by Lexi Lawton
“I did, and he got pissed.” Just thinking about how angry he’d been had her blood racing.
“I don’t doubt it. Rebecca has a reputation among the fraternities.”
“That’s exactly what Tanner said, too.” She frowned. Although she didn’t know why. In a roundabout way, Devon was confirming everything Tanner had said. Shouldn’t that make her happy?
“Because it’s the truth. And she’s not just the girl who gets around. She thrives on drama, and this isn’t the first time I’ve heard she’s tried to start rumors or cause trouble between a brother and his girlfriend.”
Girlfriend. Her breath caught. Was she Tanner’s girlfriend? They’d only been on two dates, if she counted yesterday as a date. She placed her hand over her chest, hoping the touch would help calm her pounding heart.
“But what if this situation with Rebecca and Tanner is history repeating itself?” Panic seized her, and her voice went up an octave. “What if I’m not seeing what’s right in front of me? What if—?”
“What if he’s telling you the truth?”
She snapped her mouth closed, at a loss for words. She’d been so focused on seeing the bad, planning for what could go wrong, she never once stopped to consider she might be making a big deal out of nothing.
“I know this is probably going to piss you off, but I’m with Tanner on this one. If it were any other girl saying this shit, I’d tell you to run, but I’d bet both of my brass balls he’s innocent in this whole thing.”
Juliana smacked his arm. He grinned.
God, she really hated him sometimes. He was always so blunt. And right. She sighed. “I like him. A lot.” That in and of itself was terrifying.
“Then you have to give him the benefit of the doubt.”
“What if he hurts me?”
Devon smiled sympathetically. “You can’t go through life expecting people to hurt and disappoint you. That’s no way to live.” He shook his head. “If you really like this guy, you need to learn to trust him. Do it for yourself so you can finally let go of all that bullshit with Zach.”
She rested her head on his shoulder. “One of these days you’re going to be wrong.”
He laughed. “Don’t count on it.” He put his arm around her. “You need to move out of that room.”
Juliana groaned.
“I’m serious, Jules. She’s just going to keep fucking with your head. You don’t need that.”
“Yeah, I know.” The nervous storm brewing inside of her since last night had finally calmed. But she had some serious thinking to do.
Chapter Sixteen
Tanner rushed out of the room as soon as class was over. He couldn’t get across the quad and to Juliana fast enough. He’d spent the last ninety minutes riding a roller coaster of emotions. Anger. Despair. Sadness. Grief. He knew she’d been hurt in the past, but to call him a liar? How could she think of him that way? Her accusation was like a physical ache in his chest, but every time the thought of losing Juliana creeped into his mind, he wanted to double over in pain. But right now, he was operating on adrenaline and sheer determination.
As he passed the English building, he caught sight of Rebecca. His steps faltered, and he hesitated. All he wanted was to see Jules, to pull her into his arms and kiss her again, but the only way he could make things better was to make sure Rebecca stopped her bullshit games. He changed direction and marched toward her. “Rebecca,” he called.
She stopped and turned toward him with the same seductive smile she’d flashed him the first time they’d met. It made his skin crawl. “Hot as always, Tanner.”
“We need to talk.”
She approached him. “Already?” A smirk flitted across her face. “I figured you’d get tired of sweet, little Juliana eventually, but I didn’t think it’d happen this soon.”
He gritted his teeth and clenched his hand into a fist. She was trying to goad him, and he wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction. “Jules told me what you said to her last night.”
Rebecca flung her head back and laughed. “You should be thanking me, but I’m guessing you’re here to yell at me.”
“Thank you?” he shouted, eyes bulging. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“Yeah. I saved you from getting involved with someone who’s going to bore the hell out of you. I mean, c’mon. She looks like she’s a dead fuck.”
“Don’t you dare talk about her like that.” He dug his fingers into his palm to stop from pointing in her face. “You don’t know a damn thing about her or me.” His neck, face, and ears blazed with heat, and he was sure they were bright red, too. Rage poured through him at an alarming rate, and he forced himself to take a step back. “I don’t know what the hell your game is or what you’re hoping to gain by lying to Jules, but it stops now.”
