Chapter 3

The first week blurred past in a cyclone of rigidly outlined syllabuses and awkward icebreakers.

She wanted to say all her classes went smooth as butter and all of her professors adored her.

This was not the case.

On Monday, she woke up late for her first class. Of course, it couldn’t be some throwaway elective like world history. No, it had be organic chem, one of the courses that would lay the foundation to her future career. The professor had glared at her as she slunk to the nosebleed section of the lecture hall. And now she was on his radar for all the wrong reasons.

The rest of the week seemed to follow a similar route.

By Friday, Tess was lagging. She didn’t know if she had to reset her internal alarm or if she was still sore about Cameron withholding vital information. It both infuriated and hurt her that he waited until the last minute to tell her about Adonis, especially considering their vitriolic history. She wanted to be the bigger person and confront the situation with maturity, but a part of her wanted to act out like a petulant child. It helped that Adonis occupied the third floor, well out of sight and hearing range. It also helped that he’d wrangled his own followers, thereby having no need to make inroads with her friends. The few times she’d hung out at their place, he’d been noticeably absent.

Hopefully he’d continue the trend and make himself scarce for the party tonight.

Anticipation renewed the pep in her step. Throwing her messenger bag into the desk chair, Tess showered and changed into clothes more befitting for the night’s festivities.

The walk across campus didn’t take more than ten minutes. She found Riley and Lance on the couch, engaged in a first person shooter video game.

Boys and their toys.

Tess collapsed on the sofa. “Where’s Cam?”

“Shower. Why? You planning on joining him?” Riley asked slyly.

Flushing at the naughty imagery the remark implanted, Tess stuck out her tongue. “When are we getting this party started?”

“Time now.” Lance protested as Riley switched off the console. “Jameson and coke okay with you lot?”

“Sounds good.” Lance waited until the Irishman left to casually ask, “Is Jade coming?”

“She said she might swing by later.” Tess eyed him. “What’s up with you two?”

His face tightened before smoothing out. “We decided since we’re both maturing adults and don’t want to limit our options, it’d be better if we browsed a bit before getting too serious.”

“I’m guessing it was Jade’s decision, not yours?”

“You guess right. We were on a break when she found me making out with one of the sorority sisters. Ever since then she’s gotten it in her head that I need to fuck them out of my system.”

“What do you want?”

He pursed his lips together. “She drives me nuts with the back and forth. One day, we’re friends, the next we’re making out and talking about working things out. But then we go back to fighting. It’s getting old really fast.”

“Maybe for now you guys are better off in friend status.”

“Speaking of friend status, how’re you and the arch nemesis getting along?”

Tess scowled. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

Lance didn’t press the subject.

Rankled by the very mention of him, her fingers drummed along the armrest. “Like he didn’t have any other friends to babysit him. You’d think that two years of putting up with his shit would be enough but…stop laughing Lancer. This isn’t funny.”

“Are you secretly in love with this guy?” he asked, forever the closet romantic.

Tess made a strangled noise. “Absolutely not! We can’t stand in the same room without getting into it.”

“Yes, it does sound like you're caught between a rock and a very hard place,” he said with a straight face.

Tess tapped his shoulder with a playful punch. “I thought you were on my side?”

“I am. I’m just saying the line between love and hate is very thin. And what you may think is one thing may be another.” Lance laced his fingers behind his head. “Don’t tell me you haven’t read those bodice-rippers about love/hate relationships. Believe me, they always end in happily ever after with lots of wild, hot sex.”

“I think a better question is why you know about bodice rippers.”

“I have four sisters. Bite me.”

Riley returned with their drinks. “A’right, ya tossers, ready for this piss up?”

“Dude, American please,” Lance groaned.

“He means are you ready to get fucked up,” Cameron translated, entering the den as he pulled a shirt over his head.

Tess’s mouth dried from the delicious flash of abdominals. Face flushed from the shower, his wet hair shone a deeper shade of gold. The polo molded to his still damp torso and his jeans rode enticingly low on his hipbones.

“Close your mouth, lass,” Riley whispered.

