I dropped my head and stared at my knees. “You don’t know me, Quinn,” I said, barely above a whisper. “You don’t know what I want.”
“No? Then why do you guard yourself? Why do you look like you want to run away when a guy comes up to you? Why did you clam up when Colby asked you to the party, that I know for a damn fact you didn’t want to go to?
His words cut through me like a sharpened blade. Going in was painless, but the agony began when it was twisted, intensifying more and more with each uttered syllable.
I snapped my head to him. “You don’t know a damn thing, Quasi,” I practically yelled. “And you can kiss my ass if you think I’m going to agree to this shit-show because that’s exactly what it’ll be.”
He adjusted his angle, facing me a little more. “It’s all pretend, Kinsley.” He rubbed his forehead, agitation evident in his movements. “Look, it’s clear we don’t like each other—it’s a perfect relationship for us.”
I leaned back a little, completely astounded at his ridiculous request. “How the hell do you figure that out?”
“It’s convenient. We just act like we’re together, be kinda civil in class, sit together sometimes for lunch—maybe—and tell people we don’t like to make a big deal out of it.”
“Your time is up," I stated, standing quickly. “Find somebody else to be your bodyguard because it won’t be me.”
“What? What do you mean, bodyguard?” He stood too, his footsteps loud on the sand behind me as I walked away. “I don’t need a fucking bodyguard, Kinsley.”
I rounded on him. “That’s what this is, right?” I barked out, jabbing my finger into his chest, the hard muscle causing my finger to bend back. “Somebody to keep your adoring public out of your face.” I laughed dryly. “You need me to do this for you. I don’t need you for anything!” I ran my eyes over the length of him, his dark hoodie with a small silver emblem, and matching sweats and curled my lip up in distaste. “Go to hell, Quinn, and take your imaginary groupies with you.” I spun back and stomped off in time for Josh to come barreling past me, asking Quinn if everything was okay.
It wasn’t. Far from it. My night was already going downhill; he’d just kicked it straight to the rocky bottom without a safety net.
I’m going home.
Chapter 5
Quinn
That had gone down like a fucking lead balloon.
Yeah, it was insane. Yeah, it looked like I didn’t have the problem I’d suggested this train wreck of an idea I needed to solve. Kinsley had been about as useful as a candy machine in a diabetes clinic. What the hell did she think I wanted from her? A real relationship? Ha! I don’t fucking think so. I’d tried to convince her it was what she needed, too, and it had blown up in my fucking face.
What I couldn’t forget was her reaction when I’d stopped her from leaving right away. The defensive maneuver, the way she tried to hurt me even after I’d let go. Her face… Fuck, I’d scared her, and I felt like shit. I’d said I wouldn’t touch her, but I did and deserved what I got, but the fear in her eyes… Jesus, I couldn’t get it out of my head.
“We still on for the circle tonight?” Josh asked, shoving a spoonful of cereal into his mouth. He chewed loudly, the crunch of cheerios irritating me for no other reason than I was pissed… Again.
“Yeah.” I sipped my orange juice, then bit into my toast. After I swallowed, I looked up to see his eyes on me. “What?”
“Nothing. Just wondering what happened at the beach? You and Kinsley—”
“We talked for a bit and then she left—end of story.” I wanted to end the conversation, but he’d been at me to get information since Friday night.
“It looked pretty fucking heated from where I was standing, Quinn, and it was way over on the other side.”
I ran my hand over my head then down my face. “I did something stupid, she blew up, and that’s that.”
“What did you do?” he asked, his voice condescending like I was a kid in trouble.
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter.”
He finished the last spoon of cereal, leaving the spoon to clink against the ceramic bowl when he was done. “Would you like a mirror? Because the ‘everybody’s gonna get it today’ look you have going on says otherwise.” I mumbled my answer like a scared prick. “Sorry, what?”
I screwed my eyes shut and dropped my head back. Blowing out a long breath, I blurted it out. “I asked her to be my girlfriend.”
Josh’s face slackened, his eyes blinked a few times, then he doubled over, laughing his ass off. “You what?” he guffawed. “Girlfriend? Oh my God, Quinn, are you kidding right now? Please tell me this is a joke.” When I didn’t say a word, he asked, “Is this your big plan?” He continued laughing, holding his stomach with one hand and wiping his watery eyes with the other.
“It’s not for real!” I shot out.
“You’ve taken too many knocks to the head, my friend,” he said between outbursts. “Because that girl, that girl, hates you.”
“I know,” I growled. Hearing it coming from Josh’s mouth, it did sound worse than ridiculous, not to mention something that looked like it came from some teen flick. Well, except for the lovey-dovey shit and running around each other until they eventually fucked. I was not planning on any of that happening. Although, Kinsley was definitely hot, her body slender, her hair glossy, and the little freckle that sat just above the left side of her top lip was like a damn homing beacon. But, that’s not what I was interested in.
Josh studied me, his eyes narrowed, and he chewed on the inside of his mouth. “Are you sure you’re okay, Quinn? This isn’t like you to do something so out of it.”
I stood and picked up my glass and plate, heading over to the sink. “I’m fine.”
“Okay. Whatever you say.”
I gripped the edge of the sink until my knuckles turned white. “We’re gonna be late for class.”
Josh snorted. “Already are, man. Class started fifteen minutes ago.”
Fuck!
I’d sat there for longer than I’d thought, going over the car crash again and again, not able to stop it from coming back.
“See you there,” I called out, grabbing my backpack and helmet from the hallway. Why did I care that I was late? Mrs. Montgomery would probably be standing there with a disapproving look on her aging face, but she wouldn’t do anything about it; she never did; she couldn’t. But, thinking of her had me thinking about Kinsley and that first day I’d seen her.
I shook my head, parted the straps, and put on my helmet. The ride to school wouldn’t be long enough to clear my head, and it was better that it didn’t. I had a fight coming up, and the more aggression I could save, the better.
***
The door banged behind me as I entered the building, the side entrance near the dean’s office virtually free from other students except for the few walking by that hung around between the classes they had on the same day.