"Rough mattress," I finally answered, a dare in my eye as I stared at her. Her eyes widened imperceptibly, a little grin flashing on her face before she flounced into the bathroom without another word.
When she didn't come out after twenty minutes, it dawned on me I wasn't going to make it to class on time if I waited to get ready when she was done.
Flipping open my compact mirror, I groaned. I looked like shit. I guess that's what sleeping on the floor on a soggy pillow with one eye open did to you.
Half a bottle of concealer, and I knew it wasn't going to get any better. Giving up, I put a little eyeliner and mascara and some pink lip-gloss, and called it good. My hair went up in a messy bun. My roommate had every outlet taken over in the bedroom, and I didn't feel like inciting her wrath by unplugging something she thought important to use my hair straightener.
That was a fight for another day.
Some black skinny jeans and a black spaghetti strap top followed by an oversized flannel completed my look. Not what I would have picked for my second day at Rutherford, but there were worse things.
A wave of guilt hit me just then, so strong that it threatened to knock me over with its suddenness. Here I was worrying about stupid things like how I looked…and Caiden wouldn't ever get to care about anything again.
I drew in a hiccupping breath, practicing my deep breathing exercises that my hospital mandated therapist had taught me when my anxiety attacks after Caiden's accident crippled me.
After a few minutes, my panic subsided, and I was able to breathe normally.
I glanced at my phone. Shit, I was going to be late.
I walked out of my room, down the hall, and out of the dorm, my limp more pronounced after my uncomfortable night on the floor. I rubbed my thigh, hoping that the pain shooting through my leg would subside soon. I needed to pop an Advil as soon as I got to class.
I was a few feet away from my dorm room door when a familiar face suddenly popped up beside me.
"Hey, dollface," Landry said. He was wearing a tight-fitting forest green Henley that made his amazing green eyes pop even more. He was a nice sight after the night I'd just had.
"Can I take you to breakfast?" he asked, taking my book bag off my shoulder and hoisting it onto his own. I hadn't dared to leave any of my books in my room with Melanie, not sure what she or someone else would do to them so they were all in my bag, making my limp even worse under the weight.
"Did you pack rocks in here?" he asked, pretending to hunch over from the weight of my bag.
"Something like that," I murmured, not wanting to get into what had happened the night before. The verdict was still out for Landry, and there was no way I was spilling anything important to him right now.
"So...breakfast?" he asked again, and I gave him a small frown of disappointment.
"Unfortunately, my roommate hogged the bathroom this morning, and I'm running late," I told him as we began to walk towards where I hoped I was right that my classes were.
He looked so disappointed that I decided to throw him a bone. "I could meet you for lunch?" I told him, wishing that his green eyes stirred up even an ounce of lust. I really needed to find a way to unbreak myself.
Speaking of lust, I caught sight just then of Jackson, talking with a group of guys that looked like they were on the football team with him, judging by their size. He talked to them, but his gaze was locked on mine. It was the first time we'd had any form of eye contact in years and I worried I was going to melt on the spot. By his mere presence, Jackson Parker commanded attention, and he definitely had mine; every nerve in my body was highly attuned to his proximity, shimmering like a spark waiting to ignite. His intense gaze held mine for what felt like an eternity before Landry asked me something that forced me to look away.
I thought Landry had just asked me what class I had today, but I wasn't paying attention. Landry threw a frown over my shoulder, aimed at Jackson.
He chose to ignore my distraction, repeating his question again with a charming smile. I opened my mouth to answer when I felt him. Landry's mouth pursed in displeasure, and I turned around, trying to prepare myself for the experience of having Jackson so close to me.
"Can I help you, Parker?" Landry barked. Oh, they knew each other and apparently, they had bad blood between them because Jackson was shooting him a look that could kill.
"Just wanted to see who you had here, Evans," Jackson replied, his smooth voice rolling over my skin, sending an instant rush of lust skittering across my body. Jackson glanced at me casually, and I realized that he was going to pretend that he didn’t know me. What was that all about?
"You must be the newbie," he said charmingly, holding out his hand. There was a low rumble behind me, and Jackson's cocky grin grew even wider. I stared at his hand for a moment, getting the feeling that it was going to bite me. Uncertain of what game Jackson wanted to play, I hesitated to involve myself. After it started to get awkward, I tentatively reached out my hand towards his.
As my palm connected with his, a line of electricity shot up my arm, and the air felt full of an almost palpable energy. His brow furrowed and his smirk dissolved into the straight line of his lips. Had he felt it, too? The intensity of his stare caused a hot flush to spread up my chest like a wildfire. Those damn eyes—it was as if they searched mine for answers to unasked questions. My lips parted to respond to the mysterious inquiry, but no sound escaped my now parched throat. Shaking my head, I recovered and slipped free from his grip.
With our physical connection broken, his smile returned.
"If there's anything you need, I'm Jackson, and I'm at your service," he told me.
I took a step backward, needing space from the energy he threw at me. He followed my movements to my plain black flats. Suddenly, I didn’t feel as ferocious as I had when I left my dorm room a few minutes earlier. The confidence I held as I slipped into my favorite flannel had been stripped away, leaving only me. Everly James, loser, traitor… cheater.
And in front of me was a god among men.
Jackson Parker wasn’t the boy next door—he was the lion ready to slaughter the lamb. I counted to three to ensure I wouldn’t squeak out an answer. “I think I'll be fine.”
His eyes continued with their hypnotic spell as others invaded the moment, the group of guys he'd been talking to when I first saw him sidling up to where we were standing.
"Who do we have here?" one of them purred, looking me up and down in a way that made me immediately feel dirty.
Was it just my imagination or had Jackson just taken a step in front of me so he blocked me from view? That couldn't have been on purpose...right?
"Everly, you were saying you were running late for class?" Landry reminded me, and I nodded, shooting them all what I hoped looked like a polite smile, despite the fact that they were all looking at me like I was fresh meat.
Landry hustled me away from the group, but I could feel Jackson's hot stare following me as I walked. I thought a lot about what we would say to each other when he saw me again, but I hadn't anticipated what had just happened. It made me feel uneasy and a little sick to my stomach. Jackson had always been bold. I'd grown used to his antics after so many years as his best friend...but whatever game he'd just started with me? I didn't know how to handle that.