Free Other Side of Beautiful (A Beautifully Disturbed #1) by Sarah Zolton Arthur

Jesus, Collin, you’re slipping. Might as well have said he’s a finance major.” They both laugh at me even though I’m not totally kidding. RPW majors are usually droll little people who lack senses of humor or… talent . “What’s an oxford comma?”
    “I have no idea.”
    “He’s doing bad, Collin.”
    “Ly,” Kip corrects. “Bad ly .” And the smile breaks so big across my face they might have seen it from space.
    “You, sir, are my new best friend.”
    “Was that the test?”
    Collin puffs his chest out, so cute. “Elle here is a grammar badass, and she will judge you severely for grammatical indiscretions. Then it’s just a downward spiral. She’ll find fault in everything about you. The fact that you had the guts to correct her on your first meeting speaks volumes. People are normally intimidated by her piercings and surly demeanor.”
    “ Hey! I resemble that remark.” When we all start laughing, it’s the lightest I’ve felt since the bar Wednesday night. “So I guess you’re dating now?”
    “I guess we are,” Collin says, mouthing a thank you to me and bends down to kiss the top of my head. “We should get going then.”
    I nod, glad someone will be enjoying their Friday. “Wait, how did you know I’d be here?”
    Collin doesn’t answer me back, just turning to smile that ‘I know something you don’t’ smile of his. Damn him. “Do absolutely everything I wouldn’t do,” I shout after them.
    “Return a damn call,” Collin calls back, his arm slung around Kip’s shoulder again. My heart swells with something, giddiness maybe, at seeing them together.
    When I pull up in front of our apartment after my last class, Kelly had been watching from the front window and runs out to my car with a bag in her hand.
    “Go put something on,” she orders.
    “What? Why? Nice to see you too by the way.”
    “Chicago. Pop Fest, remember?”
    “That’s tonight?”
    “Yes. Now hurry.”
    “I don’t know. I have a paper to get done.”
    “You promised. We already bought the tickets.” I was going to say yes anyway, but then she hits me with, “Don’t prove Cricket right.” Ouch. The lowest blow she could have ever slung at me. She knows the right cards to play.
    Ten minutes after Kel shuffled me into the apartment, I’ve finished up packing my overnight bag and taken the quickest shower of my life. Before rushing back outside to a very antsy Kelly, I change into the same black skinny jeans I wore on New Year’s and the booties Kelly had loaned me which I still haven’t given back. What? They’re more comfortable than I imagined. Before heading out, I throw on a fitted camo T-shirt and an olive green waist length jacket.
    Even though she honked the horn fifteen times in the time it took to get ready, I love Kelly for taking me from here for the weekend. As I start to pull away, my back door flies open. Startled, I slam on the brakes. Benton slips in and shuts the door. Um.
    “Looked like you were leaving without me,” he says breathless, buckling his seatbelt.
    “I was. No one told me you were coming. Sorry.”
    “I thought I had.” Kelly outright lies. “But I’m so glad you could make it, Benton.”
    “Yeah, me too. It should be fun,” he says.
    “If you need anything back there, just let me know. I had such a late night last night, I’m going to take a nap so I’m ready for tonight.” After Kelly closes her eyes, we don’t hear from her again.
    “You don’t like pop music.” It isn’t even a question.
    He leans up, resting his elbows against the front headrests on both mine and Kelly’s seats. The vintage blue Pac-Man T-shirt he wears stretches across his chest. So sexy, I keep sneaking glances at him through the rearview mirror. “No,” he answers.
    Merging onto I94, I ask him, “Then why did you want to come?”
    “Kelly called and asked. Call it my opportunity.”
    Disappointment. Disappointment as everything clicks. Benton helping me take Kel to the