#Hater (Hashtag #2)

by Cambria Hebert

  Behind me, Rimmel tried to peek around my side, and I planted my feet more firmly to the ground and shifted to block her.

  Her cute little huff of frustration only made me more determined to keep her out of sight, to keep her protected.

  Zach had dark hair that stuck up in the front and was cropped close to his head around his ears and neck. It was a pretty-boy haircut he probably spent thirty minutes on every morning. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a navy-blue pea coat with too many damn buttons. What the fuck did a guy need so many buttons for? Unless he was overcompensating for other areas in which he was lacking.

  The thought made me grin.

  “You can stand in front of her all day long, Anderson. But I still know she’s there,” Zach said, giving me a smirk.

  A few whispers went through the store as everyone in the place listened attentively to our exchange. Ever since Zach got dethroned from his presidency of Omega and word got around I was involved, rumors flew around campus faster than the blustery winter wind.

  I didn’t give two shits about the rumors, though. I continued like I always had. I smiled, I joked, and I played football. If anyone thought my involvement was shady, they never said it to my face or within earshot of any of my friends.

  Hell, as far as I was concerned, it was a new semester. Everything that happened with Omega was in the past, old news. I had no interest in dragging it all up again.

  Clearly, Zach had other ideas.

  “What the hell do you want, Bettinger?” I asked, already bored of him.

  “I wanted to let you know I haven’t forgotten about what you did.”

  “What I did?” I kept my voice even, almost conversational. I lifted my eyebrows. “And what was that?”

  He stepped closer, a snarl marring his pretty-boy features. “Payback’s a bitch,” he said low.

  “Is that a threat?” All the muscles in my body tightened. My eyes narrowed on his face.

  Braeden appeared beside me, planting his feet into the floor and mirroring my position. His arms folded across his chest as he glared at Zach. But he spoke to me. “What’s going on, Rome? Trouble in the neighborhood?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.” I stared directly into Zach’s eyes when I replied.

  “I don’t make threats,” Zach replied, looking back at me. “I make promises.”

  I couldn’t help it. I grinned. “What the fuck is this?” I asked. “Some cheesy after school movie?”

  A couple snickers floated through the store around us, and Zach stiffened.

  “Get the hell out of here, man,” Braeden said. “Before you embarrass yourself more.”

  After another long, charged stare from Zach, he turned. “See ya later, Rimmel,” Zach called, making the muscles between my shoulder blades squeeze together.

  Braeden put a hand in the center of my chest like he knew I was seconds away from grabbing that bastard by the scruff of his neck and face-planting him into the closest hard surface.

  “Forget him,” Braeden said low.

  I grunted and turned back to Rimmel. She gave me and then Braeden a withering look. “What the hell was that all about?”

  Braeden whistled under his breath. “Tutor girl gets pissy.”

  Rimmel narrowed her eyes.

  Braeden spoke quickly. “Gotta jet. Hot girl is holding my place in line.” He slapped me on the shoulder and left.

  “Coward,” I muttered after him, and he laughed.

  I put my arm around Rimmel’s shoulders and directed her toward the next stack of books she needed. “He’s just pissed off he’s not Omega president anymore.”

  “He seems to think you’re the reason,” she said low.

  I didn’t tell Rimmel my part in having Zach arrested, which resulted in him losing presidency. She hadn’t needed to know all that. I wanted her to have plausible deniability. She’d been through enough on account of me, and I wasn’t about to put her through more. Besides, no one needed to know except the couple people involved in helping set him up, and I knew they weren’t going to talk. They didn’t want to risk Zach’s wrath.

  Especially since they were still in the same frat house.

  Turns out his little “theft” from the dean was enough to get him a night in jail and the loss of the top spot at Omega, but it wasn’t enough to get him completely booted out the door. It should have been, but Zach wasn’t without connections. His dad pulled some strings, called in some favors, and he was still in the brotherhood.

