Surprisingly Yours
Автор
Jeordie Draven
Прочтений
16,8K
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Julia never planned on falling for Jagger—the wild, reckless bad boy who turns every rule into a challenge. One college party, one unforgettable night, and suddenly their worlds collide in a way neither expected. She’s the steady one with big dreams; he’s the trouble everyone warns her about. But when fate throws them a tiny, life-changing surprise, they have no choice but to face the chaos together. Between fiery arguments, late-night confessions, and stolen moments that blur every line, Julia and Jagger must decide if their spark is worth the risk—or if love really can conquer two hearts that were never meant to meet.
Jock vs Nerd
JAGGER
“It’s a boring party, but have you seen the chicks?”
Barry sighed. “You could have any one of them, Jag. It’s only boring to you because you’ve been with all of them.”
I smirked. “I haven’t been with all of them, Barry—I’m just testing the waters before I settle.”
Barry shook his head, downing his beer as the two of us attended yet another frat party for the weekend.
“I hate these things,” Lenny said, settling down on the sofa next to me. “So pretentious.”
“Dude, we’re jocks—we have to be here,” I reminded him. “Oooh, what about Stacey?”
Barry laughed. “Stacey and her sister? Now that’s a nice combo!”
“What about Laura and Katelynn?”
“Loose Laura? No thanks!” Lenny waved his hands frantically. “I don’t touch that.”
I frowned. “You’re nothing but a manwhore, and yet Laura’s too loose for you?”
I glanced around the room, setting my sights on another young woman standing near the bookshelves.
“Julia…”
JULIA
“I can’t believe I’m at this party…,” I mumbled to my friend, Heather, who was surveying the room.
“It was either this or you’d have been stuck in that room all night studying.”
I scowled. “The point of college is studying…”
“The point of college is having fun!”
I turned around and leaned up against the wall, catching sight of Jagger Hayes—a student in my sociology class. He smiled when our eyes met, so I half-heartedly gave him a little grin before turning away again and grabbing a book.
Heather took the novel from my hands and placed it back on the shelf. “Not tonight!” Heather sighed. “Tonight we find dudes and we—”
“Hi…” A male voice startled me from behind.
“Oh, Jagger! Hey…,” I stumbled. His blue eyes seemed to pierce right through me, his dark-brown hair falling over his eyes as I drank him in.
“Hey, Julia… Did you ever finish that report we had to do about war crimes—or…”
Really? This is what he wanted to ask me?
“Yes, I’ve finished it. Do you need help with it?”
Jagger smiled, but he didn’t answer right away. He let me stare up at him for the longest time before replying. “Wanna go somewhere to talk?” He studied me for a beat too long—like he was taking inventory—and I suddenly felt very aware of my hair and the fact that I’d grabbed a random book off a stranger’s shelf.
“Sure,” I said. “Where do you want to go?”
He didn’t answer right away. Something flickered across his face—not the cocky smirk I’d expected. “We can go anywhere you want…”
“There’s outside?” I said, but even I was surprised when I added, “There’s some bedrooms upstairs…”
I’d said that out loud. Why had I said that out loud?
“Julia! Hi!”
“Stephanie! What are you doing here?” I hugged her and shot a quick glance back at Jagger, who’d taken a step back.
“I just popped in! There’s another party going on downtown if you’re interested…”
I sighed. “Nah, I’m kinda tired. I was thinking about going back to my dorm.”
“What’s waiting for you at the dorm?”
“My books.”
“Such a nerd…” Jagger chuckled. “But you’re kinda cute, so—”
I waved my hand. “Your macho charm isn’t going to work on me, Hayes. I know you too well.”
“You don’t want to know me, Julia…,” he said, something strange softening his voice. “You’ll be better off.”
I wasn’t even sure I had a type, but it certainly wasn’t Jagger Hayes, who killed me with his smile and odd charm.
Something about him told me there would be plenty of times he was going to get on my nerves, but I simply walked away—away from the laughter and fun that everyone else was having.
I was absolutely shocked when I felt him behind me.
Jagger Hayes—following me?
He must have been desperate.
“Wait up, nerd,” he said. “You’re pretty fast, but I’m definitely faster.”
“Are you stalking me now?”
“ME? Never…” Jagger smiled. “Come on. The night is young and so are we, so let’s have some fun while it lasts, yeah?”
“Yeah…” I sighed. “Fun until you leave me for another one-night stand.”
***
Even though Jagger followed us outside, I found it both thrilling and odd at the same time.
