[-Chapter 3-]

Kris's POV

I sigh in frustration before wiping the water that luckily just got on my face away. What possessed them to jump into freezing cold pool water in December I doubt I will ever understand. I can see it now, one of them will come down with a case of pneumonia and coach will be irate. The frustrations in my thoughts quickly evaporate into nothing when I catch a glimpse of Kailyn. She had been wearing a tight white t-shirt under an unzipped jacket, which is now completely soaked. I can now clearly see the lace imprint on her bra, and what appears to be a tattoo on her lower right hip, right above where her jeans sit, which now that I'm looking there instead of at her ample cleavage I notice that they are pretty much drenched too. Finally looking up at her face, I see her hair sticking in wet strands to her forehead and neck, and I can only laugh at the fact that she definitely got the worse end of the tidal wave that just hit. My laughter makes her direct her attention toward me, and even though I can see a hint of attitude in her movements, I can't wipe the smile off my face.

"This," she says while waving her hand in front of her indicating her soaked clothing, "isn't funny," she finishes before playfully hitting me in the stomach, with some force I might add.

"Come on, I'm sure I have something you can wear," I offer while opening the door for her to walk through. She steps through and then waits for me on the other side to show her where to go. I lead her up the stairs to my bedroom and flick on the lights only to watch her eyes go straight to the cage in the corner of the room.


"Aww, who is this little guy," she says while taking her jacket off and sitting it on my bed before making her way over to the cage and bending down, her shirt raising enough until I can see another tattoo on her lower back.


"That is Archie," I answer before pulling my shirt over my head and reaching for a dry one.

Kailyn's POV

"He's cute," I conclude before turning around and seeing him shirtless. A slight blush crosses my face before I turn my attention back to the puppy. "What is he, an Alaskan Husky?" I ask before turning around once again in time to see him open a door which I assume is his closet. I hear him rummaging through stuff, probably trying to find something for me to wear. A couple seconds later he returns with a pair of sweats and a t-shirt.


"Yeah. I got him about 3 weeks ago," he says while walking over to where I'm crouching in front of the cage. "Here.." he says while offering me the clothes before bending over to let the energetic puppy out of the cage. He picks up Archie and playfully tosses him on the bed before laying down on it himself to play with him. I know I could go to a different room to change, but I am beyond freezing at this point so I just turn around so I'm not facing him and pull my shirt over my head and shimmy out of my jeans and reach for the clothes he gave me.

Kris's POV

I am more than speechless as I watch her shed her clothing, finally able to get a better look at the tattoo on her back, which I can now clearly make out to see that it makes an arrangement of stars that are variously colored. She slides on my sweats and I can only smile at the fact that they barely rest at the lowest part of her hips, her small frame barely being wide enough to hold them up. She throws the t-shirt I gave her on and pulls her long, wet hair out of the back of it before turning around and making her way over to where Archie is sitting on the corner of the bed, wondering if he should tempt the long jump to the ground. He decides against it, sitting back down which makes her laugh before she starts to pet him.


"I love dogs," she says while smiling down at him. "We can't have them at the dorms, but when I finally get out of there I'm definitely getting one," she finishes before turning and heading out of the room back downstairs. I grab Archie off the bed and put him on the ground before we both follow.


When we finally get downstairs, not a soul is around, everybody having already headed home. She walks over to where her book bag is and picks it up before turning back around toward me.


"Everybody else is already gone, so I guess this is my cue," she says with that smile of hers that has my heart beating double-time.


"You want a ride?" I ask while grabbing my coat off the back of the couch and reaching for my keys that are in my jean pockets.


"No, really it's okay. I love walking anyways, and my dorm is only about 3 blocks down."


"I'm not gonna let you leave by yourself, so either you let me drive you or you let me walk you," I say defiantly, not really wanting this night to end until I know more about her.


"Looks like we're walking then," she says with a shrug and a small smirk before slipping into her jacket and heading for the door.

Kailyn's POV

I pick up Archie on my way to the door, deciding he might as well come along. As Kris and I head down the sidewalk, our footsteps falling into sync I know that I've made walks further than this at later hours of the night, but I look over at him and he smirks a little, and I can't help but relish in having some company tonight. After we have walked about half a block in silence, he speaks up.

"So earlier you used the term 'when I get out of there'," he says while using quotation marks. "What's that mean?"

"Did you just use quotation marks?" I laugh while turning my gaze in his direction.

"Yes, I did," he chuckles. "Stop avoiding the question."

"I'm on scholarship," I say with a shrug. He looks over at me, wanting more of an answer so I continue. "Pitt has the best law school in the entertainment department, and I got a free ride, it was hard to pass us. Some of us don't have the luxury of playing a game we love for a crapload of money," I finish while jabbing my elbow lightly into his side.

"Touche," he adds with that crooked grin of his.

"Well, this is me," I say while stopping in front of my building. I push Archie away from my chest where he was resting before and extend my arms to get a good look at him before giving him a kiss on the head which makes Kris laugh. "Here," I offer while handing the adorable puppy back over to him. "I had a nice time tonight," I conclude while turning around and looking back at him while making my way up the front steps.

"Yeah me too. See you around Kailyn," he says before turning around and making his way back down the street, leaving me wondering about a load of different things.