Behind Closed Doors by Ashelyn Drake Read Free Book Online Page B

his hands. “And you’ll deny it.” Seeing someone as big and muscular as Darren so scared is unnerving.
     
    “Room check!” Mindy yells, knocking on the door.
     
    Darren rushes for my closet and gets inside. I don’t have time to do the same. My door swings open with Mindy’s keys inside the lock. She looks down at her clipboard. “Noelle or Julia?”
     
    “Julia,” I say. “Sorry, I was just heading downstairs. I was asleep when the alarm went off.”
     
    “Sound sleeper. It’s been going off for a while.”
     
    I force a nervous chuckle. “Yeah, I can sleep through just about anything.”
     
    “Well, it’s a false alarm—something went screwy with the alarm in the lobby—but you still need to evacuate. It’s protocol.” She motions for me to exit, and I glance at my closet door once before obliging.
     
    I walk down the six flights of stairs and out of the dorm. Noelle and Andy are near the door, and they wave me over.
     
    “Why were you still inside?” Noelle asks.
     
    “I was…” I look around, realizing I shouldn’t say anything out in the open like this. The alarm stops, and the firemen let us back inside. With the crowd around the elevators, we decide to head for the stairs. Andy has a thing for the stairs anyway. He says they’re good exercise. Whatever. He’s the swimmer. I just want to get back to my room and finish talking to Darren. I need to know why he keeps getting so freaked out about me. One minute he clearly wants me, and the next he’s saying it’s a bad thing.
     
    Since we’re on the top floor, most of the crowd disperses before we reach the landing at the top of the stairs. Noelle tugs on my arm. “Were you with him?”
     
    A few people push past us, and even though Noelle didn’t say Darren’s name, I still tense up. I nod. “He just showed up.”
     
    Andy opens the door. “I’m sensing you two need to talk, so I’ll meet you in the room.” Noelle hands him her keys, and he disappears into the hallway.
     
    I sit down on the top step, no longer anxious to get to the room because I know Darren won’t tell me what’s bothering him with Andy and Noelle around. “I can’t figure him out. He obviously likes me, but something is holding him back.”
     
    “Holding him back? You’ve slept with him twice already.” She sits down and eyes me. “Or is it three times now?”
     
    “We didn’t have sex again. We were…doing other stuff.”
     
    She nods. “Did you tell him what you want?”
     
    “Yeah, but it doesn’t matter. There are fifteen weeks in the semester. We can’t be seen together until then. It’s going to be us sneaking around all the time.” As I say it, I realize how much it truly sucks.
     
    “I’ve never seen you like this, Jules.”
     
    “I know. I hate it. The first guy I’m really into and I can’t have him.”
     
    “You’ve already had him. Twice.” She bumps my shoulder with hers. I know she’s trying to lighten the mood, and I love her for it, but it’s not working.
     
    “He won’t let me drop the class, even though it would make things a little easier for us.”
     
    “Good.” Noelle takes my hand in hers. “You shouldn’t drop the class. This is your college experience. Don’t let—”
     
    I stand up, yanking my hand from hers. “Don’t tell me not to blow my freshman year over some guy . Because Darren isn’t some guy.” I clamp my mouth shut, realizing that not everyone has returned from the evacuation yet.
     
    Noelle stands up and whispers, “I wasn’t going to say that.”
     
    “Yes, you were. You’re looking out for me. I get it, but it’s not what I need right now.”
     
    “I’m sorry, Julia. I wish I could make this better for you.”
     
    “The worst part is that I think there’s more at stake than just his job.” This time I’m careful not to say Darren’s name. “I just don’t know what it is yet.”
     
    “Then ask him.”
     
    “I intend to.” Because I have a