A group of students walking by slowed down, staring in their direction. Tanner gave them a dirty look, and they moved on. He nudged Rebecca away from the door and lowered his voice. “We have never been and never will be together, Rebecca. You know that. So will you please tell Jules the truth?” He knew it was a long shot, but he had to try.
She crossed her arms with a flair of annoyance. “Now why would I do that?”
“Fuck.” He dragged his shaking hand through his hair. “I don’t know. Because you want to be a decent human being and do the right thing?”
Rebecca poked his chest. “I think you need to take a long hard look at your precious Juliana, because it’s not me you need to worry about.”
He narrowed his eyes. “What the fuck does that mean?”
She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I overheard her on the phone with Devon the other night, and she was chatting it up and laughing about how she’s going to get her hands on all your money.” Her voice had dipped to a harsh, ugly whisper.
Tanner was struck speechless. Jules had no idea about his trust fund or how much he was worth. Neither did Rebecca for that matter. “What money?” he asked, hoping she’d buy into him playing dumb.
“Oh please. Everyone knows you’re loaded. That fancy townhouse you live in. The designer clothes you wear. The platinum card you whip out every chance you get.” She snorted. “You really didn’t think she was with you for any other reason, did you?”
There was no way Jules could be using him for his money. His father’s advice resurfaced: Find the one who doesn’t give a shit and hold on to her.
“Oh my God, you did.” Rebecca giggled and then put her hand over her mouth. “Oh, that’s so sad.”
What a bitch! “Your pathetic attempts to stir up trouble aren’t going to work. Give it up.” He turned and walked away. His heart thumped loudly. Stupid. He was downright fucking stupid to think he could have a rational discussion with Rebecca. She only cared about herself and the joy she got out of the drama she created.
He headed toward the bench where he was supposed to meet Jules, but before he reached it, his phone vibrated. He dug it out of his pocket. Need some time & space to think. Heading to my room to take a nap. Talk later
His shoulders slumped, and he clutched his phone so he wouldn’t be tempted to hurl it across the quad. What was he supposed to do now? He could go to class and wait for her to text him later. Or he could go to her room and try to talk to her. He texted her back. Sorry. He added a frowny emoji then hit send, although he wasn’t sure what he was apologizing for. I’m worried, Jules. We okay? His thumb hesitated over the send button. Pressuring her would only push her away, but he couldn’t spend the rest of the day wondering, either. Reluctantly, he sent the message.
Juliana: Thanks?
Heart in his throat, he waited for a reply to his second message. And then he waited some more. Finally, six long minutes later, her name popped up on his screen again. We’re okay. He stared at those two words for much longer than necessary. He didn’t know what he’d expected, but he had hoped for something…more. Let’s see how okay we are. If you’re looking for a nap buddy, I happen to know a great one.
&
nbsp; Juliana: lol. Don’t you have class now?
Tanner: Don’t you? He glanced at the time. “Shit.” In exactly two minutes, he was going to be late. He headed toward Weston Hall.
Juliana: My class was cancelled.
Tanner: I’m so jealous. and you haven’t bothered to answer my question. He opened the door and walked inside, racing up two flights of stairs. The lecture hall was close to full when he arrived. He found an empty seat in the middle of the room. By the time he was settled, there were three messages from Juliana.
You should be jealous.
My bed is super comfy.
And Lonely.
He slouched in his seat and groaned, which earned him dirty looks from the two guys sitting in front of him. You’re killing me!!!
Juliana: lol.
If her flirty texts were any indication of what she was feeling, then they were okay. He smiled. What’re you wearing?
Juliana: Pervert.
He laughed, earning him a few more dirty scowls. Professor Dawson entered the room, and the doors shut loudly. You’re avoiding my question again. He set his phone screen down and fumbled in his bag for his textbook and notebook. Glancing toward the doors, he wondered if he could make a quick getaway without being noticed. He could be at her door in five minutes flat.
