Read Online Player (What Happens on Campus Book 1) by M L Sparrow - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: M L Sparrow
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wincing slightly as he did so. “I’ll go,” he conceded, “but I’m not buyin’ your reasons.” At the door, he paused with one foot out in the hallway, “If you need me, you have my number.”
As he closed the door behind him, Chloe reached over to the bedside table, where she’d placed her phone. Picking up the slim device, she turned it over in her hands, remembering that Parker had taken it last night to program in his number. Now that he was gone, she suddenly felt very lonely. Putting her phone back down, her fingers brushed the frame which held the photo of her and Jack and she felt a familiar pang in her chest. Though familiar, it still hurt like hell, as if someone had shoved a knife into her heart and twisted it to cause maximum pain. The breath hitched in her lungs.
Feeling the panic attack coming, she scrambled to the edge of the bed and sat bent double, with her head between her knees, forcing herself to breathe deeply until it passed.
When Riley returned late that evening, Chloe pretended to be asleep, curled up beneath the sheets, with music playing softly in the background and her hot water bottle hugged tight to her chest, making her sweat. Rolo sat on the pillow beside her head, but none of it was of any comfort.
Having only turned on her own bedside lamp, Riley clonked around in the semi-darkness, getting ready for bed. She must have stubbed her toe, because she swore through gritted teeth, hopping around, but Chloe still couldn’t summon the energy to say anything.
She felt the same way the next morning, but the bright light that flooded the room when Riley threw open the curtains forced her out of bed. “What time is it?” she asked groggily.
“Eight,” Riley answered. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah,” she lied, pushing back the covers and sitting up, scrubbing her face with both hands, before scraping her hair back into a messy bun.
“Good. In that case, get your butt out of bed, we’re going to explore.”
Reluctantly, Chloe did as she was told. A quick shower washed away the lingering sleep, but not the vague sense of detachment. It would be gone by the end of the day, she knew from experience, however, the feeling still terrified her deep down, because what if she didn’t snap out of it? Was this depression? Was she losing it?
Finding a pair of denim shorts and an old top, she pushed her feet into a pair of trainers and proclaimed herself ready to go.
Riley looked at her dubiously for a moment. “Don’t you want to put some makeup on? Or at least brush your hair?”
She shrugged. “Nah, it’s fine.”
“But you don’t know who we might meet…” Riley argued, but Chloe was already out in the hallway, heading towards the stairwell.
As it turned out, Riley’s idea of exploring meant shopping in the nearby town, which was only a short drive away from campus in Riley’s little convertible, which happened to be bright pink. Though the car was cute, Riley’s driving was absolutely terrifying.
When they arrived, the mall was already full of students enjoying their last day of freedom, most of them cloistered around tables in the food court or walking around weighed down with bags.
“So, what do you need?” Chloe asked.
“Nothing particular,” Riley answered blithely, peering into a shop window. “That skirt’s cute, let’s go in here.”
“Why are we shopping if you don’t need anything?”
“You sound like my sister. Shopping’s fun!”
Pressing her lips together to hide her smile, Chloe rolled her eyes without a word and followed Riley into the shop and around the aisles as she collected a mountain of clothes, which she then proceeded to take into the dressing rooms.
After giving a little fashion show, she brought all of the clothes she’d picked out and then they headed towards the cosmetics department, where Riley used her as a life-sized doll to try out various types of makeup. She did a good job to be fair, but the sales assistants
As he closed the door behind him, Chloe reached over to the bedside table, where she’d placed her phone. Picking up the slim device, she turned it over in her hands, remembering that Parker had taken it last night to program in his number. Now that he was gone, she suddenly felt very lonely. Putting her phone back down, her fingers brushed the frame which held the photo of her and Jack and she felt a familiar pang in her chest. Though familiar, it still hurt like hell, as if someone had shoved a knife into her heart and twisted it to cause maximum pain. The breath hitched in her lungs.
Feeling the panic attack coming, she scrambled to the edge of the bed and sat bent double, with her head between her knees, forcing herself to breathe deeply until it passed.
When Riley returned late that evening, Chloe pretended to be asleep, curled up beneath the sheets, with music playing softly in the background and her hot water bottle hugged tight to her chest, making her sweat. Rolo sat on the pillow beside her head, but none of it was of any comfort.
Having only turned on her own bedside lamp, Riley clonked around in the semi-darkness, getting ready for bed. She must have stubbed her toe, because she swore through gritted teeth, hopping around, but Chloe still couldn’t summon the energy to say anything.
She felt the same way the next morning, but the bright light that flooded the room when Riley threw open the curtains forced her out of bed. “What time is it?” she asked groggily.
“Eight,” Riley answered. “Are you feeling better?”
“Yeah,” she lied, pushing back the covers and sitting up, scrubbing her face with both hands, before scraping her hair back into a messy bun.
“Good. In that case, get your butt out of bed, we’re going to explore.”
Reluctantly, Chloe did as she was told. A quick shower washed away the lingering sleep, but not the vague sense of detachment. It would be gone by the end of the day, she knew from experience, however, the feeling still terrified her deep down, because what if she didn’t snap out of it? Was this depression? Was she losing it?
Finding a pair of denim shorts and an old top, she pushed her feet into a pair of trainers and proclaimed herself ready to go.
Riley looked at her dubiously for a moment. “Don’t you want to put some makeup on? Or at least brush your hair?”
She shrugged. “Nah, it’s fine.”
“But you don’t know who we might meet…” Riley argued, but Chloe was already out in the hallway, heading towards the stairwell.
As it turned out, Riley’s idea of exploring meant shopping in the nearby town, which was only a short drive away from campus in Riley’s little convertible, which happened to be bright pink. Though the car was cute, Riley’s driving was absolutely terrifying.
When they arrived, the mall was already full of students enjoying their last day of freedom, most of them cloistered around tables in the food court or walking around weighed down with bags.
“So, what do you need?” Chloe asked.
“Nothing particular,” Riley answered blithely, peering into a shop window. “That skirt’s cute, let’s go in here.”
“Why are we shopping if you don’t need anything?”
“You sound like my sister. Shopping’s fun!”
Pressing her lips together to hide her smile, Chloe rolled her eyes without a word and followed Riley into the shop and around the aisles as she collected a mountain of clothes, which she then proceeded to take into the dressing rooms.
After giving a little fashion show, she brought all of the clothes she’d picked out and then they headed towards the cosmetics department, where Riley used her as a life-sized doll to try out various types of makeup. She did a good job to be fair, but the sales assistants
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