His Promise (The BFF Pact Book 4), page 1
His Promise
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The BFF Pact
Cassi Hart
Published by: Cheeky Publishing LLC
First Edition
Copyright © 2023 Cassi Hart– All rights Reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners. For any permission requests email cassi@cassihartromance.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
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Contents:
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Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Epilogue
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Chapter 1
Maci
I wave goodbye to my bestie as my parents’ car turns the corner. I’m on my way to college, about to be miles away and without her for the first time in my life. Tears fill my eyes as I worry if I can make it on my own, surrounded by strangers, and with the stress of the heavy course load I insisted on signing up for.
“You’ll be on the phone with her in a few hours,” my mom says from the front seat, handing me a tissue. “It is a shame she’s not going, though. She has so much talent.”
“Which is why she doesn’t need to waste her time with college,” I say loyally.
Both my parents work blue collar jobs—well, my dad was laid off, but I’m sure he’ll find something new soon. They think the only path to success is a degree, and I agree for myself, but my best friend, Wren, is a great artist and has an amazing internship lined up.
“She’ll be fine. We’ve both got good strategies for the year.”
“It’s always good to set goals like that. You’ll both be fine.” My dad smiles at me in the rearview mirror.
I smile back at him, tuning out their excited chatter while reciting Wren’s and my self-improvement plans in my mind. Exercise, journal, read something educational every day, set goals and stick to them, and most importantly, don’t get distracted by boys.
I fully intend to stick to my study goal to help me get through this first year at the top of my class. In addition to the goal Wren and I set together, I might have also written out a list of things I want to see if I can achieve. Some of them are standard, like avoiding the freshman fifteen, but …
I have a top-secret goal I didn’t really want to share with Wren, and certainly not with my parents. I want to see if I can find someone to lose my virginity to. It’s not that I’m ashamed of being a virgin, far from it actually. I just feel like it’s something I need to get out of the way. I want to focus on my dreams, after all. I’m not looking for love or anything, just someone nice enough and sweet enough that I trust them with my body. And then, when it’s done, it’s done. It’s a milestone I can check off and not have to worry about finding time for later on.
When we arrive at the dorm, I stand my ground about letting my parents upstairs. We already visited a few weeks ago, and I know where my room is, have already met my roommate, and can carry my own duffel bag and backpack. I think they’re just as excited about their new, child-free life, and they rush off with only a little insistence on my part.
So, this is it. I’m on my own for the first time. I keep my eyes peeled, checking out any prospects for my secret mission as I pass the common room and head upstairs. There are people everywhere, it’s almost shocking compared to my quiet life back home. It’s going to take me a while to get used to this, but at the same time, the atmosphere makes me excited to start this next step in life.
In my new room, I wave to my roommate, who already has her side mostly set up. There’s another girl here, busily hanging a poster while an open suitcase spills her things all over my bed. I feel my face scrunching up and my stomach twisting as I look around the small double room. There’s no room for a third bed.
“Umm, hi,” I say.
My roommate looks at me with a flood of color on her cheeks. The other girl greets me cheerily and asks which room is mine.
“This one?” I say, forgetting my goal of being more assertive. She says the room number and tells me I’m mistaken. “No,” I say more forcefully, taking out my phone to find my dorm details.
She has hers in my face before I can get to it. Sure enough, she seems to be in the right room, but my welcome email says I am, too.
“Go see the RA,” she suggests, not budging. “His office is at the end of the hall. I’m sure he’ll figure it out.” She goes back to putting her underwear in my drawer.
My roommate shrugs. “I don’t know what happened,” she says, clearly not wanting to get in the middle.
I find the resident advisor’s office easily enough at the end of the hall. His door is half-closed, and his hours are posted in huge black letters, right under his name, Kirk Underwood. His hours make it look like he’s about to leave, but my impending homelessness is an emergency. I knock once and push through the door. Kirk’s unfriendly look at me suggests he’s not impressed with my intrusion.
“There’s something wrong with my room,” I say, backing up as he presses out the door to leave. No, I need help! I block the door, and he glares down at me.
“My hours are done for the day,” he frowns.
“I really do need help now. My room was assigned to three people, instead of two, which means I have nowhere to stay.”
Kirk’s gaze softens slightly, and he sighs. “I’m sorry, I can’t help you with that. You’ll need to go to Student Housing. Welcome to Danforth College.” He pushes past me out the door, leaving me standing in the now empty space.
Pulling out my phone, I look up a map of campus and find the Student Housing office is on the opposite side of campus. I groan at the thought of lugging my bags such a distance. I’m suddenly grateful my mom convinced me to pack light and just buy what I need later, and set off for the campus admin building.
