STay

##Chapter 1: CassidyBook One: StayWith a shake of my head, I watch as my roommate, Brooklyn, busts out all her best moves on the makeshift dance floor. She's the tall blonde dancing with her hands twisting in the air, almost as if she's doing a very sad Stevie Nicks impersonation.I almost wince.Yeah...it's that bad.If I had to guess, I'd say that she isn't feeling the slightest bit of pain. I'm sure the liquid refreshment currently on tap is to be thanked for that. I'm hoping tomorrow will be a completely different story. She deserves the hangover-to-end-all-hangovers for dragging me to this god-awful excuse to drink beer, get rowdy, and troll for a hookup or two.My plan for the remainder of this evening consists of staying inconspicuously tucked away in the back corner and sipping my tepid diet soda, because being a girl and walking around a drunken fraternity party is apparently an unofficial invitation to have your ass groped by a random dude. Or should I say random dudes, b

##Chapter 3: CassidyBook One: StayNot to be thrown off course, he persists. "So just tell me what he did to deserve it." He looks genuinely interested. But still...I narrow my eyes because this little back and forth is exactly what I didn't want to get sucked into.Hmm...ignoring him didn't work.And bitchiness hasn't deterred him either.Maybe if I just give him the answers he's after, he'll get bored and wander off in search of easier prey.Huffing out an aggravated breath, I mumble, "He grabbed my ass."Those golden eyes darken as the corners of his mouth sink into a deep frown. "I'm sorry he did that to you. I think Alex is pretty wasted."I scowl. "Being drunk isn't an excuse for sexually harassing me. What he did was wrong." I stab a finger in Alex's direction. "That dude got what he deserved. Actually, he's lucky I didn't knock his front teeth out."Eyes flaring, he holds up both hands. "I never claimed it was an acceptable justification for touching you." He looks upset that

##Chapter 5: CassidyBook One: Stay"Oh, you've got to be kidding me," I mutter, feeling off kilter.One of his dark brows lifts at my disgruntled greeting. "Let me guess," he says, "now you think I'm stalking you."My eyes widen before narrowing in consideration.Hmmm. I suppose that's a possibility."Are you?"He snorts before shaking his head. He shifts his weight, looking as if he might be settling in for a long conversation. "I don't even know your name, remember? You wouldn't give it to me last night.""It's a good thing I didn't, because apparently, there's an excellent chance you might be stalking me," I quip while trying to think of a hasty exit strategy.He runs his tongue across the front of his teeth.I feel the effect of it straight down to my traitorous core.Somehow, this guy has triggered more responses within me in the past twelve hours than any other guy has in the previous nine months. "I'm not saying this to sound like a conceited jack-""But that's exactly what yo

##Chapter 7: CassidyBook One: Stay"Cassidy, your four o'clock is here."With my nose buried deep in a calculus book, I murmur, "Great Lisa, send him back."Lisa, our sort-of-receptionist, hovers in the doorway for a few moments until I'm forced to glance up and meet her wide gaze.Only then does she mouth, "He's soooo hot." As if to add emphasis, she rolls her eyes.I roll mine in response before shaking my head. Also for emphasis. Lisa thinks most guys are soooo hot. I'll admit, sometimes she's right. And sometimes she's wrong.Very, very wrong.But I suppose beauty is in the beer goggles of the beholder...or something like that. Not that Lisa usually drinks on the job. Although, sometimes I seriously have to wonder.I plaster a smile across my lips and wait for my next appointment, interested to see how far off base she is today. A few seconds later, the smile falls off my face as Cole strolls into the room. As soon as he sees me, he stops, obviously just as surprised as I am. But

##Chapter 9: CassidyBook One: Stay"Okay, Cassidy, you can go back now. Dr. Thompson is ready to see you." The receptionist smiles as she shuffles around a few papers on her perfectly tidy desk.I give her a brief smile in return before walking through the door and into the office of the psychologist I've been meeting with. After I'd received my acceptance at Western this summer, I'd realized I would need to continue with my sessions. Dr. Thompson has turned out to be a perfect fit. Her office is decorated in soothing tans and whites, with splashes of blues and oranges that catch the eye. There's actually a couch, but there are also comfy chairs. Since I'm a creature of habit, I always gravitate to the same chair. I'm sure that says something about my personality. Dr. Thompson usually sits directly across from me with a notebook close at hand in case she wants to jot down a few notes. In the beginning, I found it disconcerting and wanted to take a quick peek to see what she'd written