Juliana: Go to class. lol. Text me when it’s over.
Damn. She wasn’t going to tell him. That was probably for the best because if he knew, he’d be even more distracted than he already was. Enjoy your nap. But it’s going to suck without me.
Juliana: I know.
He forced himself to put his phone away; otherwise, he’d spend all class texting with her, and that wouldn’t help his grades. He distracted himself by taking notes and committing things to memory he’d need to know for the upcoming test. As soon as the professor dismissed them, Tanner had his phone back in his hand. Hey, gorgeous. You awake? I’m out of class.
“Hey, Tanner. Got a minute?” Devon pushed off the side of Weston Hall and caught up to him as he walked out of the building.
His smile faded. “Depends. You here to threaten me again?”
“No.” Devon laughed. “Just the opposite, actually.”
“All right. Talk.” Tanner crossed his arms. He’d never figure this guy out. Were they friends or weren’t they? Did Devon like him or hate him? He swore it changed daily.
“I had a chat with Jules earlier. She told me about the shit with Rebecca.”
Tanner stood straighter, his back and shoulders tight with tension. Jules had talked to Devon? He shouldn’t be surprised, but that didn’t stop the spark of jealousy from igniting in his chest. His lips thinned into a scowl. “And?”
“I told her Rebecca was full of shit and to give you a chance.” His face was serious.
Whoa. A few days ago, Devon was threatening him with bodily harm and now he was siding with Tanner? His head spun.
“I shared what I knew about her roommate and how you were more than likely blameless in this whole situation.”
“Thanks.”
Devon gave a curt nod. “Don’t make a liar out of me. Not to her.” His tone had turned cold, and everything he didn’t say came across loud and clear.
“I won’t.”
“Good.” Without another word, Devon walked into Weston Hall.
Well, that was odd. Tanner headed toward Fallon Hall for his last class of the day, checking his phone for a message from Jules, but there wasn’t any. She must still be sleeping. Unless… “Shit.” Was she okay with everything because she believed him? Or was she okay with everything because Devon told her it was okay? He hoped to hell she wasn’t making relationship decisions based on Devon’s input, but she was extraordinarily close with Devon. He was going to have a heart-to-heart with Juliana and lay it all on the line. No games.
…
Juliana yawned and reached for her phone. There was a text from Tanner. Hey, gorgeous. You awake? I’m out of class. Guilt gnawed at her for how she’d left things with Tanner earlier. Talking with Devon and then sleeping on it had helped to clear her mind. Tanner was a sweet, kind, thoughtful guy, and she was choosing to believe Tanner, to trust him.
Rereading his message again, she typed a reply. I’m awake now. Can we get together later?
Tanner: I thought you’d never ask.
Her smile widened, and giddiness swept through her. She grabbed her pillow, covered her face, and let out an excited scream-giggle.
Tanner: In case that wasn’t clear enough... We are most definitely getting together later and I can’t wait.
She sat up and stretched, realizing Rebecca wasn’t back from her classes yet. Not that she was complaining. The less she had to see of her roommate the better.
Tanner: I’ll pick you up after my last class. About an hour.
“An hour,” she grumbled. What if I can’t wait that long?
Tanner: You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?
She laughed. God, she hadn’t felt this alive in so long. This stage of a relationship, when everything was still new and fresh and exciting, was the best, and she wasn’t going to miss out on this simply because Rebecca wanted to cause trouble. Granted, there were other issues at play, too, but those were Juliana’s issues to deal with, and she would. Before she could respond, the door slammed open, hitting the wall, and Rebecca stormed in.
“Good, I’m glad you’re here. We need to talk about your ‘boyfriend.’” The bitch actually used air quotes when she said boyfriend.
That was the last straw. Jules stood, hands balled into fists. “Nothing you can say about Tanner is going to change my mind about him, so don’t waste your time.”
“He attacked me today,” she said coolly.