Soon, I’m pushing open the door of the Student Housing office only to see a long line in front of a large counter where three people sit in front of computers. Apparently, I am far from the only one who is having trouble with their dorm assignment. For the next thirty minutes, I play a word game on my phone while I wait for my turn. When I’m finally called up to the counter, I approach a young man who looks to be only a few years older than me.
“Welcome to Student Services and Housing, how can I help you?” he asks in a lack-luster voice that suggests helping me is one of the last things he wants to do.
“Hi,” I say, forcing positivity into my tone. “There’s been a mistake with my room. It was assigned to three people, but it’s a double.”
He mutters something about being glad this is his last year and turns back to his computer. I watch his long fingers fly over the keyboard.
“Your payment never went through,” he said, turning back to me.
I lean against the counter. “No, that can’t be right.” I know things have been tough lately since my dad lost his job, but there’s no way my parents wouldn’t have taken care of my tuition, not without telling me at least. “It’s got to be a mistake.”
He shrugs. “You’ll need to talk to your bank.”
I look at my watch, then back to him. “The banks are closed already, it’s Saturday. What am I supposed to do tonight and the rest of the weekend? Where am I supposed to sleep?”
“I can’t do anything about the room situation until you sort out the payment. I guess you’ll have to go to a hotel or something.” Leaning around me, he calls over my shoulder, “Next!”
Left with no choice, I trudge out of the office, dragging my large duffel behind me. After hauling it all the way across campus once, I’m already exhausted. Now I feel defeated, too. I was so excited to start this new adventure, but it is quickly turning into a nightmare.
Once outside, I rush to the quad and drop down on a bench before burying my face in my hands.
Don’t cry, don’t cry, I tell myself. I’m an adult now, and I have to act like it. I consider calling my parents, but they’re probably half-way home by now. Besides, what can they really do? The bank is closed. I have classes starting on Monday—I can’t just go back home. Despite my best efforts, tears form in my eyes, and the sob I’d been trying to hold back breaks through.
Suddenly, I see two sets of feet stop in front of mine, I raise my head, wiping tears from my cheeks.
I meet the intense, dark gaze of a man who
“Did they get your room sorted out?” Kirk asks, pulling my attention away from his companion.
“No, I have to wait until Monday when the bank opens,” I respond, trying to hide my sniffles.
“I’m Gage,” the stranger says, stepping forward. “Kirk told me what happened with your room.”
“I’m Maci,” I say automatically.
“The same thing happened to me during my freshman year,” Gage tells me. His eyes are a rich, chocolate brown that draw me in. He’s magnetic. I have to remind myself not to stare. “Your bank probably didn’t release the funds. Once you call them, it’ll be a quick fix.”
I appreciate that he’s trying to comfort me, but he hasn’t said anything I don’t already know. “What am I supposed to do until then? I have class on Monday. Where do I go now? I can’t bear bothering my parents about this, I don’t want to worry them; I need to figure this out on my own,” I sigh, not really expecting an answer.
“That’s actually why I’m here,” Kirk chimes in. “Gage owes me a favor.”
Gage glances at his friend before looking down back down at me with an unreadable look on his face. “Look … It can’t be permanent, but you can stay with me for a few days while you get this all sorted out.”
“Um, what?” I ask, confused.
After another of his long looks, he gestures for me to stand. “If you can be quiet, you can stay with me, but I’m on a really tight schedule, so we need to get going.”
“I don’t even know you!” I say, dumbfounded. Why would this stranger offer me a place to stay?
“Do you have a better option?” Gage challenges. Even though he’s trying to be nice, he’s also really cranky about it.
“Alright,” Kirk says, raising both hands in a calming motion. “I know you don’t know me, either, but I can vouch for Gage. He’s a grad student here and he has his own place off campus. He owes me a favor, and he’s been in your shoes before too. He gets it.”
When I hesitate again, and Gage huffs and adds, “It’s not ideal for me either. I have a ton of studying to do, Kirk’s right. I get it.” He gives me a long look. “Unless you can convince someone to let you crash in their dorm room, I’m your best option. Hotel room prices right now are insane and it’s not like you’d be able to find a room anyway, with all the families in town dropping off their kids.”
He’s right and I know it. Defeated, I nod and silently stand. Gage grabs my duffle bag and carries it for me. Kirk walks with us until we reach the dorms, then he veers off with a cheery wave. Gage grunts in his direction, clearly not pleased about the turn of events, even though he’s the one that offered in the first place.
