She snorts. “That’s a very good description of him, I’m not going to lie. Anyway, Brandon shows up at my door last night, and says he wants to talk about the night of the attack.”
“What?” I exclaim.
She bobs her head. “It was super awkward. At first, I told him to go away, but he wouldn’t listen and just kept begging me to let him in. I finally caved because I’m weak and stupid. Anyway, he starts telling me…”
She suddenly trails off, and I frown. “What? He started telling you what?”
“I may need to finish this story another time,” she says, her tone suddenly reserved, her spine stiff.
I’m so confused by her sudden change in demeanor, from her usual perky self to more guarded, until a tray is set right next to me. I glance up, and I let out a gasp.
It’s Saint.
“What are you doing?” I demand.
He settles into the chair beside me with a shrug. “Eating. You should be used to watching me do that by now.”
Oh. My. God. Kill me now. I ignore Loni’s bulging eyes, and blurt out, “I’m not an idiot. What’re you doing here, at this table?”
He meets my gaze with an almost bored expression. “You didn’t come sit with me, so I’m sitting with you.”
As if that explains everything. He’s tiptoeing into dating territory with this move, and it’s confusing the ever-living hell out of me.
Loni is staring at us in awe, her eyes bouncing from me to him and back again like a tennis match. “This is one of the most random things I think has ever happened to me,” she finally murmurs after he tips his golden head in her direction and mutters a, “What the fuck’s your problem, Baby Juggernaut?”
The most random thing that’s ever happened to her?
She has no idea.
26
For the first time since I started at Angelview, people are treating me with respect. Like, real, consistent respect. A part of me thinks I should be a little ashamed that it’s because of who I’m sleeping with, but the part of me most interested in self-preservation doesn’t really care.
I don’t trust everyone, of course. Hell, other than Loni and Henry, I don’t trust anyone. I know these people could flip back into hating me with a snap of Saint’s fingers. Some of them still hate me, like Laurel, who thinks that granting me a few forced words of kindness will make me forget she poisoned me, and Jon Eric and Finnegan, who hate my fucking guts. Apart from those three, however, I can’t complain overly much.
It’s nice not being ridiculed and tormented every waking hour of my day.
On the last Wednesday before Fall Break, I make my way to the library to study for a test. I’m feeling lighter than usual, and I think it’s the combination of not being a total social pariah, and the incredible sex. I’ve let Saint come back to my room at night, and he’s making up for telling everyone we’re having sex in big, mind-blowing ways. I might actually be somewhere in the realm of happy for the first time in months, and it’s a feeling I really don’t want to go away.
Unfortunately, when I walk into the library and almost immediately spot Liam, some of that happiness does fade. He’s been avoiding me completely since the dance. This is the first time I’ve seen him outside of class, and I hate that things have gotten so bad between us.
I want to try and mend things as best I can. I can’t fix whatever’s going on between him and Saint, but that doesn’t need to dictate Liam’s relationship with me.
Right?
Squaring my shoulders, I march over to his table and plop down in the seat across from him.
He glances up, then immediately scowls.
“What are you doing?”
“Sitting,” I say, like a smart ass. “What’re you doing?”
He doesn’t answer my question, just shrugs and mumbles, “Whatever.” Turning his attention back to his book, he tries his hardest to ignore my presence.
Well, two can play at that game.
I pull out my books and spread them out in front of me, focusing in on my study materials for my upcoming test. We work in silence for some time, but I can feel the tension boiling just beneath the surface between us. He wants to say something. And he wants to say it bad.
“You know, I had a lot of respect for you when the semester started,” he finally breaks the silence, looking up at me. “You were one of the only people I’d ever met who didn’t immediately fawn over Saint like he was the goddamn prince that was promised.”
Folding my hands together on top of my books, I level him with a steely gaze.
“So, you used to have respect for me, and what about now?” I ask.
His nostrils flare with clear irritation. “Now? You’re just another bitch who sold herself out to someone who’s only going to use you to find out what makes you bleed.”
My annoyance flares and I hiss, “You don’t know anything about me and Saint. I don’t know what your problem with each other is, but you can just leave me out of it—”
“You know what my problem is?” he growls. “Fools like you who convince themselves he’s not that bad of a guy after all. That he doesn’t do terrible things to people just to get his rocks off. Not too long ago, he was torturing you for shits and giggles. Remember that?”
“I could never forget that,” I say through gritted teeth.
He chuckles, but it’s not because he finds anything funny. His laughter is dark and cruel and full of accusations. “You’re stupid for wanting to be with him, you know? All those fuckers kissing your ass right now think so too, and the moment he drops you, they’ll turn on you like rabid dogs. You thought you had it bad before? Wait until Saint gets whatever it is that he wants.”
He starts packing up his stuff, as though getting ready to leave. I’m so stunned by his words that I can only stare at him for several moments with my jaw hanging open. When he begins to storm away, I snap out of my stupor and shove to my feet to follow after him.
“I’m stupid for wanting to be with Saint, am I?” I spit, pointing at him, not giving a damn that we’re in a library. “You were his friend. If I’m stupid, what does that make you, huh?”
Stopping, he turns to glare back at me, then shrugs. “Just another fucking pawn.”
With that he circles around and storms away from me, and I stop chasing after him.
I don’t try to talk to Liam again at all before fall break. Screw him. If he’s going to be an ass, I’m not going to deal with him. I’m so ready for the break, and for campus to be empty and quiet. While I’d love to go home to visit Carley, there’s a longer winter break that I’ll return to Georgia for, and it’s simply too expensive to try and go back for both.
While I’m sure to miss Loni, and if I’m completely honest, even Saint, I’m looking forward to the time alone. I have plans to catch up on schoolwork and to begin my intensive swimming drills. And truthfully, it’ll be such a relief not to walk around and have everyone’s eyes on me. I haven’t been glared at nearly as much since it became known that Saint and I are hooking up, but people still stare at me like I’m some kind of oddity. Something they don’t quite understand but are too curious to ignore.