Her mouth closed with an audible click.

He wanted to kill her. She was sure of it.

Between shots of tequila and a game of beer pong, they managed to secure the valuables, which included but weren’t limited to things that would get stolen, urinated on, broken, or drenched in beer.

To be fair, the guys had done a rather impressive job concealing the house’s decrepit condition. Area rugs concealed wan floorboards. Standing lamps illuminated its dark cobwebbed crevices and posters covered peeling wallpaper. The school held no misconceptions about what went on within the walls of these houses, and thus, didn’t bother with renovations save for minor maintenance.

The party didn’t have a set time to commence, but sometime after dinner, as the music pumped and the drinks flowed, people trickled in; friends first, then acquaintances later, and finally people Tess had never seen before in her life. But submerged seven shots, three beers, and two mixed drinks deep in, everybody was her friend. After making the rounds and complimenting no less than twenty people on their hair, shoes, and outfits, she moseyed back to her group.

“Everybody is so friendly tonight.” She flopped next to Cameron on the couch.

“That's what happens when you serve the good stuff.” Jade wagged the demolished bottle of Patron. “Good job boys on not being cheap bastards this time,” she affirmed with a ladylike belch.

“We had to start the year of right. But don’t expect this at every party,” Riley said, relieving her of the bottle before it knocked her upside the head. “It gets expensive.”

“Wannabe ballers.” Tess poked Cameron's side.

“You could always pitch in on our booze runs,” he said and retaliated by tickling her thigh.

She giggled, scooting away. “Hey, I'm living in poverty.”

Lance tossed a pretzel in their direction. “Get a room.”

“Speaking of rooms,” Jade bounced to her feet, “I think I just found my conquest for the night. Later suckers.”

All but one cheered her on as she sashayed across the den to net her unsuspecting quarry. Tess’s spirits flagged at Lance's crestfallen expression. “I think I'm going to call it a night,” he said, setting his cup on the coffee table.

“You can always crash here,” Cameron offered sympathetically.

“Nah, I'm good.”

Tess watched as he faded into the crowd, her heart breaking for him. She glared at her roommate, but the other girl was immersed in conversation with a dreadlocked football player.

A hand on her knee stayed her. “Leave it.”

The warmth from his palm scattered her intentions. “Huh?”

“They have to work it out on their own.”

She tried to focus on her argument, but was distracted by the strong, masculine hand resting on her bare flesh and the heat steadily inching up her thigh. Never more had she wanted to go back into time and kiss her former self for deciding to wear shorts tonight.

Deep in a conversation with Riley, he wasn't even aware of what he was doing to her.

His hand slid higher.

The muscles of her thigh twitched.

Anticipation coiled deep in her gut. The world dimmed until only he existed. Her senses became acutely aware of him—of his cologne, of the weight and contour of each finger.

Then he patted her leg. “We’ll be right back.” Cam got up and trailed Riley into the kitchen.

What the hell was that all about?

___________________

Cameron adjusted the collar of his shirt, uncomfortably warm. In front of him, Riley’s mouth moved as if he were speaking. But Cameron was deaf to his words.

Had he really just tried to cop a feel? And from his best friend of all people?

The act had been purely instinctive. Her silken skin had been all peaches and cream and girl. It’d been as natural as breathing before he realized he’d overstepped the parameters of their friendship.

What the hell was his problem lately?

Cameron poured himself a shot and slung it back straight.

He couldn’t lie. He’d missed her sorely over the summer. There was something refreshing about her company—about her outlook on life in general.

In the beginning, Tess’s placement in his life had been nothing more than a non-taxable write-off—his version of humanitarian aid. He knew the instant she stepped foot within the marbled halls of the academy that she didn’t belong. He saw the insecure girl walled behind defiance and fight. And so, like any good philanthropist, he tucked her under his wing and taught her how to negotiate the dicey waters.

Over time, everything had changed. She became more than a waifish ragamuffin that needed a guiding hand. Seemingly overnight she blossomed into a stunner. Seductive, savvy, quick-witted, and savior of the weak, her firebrand personality became a thing of wonder, suspicion, and envy to all in their class.But that wasn’t all that drew him.