  I wondered how it was for him there since he got knocked down a peg or two.

  “Romeo,” Rimmel said when I didn’t answer right away.

  I looked down at her and smiled. “Haters gonna hate.”

  Her hand slid between my shirt and jacket and she poked me in the ribs. “That’s not an answer.”

  I covered her lips with mine and explored the inside of her mouth with my tongue. Then I drew back slightly and spoke against her lips. “I’m starving. Let’s get your books and get out of here.” I pulled farther back to look into her eyes. Today there were green flecks in their depths. “I’ll take you to lunch.”

  “What about the snow?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “We’ll get takeout on the way to my place, then.”

  If she thought anything more about Zach, it never showed.

  ‘Course, that didn’t make me feel any better because he was in the back of my mind and so was the dark way he stared at me when he promised payback.

  I no longer felt like I was going to be able to leave last semester where it belonged, in the past.

  If today were any indication, Zach was dragging along all of our old baggage into the present.

  Chapter Five

  Rimmel

  Girls still watched us.

  Or rather, watched Romeo wherever we went. He was practically the sun of the campus universe.

  As a result, I got looked at too. First because I was standing beside him, but then the stares turned curious, some envious.

  I never got used to it last semester, and I knew now—even just a few moments back on campus—I wasn’t going to this semester either. There was a new dimension to the stares now. In addition to the usual curiosity, there was also something more.

  Shock.

  People were shocked we were still together.

  I felt my cheeks heat a little as we walked through the cold, and white flurries coated the dark hair around my shoulders. I knew what they were thinking.

  They thought he would get tired of me. That he would get over whatever phase possessed him to date me in the first place. Even though silent stares and evil whispers taunted the back of my mind, I refused to give in.

  I walked proudly, carrying my things across the parking lot with my chin held high.

  Romeo led the way. Even loaded down with my nearly bursting suitcase and couple extra bags, he was still graceful and athletic. His legs were powerful and lithe as he strode across the ground, his sneakers making dark impressions against the freshly fallen snow coating the asphalt. I marveled at how large those dark shapes appeared and looked over my shoulder, back at where my footprints followed along with his.

  My feet were half his size. It was almost comical to see the two prints side by side. One was so much more intimidating than the other. I was so caught up in marveling at the size difference, of course, I was paying no attention to what I was doing.

  My booted foot hit the front of the curb and I went flying forward. I let out a little squeal as the bag I was carrying flew out of my hands and off to the right. I fell onto the cold, wet concrete sidewalk. My purse fell off my shoulder and tangled around me and stuff went rolling all over.

  People stopped and stared. Some of the girls giggled.

  I landed on my side, my hip taking the brunt of the fall. It burned and stung from the hit, but I ignored it and struggled to sit up quickly. There really was no point in hurrying so no one would see.

  Everyone already saw.

  A pair
of jean-clad legs appeared before me, and my suitcase and all my other stuff was dropped nearby.

  “Whatcha doing down there?” Romeo drawled, his hands on his hips as he stared down at me with dancing blue eyes.

  “Making a snow angel,” I quipped. I glanced down at my hands, which were covered with wet snow and bits of salt (to keep the pavement from getting icy).

  Clearly, ice wasn’t required for me to fall.

  A small group of girls just “happened by,” and by that I mean they’d been staring at Romeo with puppy dog eyes and giving me the stink eye. When I fell, they took it as an opportunity to descend like buzzards stalking the dead.

  Their leader was the girl who approached me the very first day I’d worn Romeo’s hoodie around campus and told me he’d get bored. As they stalked closer, looking like clones from the movie Mean Girls, I caught the calculating look in her eyes. This wasn’t going to be good.

  I pushed up off the ground so I wouldn’t feel so vulnerable, but the new snow was slick and my hand slid right out from under me and I fell back again.

  Romeo was there immediately, the teasing light in his eyes gone as he slid his hand around my back and started to pull me up. “Careful, babe,” he said gently.

