Confrontation

"Um, I. . .I need to go," I tell them, pushing my way to the front and starting it again. We must've been close because we get to the second floor in no time. I hear them snickering behind me, and rush out. After dropping off my stuff at my dorm, I hurry back out of the room, anxious for an entirely different reason now. When I get back to the elevator, the girls are gone, and the man himself, Colton Andrew Harris leans against the wall of the elevator. He grins wickedly, and I feel desire creep in my stomach yet again, but I shove it back down before it can consume me. Glaring at him, I step into the elevator, and press the button for the First Floor, then stop the elevator seconds after we start moving. I stay as far away from him as I can, so that he won't affect me as much.

It takes him a second to realize that I'm not just joking with him, that I'm glaring at him for a reason.

"Tally? What's wrong?" He asks as he starts to come forward, concern in his words and expression.

I back up, or at least, I try to back up, not getting very far because I hit the door.

"Colton Harris."

He smiles. "I see you found out my name."

"Colton Andrew Harris," I continue. "Son of the Chancellor, Winston Harris."

"Well, I didn't expect you to figure out my middle name," he says, mildly surprised. "You're not one of those stalker girls are you?" He asks playfully with a smile. He begins to move towards me again, but I put out a hand to stop him. "What?" He asks, confused. "You're the son of the Chancellor," I say incredulously. "Yeah, so?"

"So? So, that's a big damned deal in itself. Not to mention the fact that you have eyes all over you. You're a mini-celebrity in this place. And, apparently, you're already spoken for."

"What?"

"A girl, I'm sure you know her, named Rebecca Carlye-" he groans, but I continue anyway. "Told me that she saw me with her, and I quote 'dear Colton', then said that you're off the market."

Looking at me with pleading eyes, he beginto explain, silently begging that I listen. "Girls like me. For a lot of reasons. My looks, my automatic popularity, the fact that my Dad's the Chancellor, and the fact that my family is loaded."

"Well congrats, you're the ultimate package," I say sarcastically, before turning around so that I can restart the elevator. Catching me by surprise, he grabs my elbow and spins me back around. "You're angry, I get it, so I won't be mad at you for that. But you have to understand. I don't care about those girls. They don't see anything other than the looks, the money, the name, and the popularity. That's it. That's why I didn't tell you who I was," he says. "I thought that if you knew, it would change the way you look at me." Pausing, he looks at my angry expression. "Clearly, I was right."

"Well, Colt," with a laugh that lacks humor, I correct myself. "Colton, that's a huge thing, that you never bothered to tell me, and I don't want to be 'that' girl, the freshman who worked her way through school by getting with the Chancellor's son. Being anywhere near you would automatically make people hate me. And, I don't mean to be stereotypical, but I'm sure you had a great life with rich friends, and parties, and galas, and stuff like that. You probably had everything you wanted in the world, except for your dad, who was probably working all the time. Am I close?"

"Yes, but-"

"But nothing! This can't happen. Not even once. No."

I try to turn away again, but he grabs my arm, again, and spins me back around. "Tally, I've-I've never-" he pauses and takes a feel breath before continuing. "I've never been like this. I've never fought for the attention of a girl, I've never kissed a girl, then stopped right in the middle. Not without going all the way."

'Oh perfect, exactly what I want to think about right now, him with other girls.'

My face must show some of my thoughts because he smiles gently and says, "I won't lie to you, Tally, I've been around the block. But none of them, not a single one, completely undid me as you do. You make me want to push you up against the wall and kiss and bite at you in front of anyone and everyone so that all of them know you're mine."

After a sharp intake of breath at his words, I finally regain control over my mind, and the insanity of what I was about to do hits me. "We don't know each other, Colton. You don't even know my full name. You don't know a single thing about me except that I have a friend named Sam, I have Public Communications first thing in the morning, I live in this building, and that my nickname is Tally. That's it. I don't know anything about you except that you also have Public Communications first thing, you're the Chancellor's son, you're rich, and that your name is Colton Andrew Harris. That's it. And now you're talking like you're going to Claim me or something. We can't."

For the third time now, I turn around, so that I can leave. And, for the third time now, he grabs my elbow and pulls me back to him. This time, however, he backs me up against one of the walls so that I can't try to leave again. "What if we did know each other?"

"What?"

"You're hung up on the fact that we don't know each other. I'm asking you to pretend that we do. Or just forget about that part altogether. What would happen then? Would tho give this a try?"

'How in the Hell am I supposed to answer that?'

"I don't know, Colton. I-"

"Yes, or no, Tally?"

I close my eyes as I tell him, "Yes."

"Okay. So, why don't we get to know each other? Everyone starts as strangers. Why don't we try?"

"Okay," I say meekly.

He kisses my head and says, "Don't worry. This happens quite a bit. People get together before they know each other, want to get together, and decide to get to know each other."

"Okay, " I say again.

"Now, " he says, his voice having a wicked edge to it. "Why don't we finish what we started?" He asks with a wicked grin.

I smile back at him. "Sure, let's do it."