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My Saving Grace

Chapter 4



"Well, that took a lot longer than I thought," Alexa remarked as we were walking out of Nordstrom, carrying bags that contained our dresses and shoes for the ball.

"I had to try on twenty dresses. Twenty."

She smirked.

"And you looked amazing in all of them. Except for that second one. It made your tits sag."

"Oh god, Alexa." I laughed, playfully punching her arm. She snickered.

"Now to find masks..."

"Ugh, I just wanna eat," I whined, plopping down on the nearest bench.

This mall was seriously way too big; no wonder tourists from all over the country came here to shop. Plus, Minnesota didn't have a sales tax on clothes either, which was especially nice.

"Ok, we'll eat first then."

Yessss.

Two hours later, we finally left the mall, and as we stood waiting for the light rail that would take us back to campus, I began to shiver from the cold. This morning, the temperature had dropped drastically, and the first thing that had come to my mind was Chase. He was probably freezing to death in that building.

I wondered why he hadn't tried to at least find a homeless shelter. God knows what could happen to him in this kind of weather.

"So, are you and Drew a thing yet?", Alexa asked out of the blue.

"Not really. I only see him as a friend," I replied truthfully.

Besides, I was developing feelings for someone else.

"A friend? Sophia, he's like the best and hottest football player on the team. I know tons of girls who'd kill to be you tonight."

"There's more to a guy than just his looks, Alexa," I pointed out.

"Duh, everyone knows that. But it's college. Have some fun. It's not like you're marrying the guy. If I didn't already have Tristan, I'd be screwing Drew a long time ago."

I shook my head, stifling a laugh. Tristan was Alexa's boyfriend. They hooked up after the first football game of the season and had been together since then. Apparently, she was planning on sleeping over at his apartment tonight, too, which meant that I'd be alone...and free to binge eat my favorite junk food without being judged.

This past week, they'd been selling girl scout cookies on campus, and I'd ended up buying eight boxes. They were all stashed up in my closet, hidden from any prying eyes. Of course, I was gonna share them with Alexa, but I didn't want any of the guys to see them. They'd finish all my boxes in less than a day.

The light rail finally arrived, and Alexa and I stepped on, thankful to escape the cold. When we got back to our residence hall, everyone was buzzing with excitement for the ball. Olivia, the girl who lived across from us, was running back and forth between her room and the bathroom with a curling iron stuck in her hair.

"Girl, what on earth is going on?", Alexa asked in bewilderment.

"I was trying to curl my own hair and uh, it kind of got stuck ," she said sheepishly.

"Here, take my bags. I'll help poor Olivia out," Alexa ordered.

"Ok. I'll start getting ready."

Just before turning the doorknob, I noticed a piece of paper lying on the ground; someone must have tried to slip it through my door while I was gone. I bent down to grab it and immediately recognized the handwriting as Caleb's. Chemistry Caleb. There, scribbled in black ink was his number, followed by "Dinner tomorrow? -Caleb."

Gosh, this kid couldn't take a hint. And how on earth did he know where I lived? With no feeling whatsoever, I ripped the paper in half then tossed it into the trash.

I spent the next hour getting ready for the ball with Alexa, who was a total makeup expertise. By the time she finished dolling up my face, I almost couldn't recognize myself, but nonetheless, it looked amazing.

"This gold eyeshadow is gonna go perfectly with your dress," she remarked with satisfaction, heating up her curling iron so she could do my hair.

"I bet. You totally should've been a makeup artist."

"Honestly, I'm actually considering it. College is a pain in the ass."

We both burst out laughing.

Once Alexa finished my updo, we traded roles--I did her makeup and hair while she Facetimed her boyfriend. Since her dress was black, I'd decided to go for the smoky eye look.

"You look so hot, Lex," Tristan said through the phone. "You too, Soph."

I playfully stuck my tongue out at him.

Alexa's hair took forever to curl because it was super thick, but the finished look was absolutely gorgeous. Tristan sure was in for a treat tonight.

"Ok, how do I look?", I asked Alexa, turning around to face her after putting on my dress. Right away, I was struck by how beautiful she looked in her dress.

"Holy. Shit. You look good. Like so good."

"There's too much cleavage showing though, don't you think?"

She put her hand to her mouth and fake gasped.

"Are you kidding me? You look stunning. Like I know I have a boyfriend but I'd totally turn lesbian for you right now."

"I could say the same thing." I smirked. She linked her arm through mine as we both put on our masks.

"God, I love you to death, Soph."

"Love you, too, hottie. Now let's go have an unforgettable night."

As soon as we stepped out of our room, I felt like a celebrity making her debut red carpet entrance, and the masks added a mysterious aura and sense of anonymity.

Waiting for us at the residence hall entrance were Tristan and Drew, both of whom looked utterly dashing in black suits. Tristan whistled with approval as Alexa leaned in to give him a kiss.

"Is that actually you, Soph, behind that mask? Or am I just seeing things?", Drew asked with a grin.

"Well, what do you see?"

"Right now, I see an angel who looks way too beautiful to be real."

Ok, now I was blushing.

