought
a moment about how I knew nothing about this guy and was going over to his
place. Ordinarily I’d be cautious, but these were unusual circumstances. This
was a matter of life and death—literally. Besides, T&M didn’t seem
dangerous; he’d just saved my life. If anything he probably thought I was the
unstable one.
    Deciding
to follow his suggestion, I tried to walk over to him but faltered when the
cramp returned.
    He sighed,
his breath steaming up the air. He came over to me and stopped. The next thing
I knew, he was turned around and kneeling in front of me. For some reason, the
sight of him in that position made my pulse skip a beat.
    “What are
you doing?” I asked.
    “It’s
called a piggyback ride. C’mon, we don’t have all day.”
    “I can
walk just fine,” I shot back, annoyed by his condescending tone.
    “No you
can’t. Don’t be a brat, hop on before we both freeze to death.”
    I opened
my mouth to protest but closed it when another gust of wind hit my face like an
icy baseball bat. Knowing he was right, I begrudgingly mounted him, feeling my
chest press against the hardness of his back as I wrapped my arms and legs
around his torso. His body exuded enormous heat—probably because he had been
running not long ago—and it permeated the layers of wet cotton separating us.
The sensation was warm and comforting making my pulse beat a steady staccato in
my ears.
    I didn’t
have the will to protest, especially considering how comfortable the ride was,
so we kept each other warm as we walked through the trail.
    Five
minutes later, my cramp had gone away and we arrived at a brick apartment
complex. He’d been right: his place was much closer than the dorms. It was one
of those off-campus student apartments. They weren’t officially owned by the
college, but a lot of the upperclassmen stayed in them, and they were usually
much nicer than the on-campus dorms.
    After
walking up the steps to the second floor with me on his back, he set me down in
front of apartment “2E”. We went inside and he closed the door behind us. My
shivering stopped almost immediately. I was so grateful the apartment was much
warmer than outside. I released a deep breath, relieved I was no longer in
danger of freezing to death.
    “You’re
wet,” he said. “Wait here.”
    He
disappeared into another room while I awkwardly stood near his door, water
dripping on the carpet. Not knowing what else to do, I surveyed the
surroundings, noticing the tidy kitchen and an old brown couch positioned in
front of a small TV. It was surprisingly neat for a guy’s place. I was
expecting empty beer cans, posters of half-naked swimsuit models, and maybe a
bong or two—the typical college guy setup.
    He
returned with a few pieces of neatly folded clothing and a towel. I expected
him to be in a new change of clothes but he was still in his drenched sweats.
    T&M
offered me the clothes. “Sorry, but this is all I have. I don’t exactly keep
women’s clothes around.” He pointed past the couch. “Bathroom’s around the
corner.”
    “What
about you?” I asked, eyeing his hair and clothes dripping on the carpet.
    “I’ll be
fine for a bit longer, go on . . .”
    “Are you
sure? You can go first. It’s your place after all.”
    The edges
of his lips curved upward. It was the first time I’d seen him smile and the
look of him with wet hair and a boyish grin sent tingles down my back. “I
appreciate the concern but I’ll be fine. Go on, warm up. I’m gonna change out
of these clothes while you’re in