  The girls were behind him so I knew he hadn’t seen them approach. They stopped as one unit, and I braced myself for whatever their leader was about to say.

  She was wearing painted-on skinny jeans (I mean, really, how did she sit down and still breathe?) and some designer coat with a monogrammed scarf draped fashionably around her neck. Her boots were high-heeled, made of suede and laced up the back with contrasting ribbon.

  “Wow,” she said, opening her perfectly painted pink lips. “I saw that from way over there. That sure looked like it hurt.” She said it fairly amicably, but anyone who could see the twist to her mouth as she said it would know better.

  Romeo paused in lifting me to my feet. I felt his eyes on me. Then his lips thinned as he turned and looked over his shoulder.

  “Ladies,” he said like he was greeting a group of welcomed friends. Annoyance prickled my stomach like tiny needles stabbing me.

  It’s not that I wanted him to be rude, but did he have to sound so welcoming?

  “Romeo,” Cruella DeBarbie (I didn’t know her real name, but this one fit) purred. “Haven’t you grown bored of this clumsy mule yet?”

  Unable to stop myself, I gasped and jumped up to my feet. If she wanted to call me a mule, I’d show her just how much of an ass I could be.

  Romeo brought his arm out and stopped me from marching past. I collided into him, and if his fingers hadn’t knowingly grabbed hold to steady me, I’d have fallen again.

  “Actually,” Romeo said, his voice calm, “I am pretty bored.”

  Three smirks were sent my way. What a bunch of idiots.

  “The view from where I’m standing sure leaves a lot to be desired.”

  One by one, their eyes rounded when they realized the view he referenced was them. Without another word, he pivoted around and looked down at me, his gaze going soft. “No need to make snow angels, baby,” he said loud enough for the slack-jawed buzzards to hear. “You already look like one standing here with all that snow in your hair.”

  Before I could say a word, he picked me up and fastened his mouth to mine. My legs wound around his waist without thought, and I kissed him back as gentle snow fell against our faces. His tongue was warm compared to the air, and I drank him in eagerly. Somewhere in the middle of our public display of affection, I heard a few huffs and some boots stomping away.

  Slowly, he pulled back and set me carefully on the ground, his forehead touched mine, and he looked at me. “That the girl who said something to you last semester?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Thought I was gonna have to restrain ya.” He smiled. “You were about to throw down.”

  “I probably would have embarrassed myself,” I confided. I moved so our noses touched as well as our foreheads.

  “I’d have bet money on you.” He pressed a quick kiss to my lips before bending to the mess I made on the sidewalk.

  We worked quickly, shoving everything from my purse back inside. When we were done, Romeo straightened and gave me a wide, cheeky smile. “Maybe I should carry you. It might be safer.”

  “Ha-ha.”

  Upstairs in my room, Ivy was already completely unpacked. Well, if by unpacked it meant her clothes were already strewn all over the room.

  She squealed when I walked in and rushed toward me like we hadn’t seen each other in months instead of weeks. I grinned as Romeo stepped in behind me, blocking Ivy’s path. Her eyes followed my giant suitcase as he lugged it by, and I shut the door.

  “Your suitcase wasn’t that full when you left here,” she said. I swear she had some kind of sensor for new clothes.

  “I went shopping,” I said nonchalantly.

  She squealed and I laughed. Poor Romeo was practically mowed over by her attempt to get to the bag, and she was unzipping it before I could toss the rest of my stuff on the bed.

  “Ohmigod,” she said, her words running together. She stared down into the mess of clothes like it was some holy shrine. “Look at it all!”

  Romeo looked at me like he was confused, and I shrugged. Ivy pried herself away from my new fashion haul and flung her arms around me, giving me a big hug. I was a little taken off guard by her easy affection. Having a circle of friends still felt so new to me, but it was nice, so I hugged her back.

