I start to open my mouth, ready to tell him about the box I received last night, but then shut it closed. If I tell Easton or any of the guys, they’ll pressure me into fulfilling The Society’s command. The only one who would probably have my back would be Lincoln, but I can’t be sure.
I can’t fuck this up. There are too many lives at stake, but there’s only one that I’m really worried about. And no one needs a crystal ball to know I’m not talking about my own.
Chapter 20
Finn
After four days of wracking my brain, trying to come to terms with what to do, it’s my heart that ends up making the decision. I give in to its wants and text the Southie who has plagued my mind and soul non-stop since the minute I landed eyes on her.
I look at my phone, thinking of any excuse in the book to get her to see me, but in the end, my lame ass just texts her with the douchiest one-liner that can come up with.
Me: Want to hang out or something?
Brat: Are you for real?
Me: Hmm, yeah.
Brat: I’m too busy for ‘or something’, quarterback.
Me: Aren’t Thursday’s your night off, though?
Me: And no one is too busy for ‘or something’. *winky emoji*
Brat: Yep, I’m not working tonight, but that doesn’t mean I’m not busy.
Brat: We are talking about sex, right? I never know with you. ‘Or something’ could be geek code for some meteor shower you want to take me to watch.
Me: Busy doing what?
Me: Just so we’re clear ‘or something’ always involves you sitting on my face.
Brat: I’m studying. Some of us do that shit in college.
Brat: Good to know. And as much as I’d love to ride that pretty face of yours, I’m still busy.
Me: Need some company?
Brat: …
Me: I mean, I’ve got a paper to work on, too.
Me: Stone?
Brat: …
Me: Fine. Promise, no ‘or something’.
Me: Stone?
Me: I’ll bring pizza.
Brat: You should have led with that. No pineapple, quarterback. Be here in an hour.
Me: Always the brat.
Brat: And don’t you forget it.
Forty minutes later, I’m at her dorm room door with two large pepperoni pizzas and a six-pack of Cokes. Stone flings it open after my third knock, wearing nothing but boy shorts and some indie band T-shirt, snug enough for me to notice the missing bra.
Great! That won’t make this hard at all!
“I see you’ve come prepared,” she teases me, taking the pizza boxes out of my hand.
“I got food and plenty of caffeine. If we have to study, we might as well do it right.” I force out a chuckle.
“I couldn’t agree more with you. Come on in, quarterback. Make yourself comfortable,” she adds, taking a slice out of the box, but immediately dropping it back down to blow over her fingers, realizing that they just came out of the oven.
“I see I’ve come just in time,” I joke, as she tries to wolf down the slice while I take in the cramped space around us.
Stone’s dorm room is just big enough for a single bed and a desk, but its loud posters and bold décor has the same vibrant savagery as its owner. Just like her—small in stature but packing a mean punch nonetheless.
“You can have the desk if you want. I prefer studying on the bed anyway.”
I give her a little nod and set up shop on her desk. After I have everything in order, I turn my head over my shoulder and see that Stone is already deep in concentration. She’s sitting on her bed with her back resting against the wall and her laptop on a pillow over her lap, while an opened pizza box lies next to her, a spot from where I can easily grab a slice, too.
Not wanting to ruin her mojo, I actually end up working on my paper for Professor Donavan’s class. Sure, the paper isn’t due for another two weeks, but somehow, just being in this room with her while she’s doing her hustle inspires my own. I only realize how much time has passed when Stone lets out a loud yawn, stretching her arms over her head, announcing the late hour.
“I’m exhausted,” she half-yawns, half-laughs.
“Shit. It’s late. I should be heading out.” I wince upon checking my phone and see it’s well past one in the morning.
How the hell did that happen?
My mind is usually aware of every minute passing by, but I completely lost track of time. More laughable is the fact that it happened while doing actual school work. Will wonders never cease? Being able to zone out of every fucked-up thing happening in my life is elating, but more so is realizing the reason behind my sudden inner peace—Stone.
Just her presence calms my hectic brain.
Fuck.
“Not going to happen, pretty boy,” she says adamantly, interrupting the small freak-out I’m inwardly having. “There is a strict no-boy rule after midnight, and if someone sees you leave, I’m screwed. The residence hall director is an utter bitch and would just love to catch me on a technicality to throw me out of the dorm. No way is that happening.”
“Let me guess. Your dorm supervisor is Miss Pigtails and Bubble Gum?” I ask, remembering the annoying girl.
“You know it.” Stone scoffs. “Which means you aren’t going anywhere tonight. You’ll just rest for a few hours here, and when everyone is asleep, you can sneak off. Unless, of course, you have somewhere else to be at this hour?” she adds, turning her back to me and moving the endless clutter of textbooks off her bed and onto the floor.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear you were fishing for something,” I tease half-heartedly.
She straightens her spine, turning around to face me, with her hands on her hips and an aloof expression marring her stunning features.
“What would I be fishing for?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Maybe you want to know if I have any jersey chasers waiting for me the minute I leave your side.”
“And do you?” she cocks a defiant brow at me.
“Does it matter if I did? Would you really care?” I ask, putting on a more serious tone.
Instead of giving me an answer, she pulls the covers back from her bed and sneaks in, leaving me a small opening to crawl behind her. My eager and prideless cock is already telling me to get my ass in there, but my heart is saying otherwise.
“Hmm.”
“Are you afraid of sharing a bed with me, pretty boy?” she taunts.
“No.”
“Then come on. Get in,” she insists, a little more playfully.
“I don’t think I should, Stone,” I reply, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Why not?”
My stare falls to the floor while my foot shyly kicks the air, unwilling to explain how my heart is bruised and mangled from her rejection. Sensing my discomfort, Stone gets up to her knees and grabs my hands, commanding my full attention to her gorgeous face instead of listening to the forlorn thoughts playing around in my head.