“That you were at the fight with Liam, or that he was practically on top of you in public?”
Any soft emotion his protectiveness might have provoked in me is gone in an instant. I narrow my eyes and clench my teeth in irritation.
“I wasn’t at the fight with him, we both just happened to be there. And he wasn’t on top of me! The crowd was too loud for me to hear him, and he was just whispering in my ear. That’s it.”
“What was he whispering?” he asks, his tone still suspicious.
I roll my eyes. “None of your goddamn business.”
“And you expect me to just take your word that it was completely innocent?”
God, he’s acting like a jealous boyfriend!
“You can believe whatever you want, but you seem to forget that we’re not exclusive. We’re not even dating, technically. If I talk to another guy, you can’t freak out about it, just like I don’t freak out knowing you’re likely hooking up with half the female population here and—”
“I’m not fucking anyone but you.”
It takes me a moment to truly comprehend what he said. When his words settle into my mind, I gawk up at him in shock.
“Wh-what?”
He doesn’t flinch from my gaze when he repeats himself, emphasizing every syllable. “I’m not fucking anyone but you.”
Now, my heart is slamming against my ribcage and I don’t know what to say in response right away. I hadn’t thought about him with other girls too much. I hadn’t wanted to. A part of me had figured he wasn’t sleeping with a lot of other people, since he was spending nearly every night with me, but I hadn’t dared assumed he’d stopped messing around completely. To find out he’s only been with me is…
I puff out a shallow breath then drag my hands over my face. “I … I didn’t ask you to do that.” I don’t know what else to say. It’s the truth, though. It wasn’t an expectation on my part for our arrangement, though a pleasant and not unwelcome surprise.
He shrugs nonchalantly, as if his monogamy means nothing, when in truth it means a shit ton. “Why should I keep chasing pussy when I have a steady ride whenever I want?”
He’s trying to be brusque and downplay the significance of his actions, but I see right through his bullshit.
I fold my arms over my chest and narrow my eyes up at him.
“Is that why you’ve been acting like such a dick? You thought your steady ride was being jacked?”
His jaw tenses. “I don’t like when someone else touches what’s mine.”
“I’m not your—” I start but his hand comes up to cup my face, and his thumb pulls at my bottom lip.
“You keep saying that, and you keep being wrong,” he murmurs. A moment of silence stretches between us, and it’s heavy with some new emotion. I’m not sure what, or rather, I’m not sure I want to dig too deep into what it might be.
At length, I finally whisper, “What now?”
Instead of answering me, he leans down and presses his lips to mine in a quick kiss.
Pulling back so we’re a breath apart, he answers, “Now, you just look forward to tonight because when I come to your room, you’re not getting rid of me until morning.”
I shiver at the heated promise in his words.
Saint and I resume our nightly activities together, and it’s as good as ever.
At least, it would be if he wasn’t acting weird. Again.
After we’re done, and we’re just lying together talking, he’s started back in on trying to get me to leave Angelview. This time, he’s switched tactics and is now suggesting other private schools for me to attend.
“St. Hildegard’s supposed to have an excellent swim team,” he points out to me a few days before Thanksgiving Break. “Plus, it’s an all-girls school, so I don’t have to worry about any strange dick chasing after you.”
I prop myself up on my side and gaze down at him with a frown.
“We’ve been over this before,” I say, releasing a sigh. “I’m not leaving. Besides, I can’t afford any other school. I’m only here because of my scholarship.”
Which is something I’ve told him a million times. I don’t know if he’s just not listening to me, or if he really doesn’t get it.
“I could help you,” he replies. “Cover your tuition for you. It’s just one more semester, right?”
I gape at him. “You’re not doing that. No way in hell will I take your money.”
He lets out a growl. “Come on, Mallory. Anywhere is better than this shithole.”
I’m certain that’s not true. I could be back at Rayfort High, which would be a thousand times worse than anything I’ve experienced here so far. I can’t tell him that, though. I can’t tell him anything about what’s waiting for me should I ever go back to my hometown.
I shake my head. “You’ve got to give this up, Saint. You’re not going to convince me to leave.”
His expression tightens and he looks momentarily upset. Frustrated and anxious. He always looks like this when I shoot down his suggestions for different schools. I can’t help the tug of worry in my gut. Saint rarely looks affected by anything.
But my continued presence at Angelview?
That worries him, which terrifies me.
30
Thanksgiving Break comes and goes, and my fears and anxieties begin to settle down. Dylan never showed back up at Carley’s, and I think that means he’s let go of whatever he wanted from me. Things between me and Saint are getting better, it seems, though he seems moody and standoffish still. He’s dropped the topic of me going to another school, at least for the time being. That’s eased some of the tension between us.
Somewhat.
Another positive development? Liam’s started hanging out with Saint and Gabe again. The Monday after Thanksgiving, I walked into the dining hall and found him sitting at their usual table, and I couldn’t help the smile that curled my lips. It was such a relief to see all three of them together again. I hadn’t realized how much it bothered me that they were fighting until they appeared to make up.
All three guys have started inviting Loni and I to hang with them. We’ve been studying for finals all together, as well as interacting on campus like we’re actually friends. It’s surreal, but not an unwelcome development. The rest of the school has eased up on their hate of me again, and some people have even credited me with reuniting Saint and Liam once more. I’m the most welcome I’ve ever been, which isn’t really saying something, but still.
One night after dinner, Loni and I are walking to the library together, each heading to a different study partner for the evening. She’s prepping for her AP Chemistry final, and I’m meeting up with Liam for English.
“How’s Saint feel about you hanging with Liam without him?” Loni suddenly asks as we near the library’s entrance.
Her question catches me a little off guard and I have to take a moment to collect my thoughts before I can respond.
“Fine, I guess.”
Loni looks as though she doesn’t believe that for a second. “You’re sure he’s okay? After everything they went through?”