"My man, since when did you talk like that?", Tristan teased, throwing an arm over Drew's shoulder.

His cheeks began to turn red, and Alexa and I couldn't help but laugh. After some more friendly banter with the guys, we began walking towards the Alumni Center. Thank god it wasn't too cold or else I would have froze my arms off.

We passed the physics building on our way there, and out of the corner of my eye, I saw my TA walking out of the front entrance. That had to suck, being on campus late at night on a Saturday to study.

"Hey, isn't that Sam?", Alexa asked, pointing in his direction.

"Yeah, it is," I replied.

"You should go say hi," she said. "I wish Sam was my TA. He's so attractive and sweet."

Tristan cleared his throat.

"I'm right here, you know."

"Of course I do, babe. I was just saying. And besides, you'd get in so much trouble for dating a grad student."

"Looks like Sam is heading towards us," Drew remarked, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Hi, Sam," I greeted when he got near us.

He stopped in his tracks and simply stared at us in confusion.

"Um, hi? Do I know you?"

"It's me. Sophia."

"Sophia? Wow, I couldn't even recognize you. Nice mask."

"Thanks. And yeah, I couldn't recognize me either. We're heading to the masquerade ball. What have you been up to in there?", I asked, gesturing towards the physics building.

"I was working on my PhD thesis. And I used to go to the masquerade, too, during my undergrad years," he said with a smile.

"Geez, graduate school sounds painful," Tristan commented.

Sam chuckled.

"It's not as bad as it sounds. Oh, and Sophia, I'm extending my office hours to both Tuesdays and Thursdays now starting next week, so feel free to stop by whenever you need help, alright?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Sam," I gave him a smile.

"No problem. Your peers will probably be glad to hear that as well. Well, I gotta get going now. Have fun at the ball."

We all just stood there staring at Sam's retreating back when Drew spoke up.

"He's your physics TA? I was expecting someone nerdier-looking."

"Yeah, and he's also a grad student so Sophia couldn't have him even if she wanted to," Tristan chimed in.

"Who said I wanted him?", I said with a frown.

"We're just messing with you." Tristan playfully jabbed me in the ribs.

"But seriously though, fingers crossed extended office hours will boost my physics grade."

"Girl, you worry too much. Now let's go dance our butts off," Alexa said, looping her arm through mine.

By the time we arrived at the Alumni Center, the place was packed with college students dressed in the most elegant dresses and suits. Thankfully, the DJ didn't play classical ballroom songs; no one would even know how to dance to them anyway.

Instead, recent hits like The Weeknd's Starboy were pounding through the speakers. Within just fifteen minutes, Alexa and I found ourselves in the middle of a huge dance circle as they played Juju On That Beat. We dragged Tristan and Drew in there with us and they absolutely killed it with their sick moves. I always had a feeling football players could dance.

At one point, I got hit on by a drunk senior, and even after I told him that I was only a freshman, he wouldn't go away. Luckily, Drew came to the rescue.

A slow song started to play, and as Drew held me in his arms, my thoughts began drifting to Chase. In fact, I'd been thinking about him the entire night. If his life had turned out differently, who knows, it could've been the two of us together on the dance floor tonight.

"So, there's a party at one of the frats tonight if you wanna go," Drew spoke in my ear as we swayed to the music.

"You don't even have to ask," I said with a playful smile. He chuckled, pulling me closer to him.

Around nine, we left the dance then walked over to the frat houses. Even from a good two blocks, you could hear the pounding music rumbling the streets. Cops continuously circled the area, which was typical for a Saturday night.

"Should we change first?", I asked as we approached our residence hall.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. This dress is getting too tight," Alexa replied.

"Well, since Tristan and I don't have to change, we'll just head over right now," Drew spoke.

"Ok, sounds good. We'll meet you there in a bit," I said.

"Sweet."

Then, to my utter surprise, he leaned in to give me a peck on the cheek before leaving with Tristan. I simply stood there, watching his silhouette fade into the night as my hand reached up to touch my cheek.

"He's so into you," Alexa said with a sigh.

"Yeah. I guess he is."

"Now come on, we've got a party to attend." She grabbed my arm and practically dragged me into our hall.

Less than fifteen minutes later, we were inside a frat house surrounded by drunk, horny college students. They literally couldn't keep their hands off of each other.

"Hey, look who showed up. My two favorite freshies," Jake Kendall, a junior and fraternity member greeted when he saw us. He offered us both beer, and we gladly accepted.

"You gonna play beer pong later, Soph? We all know how great you are at it."

"Pssh, if you say so."

A round of shots later, followed by intense grinding with some of the upperclassmen, I was starting to feel slightly disoriented. More than once, a guy had looked at me with bedroom eyes, and I'd wished I'd worn a less revealing top. God knows how horny college dudes could be.

Beer pong was fun until I saw a freshman guy in one of my classes throw up all over the floor. The horrible stench combined with the smell of sweaty bodies led me outside, where the air was clear and fresh.

I spotted Drew, who was flirting with some scantily-dressed girls on the front lawn and approached him.

And holy cow, what they were wearing made me look like a saint.

