My features pinch together. "Hunter? He has nothing to gain from doing this."
Besides, he's been nice to me. Actually, he's been acting as if the last three years never happened, and everything is almost semi-normal. Of course, it can't be back to normal, because normal would mean that he and I are together. But it's as close as it has ever been since that night.
Professor Erikson shrugs. I can see the nervous perspiration beginning to gather at his temple and around the base of his neck. He's practically shitting himself.
"I don't know why, but it was Hunter," he rapidly rambles out. "Are you going to say anything about Kira's and my relationship?"
His eyes are wide and fearful, and right then, I know. I'd never say anything about them to anyone. It's not my place. But I needed to use that as an example to get him to fess up. Now that he has, I have no more use to hold that information hostage.
"No, I'm not going to say anything." I exhale. "Your secret is safe with me. But I do need to know where Hunter is, and where he's living, so I can pay him a little visit.”
Only my life would become this complicated. The house Hunter lives in? It's the same freaking house that Traven pranced like a peacock in front of on our date. At least, now I know the reason he acted like that. Knowing my luck, when Hunter verbally pissed all over me that day outside Meece Building, that was probably the green flag waving in front of Traven's face.
Son of a bitch.
Growling softly under my breath, I step off the sidewalk, over the ruined petunia plant near the mailbox, and onto the cracked walkway. My feet hit, what seems to be, every uneven crack in the concrete, until I get to the base of the stairs and have to maneuver my way up them without falling through the dilapidated boards.
You'd think with an asshole as rich as Hunter, he'd have the place fixed up, since they, I assume, are going to live here for the next four years. Rental homes are hard to come by in Golden Oaks, especially one this size and being right on campus.
Spotting a dead potted plant, I can't stop the pettiness as I swipe it with my right hand and watch it fall to the ground, breaking on contact. A small smile leeches across my face. It wasn't a big victory, but at least it's something.
Instantly, I feel bad for doing it. Hey, what can I say? It's not in my nature to harm things that aren't hurting me in return. And while Hunter may be throwing his weight around, that little plant did nothing to me.
Heaving a sigh, I battle with the thought of going to pick it up or forgetting it and knocking on the door. Before I can turn around and go retrieve the poor plant, the front door creaks open, and a familiar face smiles back through the opening.
"You want to go pick it up, don't you?" Leo Sutton gives me a shit-eating grin like he knows me so well.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I quip, my eyes betraying me as I peer down at the broken plant out of the corner of my eye.
"Never could handle breaking things. Stepping on a flower always made you tear up."
"Did not," I rebuff his accusation, making a deep, belly laugh escape him.
"Come here, you!"
He waves his arm for me to come hug him, and the action is so surprisingly normal that I find myself willingly stepping into him. A sigh falls freely from my lips as I snuggle into his chest and wrap my arms around him.
Leo and I have always been friends. You could actually say he and I were closer than Jenna and me. I've known him since I was six-years-old, and he and I “dated” when we were in the third grade. If I didn't have Hunter, I had Leo. Neither one nor the other left me by myself for too long.
After he and I dated, for a measly three weeks, we knew we were better off as friends instead of boyfriend and girlfriend. So, it was easy to cut ties that way before it became even weirder.
It hurt leaving him behind when I left sophomore year. And because of the regret I felt at abandoning his friendship, all because he was friends with Hunter, I haven't been able to talk to him since arriving on campus.
He steps out of my hold, his hands wrapping around my bicep as he looks me up and down. A softness enters his gaze that he only ever had for me. "Why didn't you come see me when you got back, pickle?"
I smile at his use of the nickname he gave me. Pretty mundane reasoning, too. I like pickles, and it just stuck.
Shuffling my feet, I avert my eyes. "You know why."
Leo flashes a sad smile and stays silent as he nods. No way he couldn't know why I did the things I did. What was I supposed to do? Befriend him again, even though he's part of Hunter's clique? May not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but I do know that wouldn't go down very well with the head honcho.
This is too deep for me. Pushing Leo's and my problem aside, I ask, "Is he here?"
He looks back inside the house. For a moment, he listens to whatever the person on the other side of the door is saying. I can't hear whoever it is, but I have a sneaking suspicion that it has something to do with Hunter. When Leo turns back around to face me, he's wearing an unusual expression.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he murmurs, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth.
"Why do you say that?"
He clears his throat, like he's about to reveal a big secret or something, then makes to whisper something, so only the two of us can hear. However, before he can say a word, a loud voice from behind tells him to let me in. He gives me this weird look but does what they say.
Hesitantly, I look from Leo to the people that are standing inside. I see Easton through the open archway, standing by the counter. Zeke is sitting down on the sofa, his leg haphazardly thrown over the side as he stares at me in silence. His eyes trail me from head to toe as if he's trying to study me.
Stepping inside, I dismiss Zeke altogether. Something tells me that's a jar of peanuts I don't want to open. The level of darkness wafting off him gives me the chills. Some bad shit has happened to him in the past. You know what they say, people understand like for like. I get him because I have darkness inside me as well.
"So, where's Hunter?" I ask, getting straight to the point. The less time I'm here, the sooner I can get back to my apartment and get to Maverick.
This will be the only time I seek out Hunter. And I wouldn't be doing it now if it weren't for him messing with my education. He has no idea what his little stunt has caused. He can get out of anything with barely a flick of his wrist, throwing his dad's money around like it's going out of style. I don't have that luxury. I don't have a dad who has this kingdom built around him that can support me.
Everything I get, I have to work hard for.
Easton steps out of the kitchen with a large sub in his hands. He gives me that lascivious smirk of his while taking a bit of his sandwich. How in the world he gets Jenna to drop her panties, I'll never know. I roll my eyes and bring them back to Leo, seeing him still staring down at me.
He flicks his eyes in Zeke's direction, then back to me. "He's in his room. Down the hall, last door on the right."
My heart stops. "The same room—"
"Yeah, marshmallow," Easton chirps, flashing a wolfish grin when I peer over in his direction. "The same room he about tore that pussy up in."