It was her drive. Her loyalty. Her compassion. When Tess felt something, she felt it with her entire being. No issue was too big or too small. He could be honest with her and not expect sugarcoated lies or patronizing judgment.

It wasn’t as though he hadn’t thought about pursuing a relationship with her. But he was skeptical of the aftermath. What if they didn’t work out? He’d not only be losing his girl, he’d be losing his best friend.

And the risk just wasn’t worth the cost.

Cameron started as a heavy hand thumped his shoulder. “What?”

“You ok?”

“Yeah. I'm fine.”

“Is that why you’ve been starin’ into space?” Riley asked, his accent thickening by the drink.

“I just have a lot on my mind.” He dispensed whiskey and soda into a plastic cup.

Riley’s eyes traveled to the den. “Sometimes I think you’re not the full shillin’.”

Cameron didn’t need to ask what he meant. The context was clear. Maybe he was an idiot. His gaze strayed to her. He tried not to find anything provocative about her outfit.

It was a work in progress.

Sporting a pair cut off shorts, her legs stretched for days. Her tank top had ridden up, showcasing a warm band of skin below her navel. Unbound auburn hair flowed over her shoulders in a molten cascade.

Sometimes he wondered if she really knew how beautiful she was.

“Why’re you torturin’ yourself?”

“What’re you talking about?”

“That lass has had her sights set on you since day one. And all you’ve done is push her away.”

“She’s just a friend,” he mumbled behind his cup.

Riley sighed his exasperation. “Fine, Cam. Keep pussyfootin’ and pissin’ away your chances. Ya’re not going to be satisfied until someone else snatches her up.” Riley headed out to the patio.

Green, acid heat hissed and spit at the guy that’d taken up residence next to Tess. Normally she wouldn’t have given them the time of day, but inhibitions unlocked, she entertained his attention. Something indefinable twisted within him as she leaned forward to whatever he whispered in her ear. Her shoulders shook and she tossed her head back with stomach-deep laughter.

Despite popular belief, Cameron was well aware of her long-standing crush.

During the larval stage of their relationship, he found the idea amusing, if not completely misguided. After all, they hardly knew each other. But he soldiered on as the dutiful best friend, turning a blind eye to her infatuation in hopes that she’d get over it and move on.

And for a time, he thought she had. She didn’t bat an eye when he dated other girls and even offered advice when the waters inevitably roughened. As their relationship solidified into something more enduring, he discovered cracks in her façade—a soft, lingering look, a glimmer of pain, a dating track record startling bleak in spite of her many offers.

He couldn’t understand how, after so long, she could still be fixated on him. And then it dawned on him one day.

She was in love with him.

Unlike before, the prospect no longer caused him discomfort. It made him light-headed and winded and a myriad of other emotions that raveled in his chest like barbed, twisted pair wire. It forced him to wonder if she was the reason why his relationships with other girls always had a short shelf life.

He massaged his sinuses.

Or maybe he was overthinking it.

“Cameron, right?” The lyrical peal of a feminine voice steered his gaze to the delicate little thing wearing slip of fabric that hardly qualified as a dress.

“Yeah?” he asked and tried to wrack his brain for why she seemed so familiar.

“We met at a frat party last year. Your friend Lance introduced us. I think I gave you my number,” she said, knowing full well she’d given it to him.

Her face coupled with a memory. That was the night Tess had ‘accidentally’ dropped his cell into the punch bowl after he’d gotten the girl’s number. His mouth quirked, recalling the transparency of the tactic. “So you remember?” She smiled, assuming he intended the response for her.

Cameron scratched his head sheepishly. “I’m sorry. My phone may or may not have ended up in a barrel of jungle juice.”

She giggled and twirled a strand of her strawberry blonde hair. “So, can I take you up on that offer?”

She was pretty in a generic Barbie kind of way. All fluttering, mascara-thickened lashes and flat iron singed hair.

But he could do with a distraction.

_____________________

Tess felt sick.

And it had nothing to do with the alcohol chugging through her system.