“What?” Juliana said much too loudly. “What do you mean he attacked you?”
“I was going to class and he cornered me. Started screaming in my face, telling me to stop lying, threatening to shut me up if I said anything else to you. He grabbed my arm and everything.” She rolled up her sleeve to show a red blotch near her wrist.
Was it rotten her first thought was Rebecca had done that to herself? She sighed, studying her roommate’s face. For someone who’d been attacked, she was awfully calm. Not a hair out of place. A fresh coat of lipstick on her lips. Eyes vibrant.
“Did you call campus security?” she asked.
“No.” She pouted. “I was so scared. He was downright crazy, Jules, and I was terrified of what he’d do to me if I called the police.”
Liar.
“If he can treat me like that for simply telling you the truth, imagine what he’ll do to you.” She stepped forward and clutched Juliana’s hands. “We’re friends, right? And friends look out for each other.”
Her eyes ached from the force of not rolling them. She may not know Tanner all that well, but she knew he wasn’t violent or abusive. “Well”—she pulled her hands free—“if you’re that scared of him, you might want to leave because he’ll be here in an hour to pick me up.”
Juliana took a moment to bask in the shock on Rebecca’s face, then she gathered her shower caddy and some clean clothes and left the room.
Chapter Seventeen
Please let Jules answer the door. The door swung open and there stood Rebecca. Stark-ass naked. Tanner slapped his hand over his eyes, but not before he got a good look of something he never wanted to see. “What the fuck?” He turned his back to her, heart racing. “Where is Jules?” Christ, if she saw this… He couldn’t even imagine what she’d think.
Rebecca walked her fingers up his back, letting her hand slide around to his stomach, and then lower, her intentions clear. “Why don’t you come on in and wait for her?”
Tanner shuddered with revulsion and stepped out of her reach. “Fat chance in hell of that happening.” Fuck this. He’d text Jules and tell her he was waiting outside. There was no way he was going to put himself in a position where she could jump to the wrong conclusions. Not when they were already on shaky g
round. He turned to leave when he saw her walking down the hall toward him.
“Hey.” She smiled.
Goddamn she looked good. Jeans that hugged her hips, tight shirt that showed off her curves, curly hair bouncing around her shoulders with each step she took. His chest constricted. “I just got here,” he said.
She furrowed her brows. “Okay…” She drew out the word. “I need to grab a sweater and put on some shoes, then I’ll be ready to go.”
He swallowed hard, trying to brace himself for her reaction to seeing Rebecca. “I’ll, uh, wait out here for you.” He leaned against the wall, careful to keep his back to the open door.
“Fucking Christ!” Juliana said.
Tanner bit back a curse of his own. He tensed, waiting for her to march back into the hallway and give him a verbal beating.
“Yeah, you look real terrified.” Her words were laced with venom, and he tilted his head in confusion. What did she mean by that? “Put some damn clothes on.” A moment later, Juliana emerged and shut the door hard behind her. “Ready?”
He pushed off the wall. “Yeah.” Was it that easy? “Any idea where you want to go?”
“Nope. As long as it’s somewhere quiet where we can talk.”
His stomach dropped. He agreed they needed to talk, but since shit went down between them this morning, he hadn’t been able to shake the feeling their relationship was going to be short-lived. “Jason and Holly are at the apartment. We could grab some food and head to the park.”
She smiled up at him. “I could do without the food, but the park sounds good.”
He draped his arm around her shoulders and led her to his car, which was parked right in front of her res hall. He reached for the passenger’s door then stopped. “Before either of us start talking, there’s something I need to do.”
Taking her face into his hands, he lowered his head, brushing his lips over hers. Her lips parted instantly, her mouth as hungry as his, the friction of their tongues dueling ignited a firestorm in him. He moved forward, pinning her between him and his car, and deepened the kiss. Her hands tightened on his waist a second before snaking around to his back, and then she sighed. A perfect sound of content that rattled him unlike anything he thought possible. When he finally broke the kiss, his chest rose painfully.