I let out a shaky laugh, an awkward sound that he had to have noticed. “I’m not sure just yet,” I replied, turning my head away from him, then back when he moved a fraction closer to me. No matter how many times I backed up, or made a tiny adjustment to my stance so I was further away, he managed to close the gap again.
“Come on, you must have some idea. You chose your classes, right?”
I nodded. “Of course, but I’m still not one-hundred percent sure what I’ll be pursuing.” A dark swirl was spinning deep inside my stomach, whirling faster and faster the more Colby continued to question me. My throat tightened as I fought back the natural instinct to snap, to tell him to mind his damn business and leave me the hell alone.
He was okay at first, talking about our mutual interest in graphic art and some hints on technique, but now… I was put on the spot with humor masking the covert interrogation.
“What are you doing later?” he asked, eyeing me over the rim of his red cup. “Some of us are heading to Patrick’s house after here. Wanna join me?”
I opened my mouth to let him down, but instead of words coming out, my jaw slammed shut. My teeth ground together as he continued staring at me, his smile lighting up his light-brown eyes.
“She can’t.” A deep voice came from my right, and one I recognized right away. “She’s busy.”
The hairs on my neck stood on end as he came to stand beside me. I hesitated for a second before looking up into bright, sparkling blues that made my inner artist sigh. The perfect blend of light and dark shades, surrounded by a complete circle, emphasizing the green hue at the top of his left iris.
“Oh, uh, Quinn,” Colby spluttered, lowering his cup. His expression had lost the flirtatious half-mast lids, and nauseating attempt at a ‘smolder.’ He looked between Quinn and me.
Quinn moved closer to my side and lifted his arm. I held my breath, time going by slowly as I watched the insanity right before my eyes. His arm, his fucking arm draped across my shoulders, gently pulling me toward him. My entire body tensed, every muscle fiber contracting at the contact of his warm, yet unbelievably heavy limb resting on me.
“Quinn?” I asked between gritted teeth, using every ounce of control I had left to keep from digging my elbow into his side before sending my elbow to get up close and personal with his nose.
“Yeah?” he asked, his head turning and dipping down toward me, his eyes following a second later. “I’m sorry I’m late, baby, but when I got here, I couldn’t find you.” He glanced at Colby, then back to me, then glared at Colby. “Then I see Colby keeping you company.”
Colby lifted his hands, some liquid spilling over the rim of his cup with the movement. “We were just talking about classes,” he explained a little too fast, his words coming out in a rush.
“Oh?” Quinn’s head tilted to the side, considering him. “I seem to recall you asking my girl, here, if she wanted to go to a party with you,” he shot back, but his voice was so soft it held a dark threat in the calm tone.
“I-I didn’t know you were together, I swear,” Colby stuttered, his face growing paler by the second as his eyes bounced back and forth between us.
“Yeah,” Quinn drew out.
I opened my mouth to tell him we weren’t, and that it was the last damn thing in this entire universe that I would be part of, but Quinn’s arm tightened around me with a silent message to shut the fuck up.
“Sorry, Kinsley, I had no idea.” Colby spun around and took off, his feet kicking sand up in short bursts, and he practically ran toward his buddies.
I shrugged Quinn’s arm off of me and whirled on him, jabbing my finger toward his face. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” I spat, trying to keep from screaming in his face. “And if you say you were trying to save me, so help me, I’ll tear your fucking eyes out.” I hoped he would because that way, I wouldn’t have to see into the depths that had me transfixed.
Quinn took a step toward me, towering over my five-six frame. I refused to be intimidated—to move back—because there was no goddamn way I was going to show any weakness to that douchebag.
“Wow, fighting words coming from the girl I just got out of a really fucking awkward situation.” He smiled wide, his lips tightening as though he couldn’t help himself.
You stupid, interfering, pig-headed…
I had to stop my thoughts before they found themselves flying out of my mouth and into the ears of everybody around us because that’s how my rising temper would make it. It was simmering just below the surface of my already heated skin, bubbling away, just waiting for that last catalyst so it could erupt.
Fuck, he gets me so fucking irate!
Stinging surged into my wrists and into my forearms, the pain making me ease my clenched fists. The second I removed my nails from my palms, the pulsing began to subside.
“And she’s speechless,” Quinn said with a snort. “A win-win.”
“Oh, I’m not speechless,” I seethed. “I’m just trying not to recite every curse word I have ever heard at you right now.” He raised a brow, and I took a calming breath so I could continue. “And there’s a lot, so give me a damn minute, so I don’t cause a fucking scene right here and now.”
He folded his arms across his chest, the broad expanse giving him a wider appearance, especially when he planted his feet apart. “One, two, three,” he counted.
I glared at him. “Not. Fucking. Literally.”
“Oh, because I went to math today. I learned some numbers,” he said proudly.
I closed my eyes and sucked in a long, centering breath, then blew it out slowly. When I opened my eyes, Quinn was watching me intently. “Okay, I’ll start again. What the hell?”
He jerked his chin behind me and, stupidly, I turned. Nothing was there except a few dozen partygoers trying not to stare in our direction. When I turned back, Quinn was so close I could feel his body heat, even over the enormous bonfire not too far away.
“Quinn—”
“Don’t yell at me, Kinsley,” he said, slowly lifting his hand. He hooked his finger under my chin and tilted my head back. “Everyone is staring, so just act like this is normal.” He moved a little closer, his face inches from mine. “I’m not going to kiss you, so don’t even think of leaning in for a taste.”
My eyes bulged. The smile I forced was so fake it was ridiculous. “You don’t have to worry about that, Quasi,” I snapped through my tight mouth. “I’d rather not vomit in public, so I wouldn’t intentionally cause that to happen.”
He smirked with the barest hint of a snarl, his slightly crooked nose turning up just a fraction. “My my, you do have an attitude, little miss.”
“Same could be said about you, but that’s not much of an attitude,” I scoffed.
“Oh?” he asked, humor touching his eyes. “And what would you say it is?”
I stepped back out of his reach. “I’d say it was a lack of respect for others, their personal space, and, to top it off, permission to insert yourself into their business.”
Quinn’s hand dropped, and so did all the pleasantries he poorly attempted. “You want Colby to come back and whisk you off your feet?” he ground out. “Or any of the guys that were waiting for the right time to hit on you? Be my fucking guest.”