She watched as Cameron flirted with the petite blonde. The alcohol numbed most of the frustration and hurt. But it was still there, banked amongst the embers.

She didn’t understand how he could carry on with these bimbo types, but not give them a chance. How could he not see what they had? Why was he so intent on pushing her away?

God, maybe he really felt nothing for her.

She uncurled her legs and came to her feet. A bout of vertigo almost sent her crashing back down.

“Whoa girl, you good?” Disembodied hands steadied her.

“I’m fine.” Tess waited for her equilibrium to reestablish before pushing through the throng. The combination of multiple shots pressing on her bladder and the uncomfortable heat of too many bodies packed together plucked at her frayed nerves.

Debating between the need to pee, puke, and escape from the claustrophobic folds of the house, she headed to the bathroom. Tess swore when she found the line wrapped around the corner.

Fresh air it was.

Taking care to avoid eye contact, she gave Cameron and his ladylove a wide berth on her way out. She felt a hundred times better the instant she stepped outside. Cool, unspoiled air whispered against her flushed skin. Tess leaned over the deck’s gnarled balustrade. Placated, even the riotous contents of her stomach settled.

Tess scoped out the laughing, dancing mob below. All on the prowl, her friends had scattered to the four winds. She supposed she could make do with a single-serving friend.

Her eyes landed on a familiar ebony-haired individual standing at the base of the deck stairs. Of course he’d chosen tonight of all nights to emerge from his den of iniquity.

Nausea returned twofold at the girl twined around him like ivy—horny, dry-humping ivy. Adonis certainly knew how to put on a show. Maybe she should start collecting a cover charge at the door.

Revolted, Tess turned to leave, but faltered when she saw Cameron and his new squeeze standing near the sliding glass door.

Before she could deliberate which scenario would be the lesser of two evils, the decision was made for her. Adonis’s brunette unlocked their lips, sauntered up the steps, and flashed him a come-hither smile before disappearing inside.

He took his time following.

Tess hunched over railing, praying he’d overlook her presence.

As if that ever worked.

A dark, husky voice filled her ear a moment later. “See something you like?”

“Don’t kid yourself,” she said, drawing back several feet to secure ample spacing. “I see you’ve found the newest addition to your harem. How many does that make now? Several hundred?”

His mouth curled into a feral smile. “I wouldn’t know. I don’t keep track.”

She made a noise of disgust. “For all your whore-hating, they spend an awful lot of time in your bed.”

Ignoring her attempts to separate them, Adonis stalked toward her, his gait unhurried yet no less predatory. Pulse jack-hammering behind her eardrums, her body toggled into battle mode. But a fight seemed to be the last thing on his mind. Limbs relaxed and mood mellow, he halted his swagger just a few inches short of her.

They’d never been so close without trading rapid-fire insults like armor piercing rounds. His collarbone aligned with her nose, forcing her gaze up. His eyes were like smelted ore heating over an open pit of fire. She sucked in a breath and immediately regretted the act. Black smoke, searing heat, and ash stung her lungs and left her senses fumbling in their haze. It was like standing near an active volcano.

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say it sounds as if you’re looking to put in an application,” he said, the low timbre of his voice coated in decadent amusement.

Tess recouped, her eyes darting to the door. Cameron paid her no mind, still immersed in his conversation with the perky blonde. “You’re obviously hearing things.”

His eyes dropped to where her off-the-shoulder shirt slanted across her chest and then lower before lazily climbing back to her face. “What a shame. It would’ve been interesting to see what all the fuss was about.” His finger trailed the length of her arm, raising gooseflesh in its wake.

“It’s one fuss you'll never know,” she said, struggling to retain a hold on her faculties.

Instead of parrying, he leveled her with a scalding, enigmatic look. And then he left.

Tess rubbed her arm, confused by his contradictory behavior. What was his angle? He wanted something; of that much she was certain. But she was too tipsy and tired to care. Determined to banish the confrontation from memory, Tess clambered down the deck stairs and sought asylum with faceless strangers.

Дата добавления: 2015-10-16