The Frat Boy || S.M.

Chapter 51 || "Two Can Play At That Game"

"Helaina," a voice calls. It breaks me out of my daze, and I look up to see Colton staring at me.

"Yeah?" I ask. He doesn't say anything, and I follow his slightly amused gaze. I look down to see the cup I was filling up with water, now overflowing onto my hand. "Shit!"

My eyes widen and my mouth drops once I realize what I just said. I look to Colton, afraid he's going to reprimand me for cursing while working. Instead, he just shakes his head and laughs.

"Are you okay? You see pretty distracted." he says, taking the cup out of my hands and handing me paper towels.

"Thanks." I say, and he nods. I sigh, wiping my hands before throwing the paper towels out. I pick up another cup and begin to fill it as I say, "I don't know. I just haven't really been able to focus much lately."

"Really? Do you know why?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"I mean, I have my suspicions..." I mumble, finishing filing the cup up with water. I put a lid on it and hand it to the customer. "Here you go."

"Care to elaborate?" he asks, and I laugh a little.

"I mean, not really." I say, smiling sheepishly at him. "Just boyfriend problems."

Colton nods along knowingly.

Ever since Shawn and I made a "bet" that we wouldn't do anything sexual until he finally took me out on a date, he's been distancing himself from me. The last time we really spoke in person was Saturday in his room, and today's Thursday afternoon. I've tried texting him, but whenever I do so, the conversations are short and quick. I begin to worry that I've annoyed him beyond remission, and now he's completely done with me. It's only a matter of time before he breaks up with me.

Or so my brain keeps telling me, at least.

"Your boyfriend is that tall, buff guy you were with the day I hired you, right?" Colton asks, and I nod. He laughs, and I raise an eyebrow.

"What?"

"Nothing." he says, shaking his head.

"No, tell me." I say, playfully poking him in the arm.

"You're just so predictable." he says, laughing slightly.

"What do you mean?" I ask, folding my arms in front of my chest.

Colton shrugs.

"You're this pretty little white girl, your boyfriend is some tall buff white guy. He probably is on one of the sports team, or in a frat, maybe both. You might be in a sorority yourself, or have even thought about joining one. You grew up in a small-enough town that pretty much everyone knew each other but it was still big enough to never get bored of it. You have a bunch of friends, and you all just party on the weekends." he says. "Was I right?"

I stare at him, trying to figure out how he knows this. Does he secretly know me or someone else I know, and just hasn't told me yet? Is he really that good at figuring people out? Or am I really just a predicable "pretty little white girl" like he said.

"Um, well-" I begin, but I'm cut off by the chime of the door opening. A customer walks in and over to the counter, and I look at Colton. "Guess we have to take this."

"Guess we do." he agrees, his gaze lingering on me for a few seconds, before turning to the woman at the counter.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out to see my alarm going off. My shift for today is over. I put my phone back in my pocket and walk away, heading into the back room. I grab my purse and take off the apron we have to wear, folding it up and putting it back in the cubby. I take my hair down from the low bun I had it in and head back out in the shop. Colton's standing in front of dessert case, taking out a slice of cheesecake. I wait until he hands it to the woman before gently tapping him on the shoulder.