Chapter 2
God, what if he told others?
After nearly half an hour of mental agony, I just collapsed onto my bed, totally helpless.
Well, if my reputation was doomed, at least I got an eyeful of Declan in the flesh before it all went down.
Honestly, it was totally worth it.
After that whole mess, I didn't write a single word for half a month.
Weirdly enough, I started running into Declan at school every single day.
It was like he was everywhere, like in classrooms, the cafeteria, the supermarket, the track, and so on.
After that, I developed this strange superpower. Whenever Declan was nearby, my radar would go off. I'd get chills, and I could instantly pick him out of any crowd.
I had no clue if he ever noticed me, but every time I spotted him, I'd make a run for it.
What if he thought I was some kind of perv if we ran into each other?
Actually, it was not like he was any better.
When my roommate, Hazel Redfield, invited me to the basketball court to check out the hot guys, I bailed with some lame excuse.
"Bella, I heard Declan and his team are playing a game today. Aren't you coming?" Hazel asked.
Normally, I'd be all over that, buying a mountain of snacks and tagging along with them in a heartbeat.
But after everything that happened, going now would just be way too awkward.
"I'll sit this one out. The literary association's been keeping me busy lately," I said.
Hazel knew what I was busy with and pouted, looking disappointed.
Daphne chimed in, "Yeah, the literary association's got an event coming up soon, so things are pretty hectic."
Hazel looked genuinely bummed.
"Alright, you go do your thing. We're heading out. I'll make sure to snap some super HD pics for you. You can enjoy the eye candy when you're done," Hazel teased.
I turned away and nodded.
Like I'd dare enjoy those now.
Every time I thought about Declan, it was like he was standing right in front of me, judging me.
"Hey, you look all sweet and innocent, but you are secretly filthy-minded. And you actually have the nerve to drool over my body?" I could almost hear him scolding me in my head.
I rushed into the bathroom and splashed cold water on my face, trying to snap myself out of it.
To force myself to chill out, I buried myself in literary association stuff.
When my roommates got back, I was still buried in work at my desk.
"What a bummer. Declan was rocking a brand new jersey today, but he only played half the game and then left," Hazel said.
"Seriously, he was insanely hot. Did you see those girls from next door? Their eyes were glued to Declan the whole time," Daphne chimed in.
*****
I stopped typing and tuned in to their chatter, ears pricked for any juicy details.
A new jersey? What color could it be?
He had such delicate skin. I bet blue would look amazing on him.
Before I knew it, Hazel and the others were right in front of me.
"Bella, look. Declan was rocking a brand new jersey today. He looked insanely hot," Hazel said, handing me her phone.
Damn, it really was blue.
In the photo, Declan looked as gorgeous as ever. His delicate skin seemed even brighter under the sun, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, with arms that showed off perfect muscle lines.
Under that blue jersey, his chest muscles stood out, sharp and defined.
I had always had a thing for guys with just the right amount of muscle, fit, healthy, not over the top or gross. That was why, from the moment I first saw Declan, no one else could ever compare. He was my ultimate campus crush.
As I kept staring at the photo, I couldn't help but picture Declan that night, shirtless.
My cheeks flared up again.
The girls totally caught it and started giving me those looks.
"Come on, Bella, you're blushing again," Hazel teased.
"Bet you're going to dream about him tonight," Daphne chimed in.
The girls ganged up on me, making a huge fuss and teasing me nonstop.