“All right, guys. Butts in seats, please. We have a stupid amount of ground to cover today!” Professor Radley hovers at the front of the class, wiping the lenses of his glasses with a small black cloth, which he tucks into his pocket. “Presley, why are you still standing there, gaping like a fish out of water. Sit down so we can get started.”
I am gaping. At Pax. He went to the restaurant? He spoke to my dad? “You shouldn’t have done that. Why? What were you thinking?”
“Presley, I’ve literally never had to say this before...” Professor Radley looks bemused. “But please stop harassing Mr. Davis. For once, he is in his chair and his mouth is shut. Let’s move this along quickly before that changes, shall we?”
The entire class snickers.
Pax has the audacity to smirk at me as I sit my ass down. The gall of the guy! I can’t believe him. Econ drags worse than Christmas Eve for a five-year-old. I keep waiting for the bell to go, distracted as hell, countless scenarios running through my head.
Pax, being absolutely evil to my father.
Pax saying something he really shouldn’t to my father.
Pax mentioning that we’ve been hanging out together. Or…fucking? There’s no way he’d tell my father that we’ve been fucking. Surely? No one in their right mind…
Even as I think this, I realize my mistake.
Since when has Pax Davis been in his right mind?
“Okay, gang. Assignments are due by the end of next week. I know we’re really close to the finish line, but let’s not get lazy now. The race isn’t over until you cross the finish line—” Professor Radley pretends to slow motion run, right as the bell goes, and I’ve never wanted to scream so badly in my entire life. I need to get the hell out of here.
Pax is up and out of the door before anyone else. I foolishly think that I’ve been spared any further baiting from him, but I’m wrong; he’s waiting in the hallway, tapping on his phone screen, frowning. I attempt to scoot past without him knowing but he steps forward, still looking down at his phone, blocking my path.
“If you’re trying to sneak around, maybe try wearing a hat?” he suggests. “Something that hides all of your hair. It’s kinda hard to miss.”
“What the hell are you doing? Get out of the way.” I step to the right but Pax steps forward, blocking me at the same time. He’s still frowning down at his infernal phone.
My temper gets the better of me. I snatch the device out of his hands. “If you’re gonna screw with me, you might as well give me your full attention,” I snap.
Murder flashes in Pax’s beautiful, terrifying eyes. “Give it back, Chase. We’re not in fucking kindergarten.”
I arch an eyebrow at him. “The way you’re behaving, you’d think we were.”
He holds out his hand. Still. Firm. Expectant. “Now.”
I have to take a deep breath before I can speak. “This is all fun and games when it’s on your terms. The second I fuck with you, you don’t like it. Well, life doesn’t always go your way, pal.” I duck around him, dropping his phone into the trash can by the old stone water fountain as I pass it. Luckily for him, unluckily for me, Pax has the reflexes of an angry cat; he snatches it out of the air before it can actually disappear into the trash can.
Slipping the phone into his pocket, he falls into step alongside me. “That wasn’t very nice,” he growls.
“Yeah, well. I’m not feeling particularly nice.”
“Why not?”
I glower at him out of the corner of my eye. “You went and spoke to my dad? What the hell, dude?”
“Dude and pal are not names you use for someone who’s ejaculated inside of you,” he says matter-of-factly.
“Jesus, Pax!” I look around to see if anyone heard him.
He has the nerve to look entertained. “What? You care about people knowing that we’ve fucked now? You didn’t seem to care so much on the lawn the other day.”
“That was before you went and saw my father,” I spit. “Don’t do that again. Just…stay away from my family, okay? You’re not supposed to be anywhere near them.”
“You want me to stay away from that brother of yours, too?”
I stop dead, turning to face him. My skin is clammy, covered in a cold sweat. Pax stops, too, and other students grumble and mutter as they have to sidle past us. “Yes. I absolutely want you to stay away from Jonah,” I say. My voice is cold. Flat and hard. Fear makes it so. “He’s probably gone back to California, so you won’t run into him anyway.” I don’t know if that’s true or not. It’s not as if Jonah’s texted me to let me know his plans. He wouldn’t. As far as I’m concerned, he wasn’t supposed to be here at all. Dad didn’t mention a visit from him to me. I’ve been hoping against hope that he’s bailed back to the west coast already.
“If he’s gone back to California, then you’ve got nothing to worry about, have you?” Pax says this too easily. It’s as if he knows something I don’t. The weird sharp edge to his expression is making me really worried.
I don’t even know what to say.
Pax reaches out and curls a section of my hair around his finger thoughtfully. People really are looking now. I can’t believe he’s doing it. When the tip of his index finger skates along the line of my cheekbone, my breath catches in my throat.
“Don’t kiss me,” I whisper.
“Now, why on earth would you say that?” He arches an eyebrow suggestively.
“Because you’re looking at me like you’re going to kiss me, and—”
He grabs me by the back of the neck, pulling me to him. I have no fight in me. I should stop him, plant my hands against his chest and push him away, but I’m too floored by the fact that he’s actually doing it, here, in front of so many people, to act.
I forget everything I told myself earlier. All thoughts of ending my arrangement with him go flying out of the window the second he brings his lips crashing down on mine.
The kiss sears my fucking soul.
His lips are firm, demanding. He urges my mouth open, sliding his tongue past my teeth, tasting me, stealing my breath, and I melt into him. I’m aware of the scene we’re creating. People are stopping, staring, holding up their cell phones…and Pax doesn’t seem to give a single flying fuck.
It’s over before I know it. When I open my eyes, he’s staring at me. Only seeing me. He sucks on his bottom lip, as if savoring the taste of me, and my heart pounds in my chest.
“What the fuck was that?” I whisper, pressing my fingertips to my mouth.
“That was a preview of what’s gonna happen later.” He offers me a raw-edged smile when he steps back. “See you tonight, Chase.”
“I told you. I’m not coming to the house!”
38
PAX
* * *
Wren: Found his info on a flight back to San Diego. Leaves tomorrow morning. He’ll be back in a week, though. This is Pres’ brother?
* * *
Luckily Chase didn’t see Wren’s message when she snaked my phone. She would have flipped her shit, one hundred percent. Looks like Jonah Witton is flying back to the west coast tomorrow, bright and early, which means I only have to watch over Chase tonight. Once the fucker is back in California, she won’t have to worry about him messing with her for a while. And neither will I. I admit that I would be worried about her. I don’t like doing it, but it’s time to face reality now, I think. After that kiss, there’s very little point in lying to myself anymore, when the truth is making itself so painfully obvious. I have feelings for Chase. Big ones. Scary ones. Run-away-and-hide-in-a-dark-closet feelings. If I don’t get my head around them soon, I’m gonna wind up doing or saying something that will not only hurt her but fuck up my chances of making things work with her.