“Just spit it out.”
He’s silent for a moment. So silent that if it weren’t for the other people walking around campus and Leo and Easton talking shit, I’d be able to hear the clock in the tower tick its tock.
He licks his lips. “Don’t know what’s goin’ on with you two, and don’t really care. All I know is …”
“Is what?” I hurriedly ask when it’s quite clear he’s going to leave me on the edge of my seat forever.
“Hunt, we’ve been friends for a few years,” he says, veering off-topic and confusing me. I don’t give a fuck about that. Damn. “And, as a friend, I think I should be the one to tell you this.”
“Tell me what.” I’m beginning to lose what little patience I fucked out of Cassandra this morning. Zeke is about to meet my fist if he doesn’t stop blowing smoke up my ass and get to the point.
“You’re not going to get to this girl,” he rasps, chuckling. “Just stop while you’re ahead.”
Pulling away, I peer up into his face. Does he know something I don’t? He’s wearing an unreadable mask over his emotions, just staring down at me, and driving his point home. While I’d usually listen to him, because he seems to be the smartest one out of our group, I can’t with her. He knows this.
“Can’t do that.” I click my tongue against the roof of my mouth, then twist and turn to pull my smokes out of my pocket. “The past wouldn’t allow that.”
Popping a cigarette between my lips, I light the tip and inhale. The smoke causes my eyes to thin into tiny slits, preventing the harsh fumes from stinging the surface of them. And about the time I take my second puff, her voice drifts across the courtyard, and like a moth to the flame, my gaze jerks up to her.
My traitorous heart gives a little flutter inside my chest upon seeing her. Dressed in tight, mid-waist jeans, white Calvin Kline half shirt, white Nike tennis shoes, and a messy bun, I damn near swallow my goddamn tongue.
I don’t have to like someone to notice they’re fucking hot. And Harloe … whew, she’s hella fine. Her long blonde hair hangs in waves down to midback, curly, wild, and free. She barely wears any makeup, but with skin like hers, she doesn’t have to.
Until this moment, I didn’t know how drawn to her I still am. How her curves and the bright, intelligent mischief that seems to beam through her gaze draws me in.
And I don’t like it. Not one bit.
She’s on the phone just like she always seems to be, and she hasn’t seen me loitering in front of her apartment yet. On purpose, of course. It’s been nearly a week after siccing the dogs on her, and Jenna and I were beginning to get antsy, needing her to react.
Dismissing me is probably the worst thing she can do because that’ll just make me clamp my teeth down harder just to get a rise out of her.
Pushing Zeke to the side, I take one last puff and toss my cigarette to the ground, stomping it out as my smile ticks up into creepy territory. Easton sidles up next to me out of nowhere as I push why this is a bad idea out of my head and start making my way toward her.
She won’t react to taunts through a third party? Ha. Well, I’ll give her a reason to react now.
“What are we doin’?” Easton asks, always the one to go with the flow with no rhyme or reason.
I shrug my shoulders. “Just go with it.”
He nods as we come to a stop behind her. I know she knows I’m here, she’s just being stubborn and not reacting.
My eyes flick to the phone she has plastered against the side of her head, then back to the back of her head. Reaching forward, I pluck the phone right from her fingers and end the call without peering down to see who it was. Probably her dad. He was always the worrywart when we were younger.
She swings around toward me, gorgeous, blazing, bright emerald eyes flashing with anger. Fuck yeah. That’s what I’m talking about. I smirk down at her.
“Give that back. Now!” she growls, and it sounds more like the purr of a tiny kitten than a fierce jaguar.
My cock twitches behind the zipper of my pants. Fuck, I love it when girls are feisty and just rightly pissed off with me. It makes hate sex even crazier. Too bad she won’t get a bit of it. Sucks for her.
Her hand shoots out, fingers wiggling for me to comply. My smile widens. “Why, you wanna score?”
“It’s none of your business what I do, Hunter. Not now. Not ever again.”
“Let me know. I know a guy who knows a guy. He could hook you up,” I retort just as her phone starts ringing again.
Piquing my interest, I glance down at the screen of her phone. What I see makes the laughter die in my throat and pure, unadulterated anger blazing through me. Why? I can’t tell you that. Shouldn’t even bother me who she’s talking to. But there’s something about seeing the word “Baby” with hearts beside it that makes me murderous.
She takes advantage of my frozen state, grabbing the phone from my hands. It takes a minute, but when I can catch my breath and push down the anger enough to not wring her neck, I bring my eyes back to hers.
And the asshole decides to fall right out of my mouth, like always.
“He’s probably blind and dumb if he’s with you. You’re not the prettiest thing out there, little con.” Fucking lies. She’s the most beautiful woman in the world, and I’m man enough to admit that, even if she doesn’t deserve it.
Her plump, juicy lips pull back from her teeth as she hisses at me. “Fuck. Off.”
Harloe looks like she could go to war right now and come out the victor. Her tiny hands are balled into fists by her side. She’s ignoring the ringing phone in her hand, which must really send her boyfriend into fits. I did probably hang up on him, and now since he can’t get ahold of her, he’s probably freaking out.
Let him. That boy probably can’t satisfy her anyway.
“Leave.”
“We’ve already been over this.” She sighs, and then glances down at her phone, contemplating answering it. “No.”
Her eyes scream desperation when they meet mine. But I don’t give a crap. She’ll be desperate for me to stop, begging me to torture someone else, that she will do what I want anyway. To save her the trouble, she should heed my warning and leave. This town isn’t big enough for the two of us.
Her bottom lip trembles as the emotions continue to build. And fuck me if that little quiver doesn’t have the same effect on me as it did back in high school. Out of instinct, I want to grab her up and hold her, protecting her from the big bad that’s doing her wrong. But I can’t because I’m the big bad wrecking her life.
Doesn’t matter how fucked she made things between us, I have a sneaking suspicion I will always react to her like this, no matter what happened in the past.
Goddammit. This scheming bitch should have no effect on me. She lost that right the night I found out.
Leaning toward her, I get into her space. I try my best to ignore the familiar, entrancing scent of baby powder and honeysuckle from her perfume. “Just remember, you asked for it.”
“Hunter, please leave me alone,” she implores in a soft voice.
Swallowing hard, I ignore my aching cock and the fluttering behind my rib cage as I whisper into her ear, “There are no tap outs and no forfeits. You gave up that right the moment you decided to stay. Suck it up, buttercup, because you’re in for a bumpy ride.”