"Hey, Soph," he slurred, his breath reeking of alcohol.

"I'm gonna head back to my dorm now," I said, slightly tripping over my words.

"Yeah, sure. Good night."

Without so much as a backwards glance, he returned to his conversation with the girls, and I saw him put a hand on the blonde one's ass.

What a jerk.

Instead of walking back to my dorm like I said I would, I turned in the opposite direction and headed to Dinkytown. Halfway there, I was struck by how cold it had gotten, and I mentally scolded myself for not bringing my jacket with me.

As soon as I reached Chase's building, I stumbled through the door and called out his name.

"Sophia Grace? What the hell are you doing here at this time?"

I looked to my right and saw him sitting up on the ground where he must've been sleeping.

"I-I'm so cold." My teeth were practically chattering.

"Jesus, come here," he said, opening his arms. Immediately, I rushed towards him, settling into his warm embrace.

"I've missed you," I mumbled against his jacket.

"Are you drunk, princess?", he asked with a hint of disapproval in his tone.

"I don't know. Am I?" I looked up at his blue eyes, illuminated by the moonlight.

"My god, don't tell me you walked over here alone and drunk in the dark."

"I'm fine though, see?"

I even raised my arms to show him I was free of any cuts or bruises.

"Christ, what you're wearing..."

"I was at a party!", I protested.

"I know that. Don't you get my point? Some guy on the street could've had his way with you," he reprimanded.

I should've been annoyed at his lecturing, but the fact that Chase cared for my personal safety was simply so...touching.

"Thank you," I whispered, burying my face in his chest.

"For what?"

"For caring about me."

He let out a long breath then lied back down on the blankets, pulling me with him.

"I went to a masquerade tonight. It was so much fun," I said.

"I bet you looked absolutely breathtaking," he whispered, gazing down at me. Thank god it was dark so he couldn't see the blush on my cheeks.

"Chase?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you go to a homeless shelter? You'd be a lot safer and warmer there."

He sighed wearily.

"They're all full, princess."

I frowned.

"Well, when I get my own house, I'll invite you to come live with me."

His chuckle reverberated through my body, and without any hesitation, I placed a light kiss on his lips. I heard his sharp intake of breath and tilted my neck to look up at him.

"What was that for?", he asked.

"Nothing. I just wanted to kiss you."

"You're so drunk." He shook his head with mirth.

"I'm not drunk. Now kiss me," I ordered.

"Are you actually serious?"

"As serious as I'll ever be."

Next thing I knew, Chase's lips were on mine, and they felt oh so good. I wrapped my arm around his neck, pulling his face down closer to mine as our lips brushed against each other, tasting, teasing. His tongue swiped my bottom lip, and I opened my mouth, granting him access.

"Sophia," he breathed against my lips, his hands resting on my hips. I began to grind against him, and he groaned before pulling away. Immediately, I was overcome with disappointment.

"Why'd you stop?", I asked quietly, feeling ashamed.

"Listen to me, Sophia. You're the most special girl I've ever met. You deserve a hell of a lot more than sex on the dirty ground with some nobody like me."

His words completely sliced my heart, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling as I reached out to hold his face in my hands.

"Don't you ever say that, Chase. You hear me? You're better than all of those shitty guys on my campus. I know your past was ugly, but it doesn't define you. Your heart does. And deep down, you have an amazing heart. Otherwise I wouldn't be here."

The smile he gave me was so uplifting yet so tormented, and when I leaned in to kiss him again, he kissed me back with so much passion, I thought I was going to drift away.

My fingers began to unbuckle his jeans as he worked to pull my top over my head, leaving me in my pink lace bra.

"God, you're so fucking beautiful," he rasped, brushing his lips against my neck as I let out a moan.

His hands slid up and down my thighs, and then he slipped a hand down my jeans, rubbing me through my panties.

"Chase," I cried, quivering with pleasure, and he increased his pressure, sliding a finger inside of me.

Within seconds, I came and was desperate for more. For him.

As soon as both our jeans were off, he positioned himself at my entrance but was absolutely still.

"Are you sure you want this, princess?", he whispered, staring into the depths of my eyes.

"I've never wanted something this much in my entire life."

And then he was inside of me, filling me perfectly while I held onto his shoulders, utterly lost in the pleasure.

His mouth descended upon mine as our tongues fought for dominance, matching the tempo of his urgent thrusts, and the moment we both climaxed, he cried my name like a prayer.

Slowly, he pulled out of me then gathered my body against his, tangling our legs together.

"That was the best sex I've ever had," I said with utter bliss, snuggling into his chest.

"You mean I wasn't the first guy you slept with?", he asked, pretending to sound hurt.

"Unfortunately, no. Seth Hill was. My high school crush," I confessed.

"He's a lucky son of a bitch."

I laughed.

"Oh, and in case you were worried, I'm on birth control."

He chuckled.

"I figured."

He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and although it was probably less than thirty degrees out, I felt unbelievably warm in his arms. And within a couple of minutes, I fell asleep, forgetting about my flunking physics grade and jerks named Drew.

Notes

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