I could smell his woodsy cologne, and it soothed me more than it should have—I barely knew the guy, and here I was, wanting his blue eyes to stare into mine for all eternity as I ran my fingers through his wavy brunette hair.
The light in the library did strange things—his eyes caught it at an angle, and for a moment, I could have sworn they darkened, but no. Still that same unsettling blue.
I told myself he wasn’t my type and definitely not in the same league.
At least not in his eyes.
I stopped near the fountain outside the frat house and smiled up at him—he was a big guy, a linebacker. I only knew this because I had to interview him for the college paper when we were freshmen.
I eyed him with caution. “Don’t you need to get back to your friends?”
I didn’t mean to sound so rude, but this guy was making me nervous—Stephanie didn’t seem to mind.
She was ogling him, and it struck a little jealous note inside me.
“Nah.” He waved. “I was headed out anyway—figured I’d walk you to the party?”
I smiled. “All right… I’ll bite.”
Stephanie trailed behind us, knowingly. I wasn’t the least bit prudish, but I wasn’t necessarily the type to hop into bed with a cute guy for a one-nighter. Stephanie was, though, and I was always hearing about her romps.
We walked in silence for a while until Heather came dashing up to us.
“You left me,” she laughed as Stephanie nudged her and pointed to me and Jagger.
“Oh…” Heather grinned. “Stephanie, why don’t we ditch this party and go get drunk at my dorm?”
I stopped and turned to them. “What? No… Why?”
Jagger had lingered a few feet behind me and smiled.
“I got you, J.”
JAGGER
I wanted to get laid so badly that I could practically feel it in my bones.
Julia wasn’t my type—looks-wise she was a cutie, but we were in different groups, different classes in the real world. I wasn’t opposed to being with a woman like Julia, but my parents had different ideas.
They would rather I marry a woman who was well-to-do than anything else. Even to be seen with Julia was taboo in my family.
One reason she probably didn’t see me as someone who would want to walk her to the other party.
“We’ll be seeing you around!” Heather told Julia, who looked too nervous for her own good.
“Jagger, as always it’s a pleasure.”
“Ladies…” I smiled, nodding my head slightly.
With the girls giggling as they ran off, Julia and I were left to ourselves. She didn’t seem to want to chat much, so I started up a conversation.
“I didn’t mean to come off as an ass when I asked about the paper…,” I said.
Julia smiled, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold.
I looked at my letter jacket and then back at her. “Are you cold?” I shrugged out of my jacket and handed it to her.
She hesitated, but took it for herself. “Isn’t this an old ritual where you give a girl your letter jacket and you’re an item?” she mused.
“My grandfather did that,” I told her. “I think it’s nice, but I love my jacket too much.”
Julia laughed. “I will try not to ruin it from here to the frat house.”
JULIA
When he handed me his coat, I almost passed up the opportunity to be seen in it.
Gloria Harper, Jagger’s ex, eyed me curiously as we entered the house. The music was too loud for me, but I needed a break from studying. Heather was right—I never gave myself the opportunity to have fun, but with someone like Jagger? What was his interest in me?
To get laid.
I couldn’t ask for a crazier night.
“Hey, Jagger!” Gloria and her friends were like little rats scurrying for their cheese, and Jagger was the cheese.
“Hi, G…,” Jagger said, hugging her as she embraced him. “You know Julia from class, yes?”
Gloria looked me up and down. “Yes, I know her… Hello, Julia.”
“Hi.” I faked a smile and shrugged myself out of Jagger’s jacket, handing it back to him. “Here… I am going to get some punch. Thanks for letting me borrow it.”
“Julia…,” Jagger began, but I was too fast, and Gloria pounced on him like a dog in heat.
“You know she’s only trying to get under your skin,” John Malcolm said, a friend of Jagger’s who wasn’t interested in Gloria or her clique. “Don’t let her.”
I laughed. “Oh, I am not jealous…,” I said, taking a cup of punch and some crackers. “I barely know Jagger.”
John smiled. “Well, he definitely wants to know you better.”
I looked back at Jagger, who was heading my way. “But why?”
John winked. “You know… I know you know, Julia…”
Jagger made himself at home next to my side and grabbed some punch. “You keep running away from me, J…,” he said. “I won’t bite—hard.”
I smiled. “We’re not really here together, Jagger, and we’re not really friends… I don’t…”
Jagger leaned in and placed a hand on my lower back, sending a shiver down my spine. “We aren’t friends, Julia, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be something else…”
I blushed. “What do you have in mind?”
