Detective Asher returned several more times to question me, but I never met with her without Chandler. He’s ruthless, and I’m just relieved that he’s on my side. He’s helped me dodge the more personal of Asher’s questions, and instructed me in the best way to get the message across that I’m just as anxious for Jon Eric to turn up as everyone else. Not necessarily for Jon Eric’s sake, though, but so the cops and other students get off my back.
Chandler advised me to leave that part out.
I still don’t fully understand why Saint sent him. He said he couldn’t help himself, but why the hell not? Saint’s greatest power is his ability to control everyone around him. To manipulate and cajole people into getting exactly what he wants.
What about me makes him lose that iron control? Why can’t he stop himself from helping me?
I shove a chocolate into my mouth and chew thoughtfully.
The irony isn’t lost on me that the person who claims to hate me is the one constantly showing up to save my ass, and the one person who’s supposed to be wired to love me can’t be bothered.
I haven’t heard a damn thing from Jenn or Ghost and it’s driving me crazy, as well as making me nervous as hell. Dylan’s also been hounding me worse than ever since Jon Eric disappeared. At the end of class on the day after that first meeting with Asher, he told me he was convinced I’m lying about James’s death, too, because when people got involved with me, they died.
He’s an asshole, but it’s hard to say he’s wrong. Especially lately.
Sighing, I toss the chocolate box further up my bed. Eating my feelings isn’t going to help me with my stress, so I decide to go to the pool. I get up and go to my closet to dig out a swimsuit. Some exercise will be just the thing to calm my nerves, I’m sure, and if nothing else, I can vent to Liam.
When I’m dressed, I hurry out of my room and make my way across campus to the rec center. I’m already feeling more at ease when I step into the pool area, but my tension returns in an instant when I see the remnants of a swim meet from earlier that day. My stomach twists at the harsh reminder of what I’ve lost, but then I turn to the pool itself and my stomach drops when I see who’s in the water waiting for me.
Not Liam but Saint.
“God, why?” I growl aloud.
“Admit it, you’re already wet.” He smirks, crossing to the edge of the pool to rest his arms on the concrete. “Liam had to go home for the night, and he didn’t want you alone and disappointed.”
I can smell his bullshit all the way from where I’m standing.
“On second thought, I don’t really feel like swimming tonight,” I say, turning to head right back out the door.
“Wow, Ellis. I didn’t think you were such a coward. Guess we can add that to your ever-growing list of character flaws. Masochistic, nosy, cowardly…”
I freeze, my hands clenching into fists at my side. Slowly, I pivot back around to face him. “I’m not a coward,” I grit out. I’m just trying not to be an idiot anymore.
He arches a brow, and damn it, he looks so fucking sexy with his golden hair wet and plastered to his face like that. “Then get in the pool,” he says, the challenge in his voice clear.
“I’m not getting in that pool with you,” I snap back. “Forget it.”
“Come on, Mallory,” he taunts, pushing from the wall to swim backwards, exposing his muscled chest and thick arms. My sex tingles at the sight, and I sink my teeth into my bottom lip to fight back my arousal. “The water’s fine, and I know how much you love to swim. I’m guessing you need to let out some steam very, very badly, don’t you?”
I hate how right he is, or how much I want to get in that pool with him. I tell myself I do need the exercise. I need the stress relief.
It’s a big pool. Why should I let him scare me off?
“Don’t be a pussy, Mallory,” he chuckles. “Get in the fucking water.”
I know I’m probably going to regret it, but I can’t stand his jeers. I quickly drop my stuff on a bench and strip off my shorts and shirt. Moving to the edge of the pool, I jump in as I give him the finger. When I break back through the surface to take a big gulp of air, I let out a startled gasp to find him floating right next to me.
“Fuck, Saint.” I splash at him. “Go away.”
He cuts through the water and backs me up against the pool wall. He rests both his hands on either side of my face, clinging to the edge and trapping me within his arms.
“Have you ever sucked a cock underwater?” he asks me with a sneer. “Got to say, it’s on my bucket-list.”
“To suck a cock underwater?” I quip, waggling my brows. “I’m sure there’re plenty of guys on this campus who’d love to let you.”
“You’re not half as funny as you think, Ellis.”
I grind my teeth until my jaw makes an awful popping sound. “What’s your deal? Why won’t you just leave me the fuck alone?”
“You know I could have any girl around here I want, right?” he points out. “I could snap my fingers and have any one of them on my dick in a second.”
It infuriates me how true that statement is. The girls fall like dominos when it comes to Saint Angelle. Arrogant prick.
“Why don’t you go for one of them, then?” I shove at his shoulder, but of course he barely budges. “Go for it. Go get as many girls to suck your cock as you want because I’m done with you. I’ve been done ever since you decided to make my darkest secrets this bullshit school’s hot gossip.”
“Oh, you’re done with me?” He laughs. He actually fucking laughs! “Is that what you were telling yourself a few weeks ago when I had you bent over your bed and screaming like you were shooting for the front page of Porn Hub?”
I move to slap him, but he catches my wrist in his hand and squeezes.
“There are only so many times I’ll let you get away with that, little masochist.”
“Fuck you,” I spit. “Let me go. I’m so done with you, and I’m serious this time.”
To my surprise, he does let my arm go, but he doesn’t move away from me. His expression shifts, and he actually looks torn as he stares at me. Torn about what, though, I can’t tell.
“Look, Mallory.” His voice has lost that cruel edge to it, and he almost sounds … apologetic. “Had I known Porter’s role in everything—that he’d fucked you—I never would’ve gone through with that assembly.”
I blink in disbelief. If his words were supposed to make me feel better, they do just the opposite.
Rage pulses through me.
“Are you kidding me?” I shove at him again, and this time, he releases his grip on the pool edge and floats backwards in the water. “You think that makes what you did to me better? If Dylan hadn’t been involved, you wouldn’t feel any regret, would you?”
His eyes flash. “Don’t use his first name like that.”
“Why not? That’s the name I called out when he took my virginity. I even screamed for him.” Black fury crosses his features, but I keep going. Keep poking. “How does that make you feel every day, sitting in his class and knowing—”