  “I was starting to think you wouldn’t ever get here,” she said, turning back to my clothes and holding them all up one by one.

  “I’ve been at Romeo’s.”

  Ivy looked at him. “Aren’t you like super busy getting ready for the championship game?”

  Apparently, this game was a big deal. It was like the Superbowl of college football. And Romeo was the starting quarterback. He’d spent most of his winter break playing in finals games. He hadn’t said much about the game coming up, but I knew how important it was. I knew what it could mean for his career.

  He gave her the full-on Romeo treatment, running a hand through his blond hair, smiling, and flashing those baby blues at her. “I’ve been doing my training.”

  Ivy seemed dumbstruck for a minute, but then she recovered to say, “Well, you definitely look like you’ve been training.”

  “I just hung out with Murphy when he was at practice,” I added and moved over to him. His arm wrapped around my middle and tugged me into his side. Automatically, my cheek lay against his chest, and I sighed.

  “Speaking of… I gotta go. I need to be at the field.” His voice rumbled through his chest and against my ear as he spoke.

  I sighed and stepped out of his arms. I was sad that our couple days together were over and I would be here tonight without him. Classes started tomorrow, and I knew we were going to see a lot less of each other now that the semester was starting.

  “I’ll walk you out,” I said and followed him to the door.

  Ivy was still digging through my clothes and called out a good-bye.

  “Just stay inside,” he said, palming the handle. “It’s cold and slippery out there. You’ll be safer in here.”

  I grimaced. “You’re probably right.”

  He grinned. “I’ll call you later, ‘kay?”

  I nodded.

  He released the door handle and closed the distance between us with one step. The toes of his shoes bumped against my boots and the front of his jacket brushed against me.

  My stomach fluttered and my heart rate doubled. The effect he had on me was nothing short of amazing. I tipped my head back so I could look up into his eyes, and the corner of his mouth lifted. He looked at me with so much affection in his gaze that emotion caught in my throat. He didn’t have to say anything because I heard everything just by looking in his eyes.

  My fingers curled around the hem of his shirt and tangled in the cotton fabric, and at the same time I stretched
up, he bent down.

  The feel of his lips against me was my favorite sensation. Nothing compared to the way his mouth owned mine. His tongue stretched out, sweeping through my mouth with gentle pressure, and I sighed into him and sagged forward.

  A low laugh vibrated his chest and he pulled back.

  “Be careful walking to class tomorrow, huh? Don’t fall and hurt yourself.”

  I nodded, barely comprehending his words.

  He slipped out the door before reality came flooding back. I rushed forward, caught the closing door, and called out his name.

  He stopped and turned. The lopsided, knowing smile on his face was smug. “Good luck at practice,” I called, ignoring the few girls who stopped to watch us.

  “Thanks, baby.”

  I swear every girl within earshot sighed.

  I couldn’t even blame them.

  I shut the door and leaned against it.

  Ivy put her hands on her hips and looked at me. “I’m gonna need a mega supply of barf bags to put up with you two this semester.”

  I smiled. “So how was your break?”

  “The usual. My brothers picked on me, my mom made too much food, and my grandfather took an hour and a half to eat.” The affection in her voice totally negated the way she tried to make it sound like torture.

  “Sounds nice,” I said and plopped down on her bed. Mine was covered in clothes. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have two brothers, a mother, and a bunch of other family around my table. If my mother hadn’t died, our holidays might resemble Ivy’s. This year, it had just been me, my dad, and grandparents.

  “Did I mention my grandfather smacked his lips constantly while he chewed?” She glanced at me and mock shuddered.

  I laughed.

  “So is Missy back?” I asked.

  “Got back yesterday,” she replied, holding up an icy-blue sweater with a white heart on the chest. “This better fit me.”

  “Braeden asked about her.”

  Ivy threw the sweater aside and made a dramatic sound. “He didn’t call or text her once over break.”