He walks me to his car and tosses my duffle bag in the back before climbing behind the wheel without a word. I quickly hop into the passenger seat, worried he might leave without me if I hesitate too long. The drive to his apartment building takes less than five minutes, and Gage leads me up an exterior flight of stairs to a second-floor unit.
To my surprise, it’s a studio apartment, small, but clean. I suck in a breath at the sight of the lone queen-sized bed, but my tension eases when I see there’s also a couch against the opposite wall. No need to panic; with how annoyed he’s acting, it doesn’t seem I need to worry about him making any unwanted advances. Despite my initial reaction to his appearance, this guy is definitely not someone I’m looking to befriend, let alone get entangled with.
He drops my duffle in front of the couch and motions me into the apartment, then he sits at his desk, cracks open a book, and proceeds to ignore me. I should be grateful, but anger simmers as I watch him blatantly pretend I don’t exist.
Since Gage obviously has no intention of showing me around his apartment, I take a look around the small space.
I gasp at the sight of two floor-to-ceiling bookshelves lined with all the books I have on my list to read this year and others I haven’t heard of, though they look interesting. There are not only business admin books that tell me we might have similar majors, but also biographies of important corporate leaders and productivity manuals.
I look over to Gage, debating whether or not I should try to talk to him. He’s hunched over his textbook, and his shoulders are tight with tension.
Deciding it’s probably best not to anger the person I’m relying on for a place to sleep, I help myself to a book from his shelf and move over to the couch, settling in for a long afternoon of reading. Maybe I’ll even find a moment to get a head start on my study plan.
Chapter 2
Gage
I’m heading back to my apartment for a long evening of studying when I hear a familiar voice call out to me as I walk to my car. I turn to see Kirk, a good friend of mine, waving me down. He’s a year behind me, but we’ve been in the same program for a few years, and because I’m still attending classes here in the grad school, we still see each other a lot.
I stop and wait for him to catch up, assuming he just wants to catch up a little before classes start on Monday. It’s the sort of thing we all do after a summer spent doing different things; maybe he wants to ask how my summer internship went or something. When he reaches me, however, he has a pleading look on his face that tells me I won’t like whatever it is he’s about to say next.
“Hey, man,” he says with a slap to my back.
“Kirk, how’s it going?”
“It’s move-in weekend, so you know, it’s the usual nightmare of lost freshman and helicopter parents.”
I groan in sympathy. Yeah, there’s no way I could do it. I’m sure he only does it because of the free room and board.
“Anyway,” Kirk continues. “Remember that favor you owe me for covering your ass last semester?”
Narrowing my eyes at him, I nod my head slowly.
“Well, I need to cash that in. There’s a kid on my floor whose rooming assignment got screwed up. I sent her to Student Housing, but you know how it is. She won’t be able to do anything about it until Monday, so she won’t have anywhere to go for the weekend.”
Ouch. Student housing is stone cold. I know that from experience, but I can’t help wondering why he’s talking to me about it. “And why is that something you need to tell me?” I ask.
“Well, I kind of feel bad? She’s just a kid, you know? And well, I know you’re off campus this year, and I know you know what it’s like to deal with Student Housing.”
“Wow, really?” I know what Kirk is asking, even though he hasn’t spelled it out yet. No fucking way am I letting this girl stay with me. “Can’t she—”
“Dude, you know all the hotels are going to be full this weekend. I thought she could stay with you, just for a few days. I’d offer to let her stay with me in my dorm, but I can’t risk my RA position if someone finds out.”
There it is. “No way, absolutely not. I live in a studio apartment, and I have a ton of studying to do. I have to get top grades this semester. I don’t have time to babysit some freshman.”
Kirk’s expression hardens. “You owe me. I covered your ass for that exam. If not for me, you would’ve failed your econ course.”
Shit. He’s right. I’d gotten food poisoning before finals last year and missed a crucial exam for my economics class. The professor only offered one make-up session, and if Kirk hadn’t given me notes for the classes I couldn’t get to, I would’ve missed it.
“Fine, but after this, we’re square,” I say through gritted teeth.
Kirk smiles at me and throws an arm around my shoulders. I’m taller than him by a few inches, so it’s a bit awkward. “Awesome! I knew you’d come around. Let’s go see if we can find her. Her name is Maci, you’ll love her. She’s a business major, too.”
I groan. Every year, I deal with a swarm of freshman who think a business major will be an easy way to a degree. Inevitably, I have to deal with all their whining when they realize their courses require actual studying to pass. Fortunately, this year, I snagged the TA position for the advanced undergrad courses. It’s highly unlikely this Maci girl will be in any of the sections I’m teaching.
