Sitting on the floor I try to shake the feeling of bursting into tears, reminding myself I’m out in public and I don’t need to be seen as a lunatic before the semester even starts. “Oh shit, Seven” says a voice that makes me instantly snap out of the funk and glance up. Reaching down to grab me is Tammy’s brother Stone. “Are you okay” he says as he takes me by the arm to help me up. I mutter something that isn’t even coherent to me and glance back at the ground, nervously fidgeting with my hands, desperate to find a quiet place to gather my thoughts before I had an emotional meltdown. “Seven” Stone asks again, reaching out and grabbing my chin to make me look into his eyes. It is at that moment I can’t control the hurt anymore and the tears start to flow down my face.
Stone
I go to turn the corner to head back to my truck after purchasing the last of this semester’s book when someone runs right into me. The force hits me hard and causes me to stumble, something that even on the football field was hard to do. Looking straight ahead I expect to see either that it’s a wall or a large dude that I’ve collided with but it is nothing. That’s when I head the thud. Glancing down I see the top of the little red heads frame sitting on the pavement. Instantly my body knows it is her.
“Oh shit Seven” I exclaim and reach down to grab her. “Are you okay?” I ask helping her up. I can feel the electricity between us as I touch her small frame; undoubtedly there is a connection, to what extent I don’t know yet. I hear her soft voice mumble and she looks back at the ground; I can tell something isn’t right; she won’t even make eye contact with me. I’m desperate to make sure she is okay, but she won’t respond. Grabbing her chin I tilt her face up to mine, its then I see the tears in her eyes.
The moment I see the tears my soul rips in two; not only does my heart feel physically broken but I’m already plotting the demise of whoever did this to her. I grab her face in both hands and smooth out the tears with my thumbs, “Breathe Seven, you have to slow down and breathe.” Her silent tears start to trail off and her breathing begins to even out. This time she brings her pretty green eyes to mine, a very small “Thank you” is uttered out of her gorgeous lips as she quickly takes a step back from me, glancing at the ground once again. I rake one hand through my hair and fiddle with the other, trying to contain my need to reach out and touch her again.
“What’s got you so worked up little one?” Holy shit little one? What am I thinking; oh wait I’m not thinking, dammit fucking pull yourself together Stone!
Seven slowly lets out a sigh and actually looks up. “It’s nothing, I’m just a mess and lost, and today has seemed to get the better of me” she expresses while trying to fight back another round of tears. “Lost” I let out a little chuckle till I realize her lip is starting to tremble again. Oh shit, she is serious, “Well in this big world of college where are you headed my dear” I ask as I put on the classic grin I know women can’t resist.
“The stupid bookstore, I can’t figure out where in the hell it is” she manages to huff out. I once again laugh at her state; she goes from crying to sheer aggravation in a couple seconds once she mentions the bookstore. “It’s not funny I’ve been looking all over for that stupid store and I’m beginning to believe it doesn’t exist” as she glances to either side of her. “It’s right behind me, look the elusive and mythical bookstore” I joke to her. Seven throws her hands in the air in exasperation “Seriously, this day blows” as she brings her hands down to cover her face. “Calm down little one, it’s going nowhere anytime soon. How about we go for some coffee, I’m sure you could use it” I offer and continue to smile.
I watch as the women walk by us, and for some crazy reason none of them are catching my eye. However this little red head in front of me manages to capture everything left inside me.
I can see it written all over her face, she doesn’t know if coffee with me is such a good idea. “Come on, I’ll buy. Classes start tomorrow and we can’t have you still lost and broken” I say while swinging my arm over her shoulder. She flinches with the contact of my arm, yet I don’t move it. Slowly her shoulders start to relax and I get her feet to move with mine towards Ol’ Red. Seven keeps her eyes’ facing forward; which is probably a good idea since we are getting more than a few looks of shock as we pass by the masses. Being seen with a female during daylight hours isn’t a regular occurrence for me, so no doubt we turn some heads this afternoon.
“So how do you like rooming with Tammy? She driving you insane yet with her incessant talking?” as I walk over and open the door to Ol’ Red. “Oh no, she’s great” Seven says while turning to hand me her bag to jump in. She hesitates at the door, but then grabs the seat and hauls herself in. I can’t help but look at her ass; shouldn’t I feel at least a little shame? The little denim shorts she has on makes her legs look five miles long and the green tank top shows off the color of her eyes and hair. Yeah I’m practically drooling at the door, this isn’t like me. “You going to close that” Seven questions when I continue to stand there looking like an idiot just gaping at her. Shaking my head to once again to clear the naughty thoughts of the things I could do to her little body, I mentally curse at myself as I shut the truck door. She is so soft and delicate, what I wouldn’t give to shake up her world right now in my truck.
Seven
I can’t believe I broke down in front of this man, that’s not like me. Well it wasn’t like me before that night; I guess I’m kind of a different person now. I try and glance over at him unnoticed; and yeah just as I thought, absolutely gorgeous. He is tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, singing along with Jason Aldean on the radio. I can’t help but smile as I turn back to stare out the window. “Whatcha smiling at Seven” Stone asks as he reaches over and turns down the radio. “Nothing really, I’m just thinking how nice it is to have a friend again”, suddenly I realize what I just said. My face turns all fifty shades of red and I force myself look at the floorboards, hoping he can’t see the mortification that’s written all over me. Stone laughs and shakes his head, as he reaches over to turn the radio back up. Now that I’m completely embarrassed to high heaven, the rest of the ride to the small coffee shop off campus is silent, yeah way to make it awkward Seven.
Stone takes a parking spot up front and I quickly open the door to jump out. I swear I’m on the ground even before the truck turns off, but that little bit of time before he sees me gives me a second to calm my damn nerves. "Come on slow poke, I’ve got to feed my addiction” Stone says as he holds open the door and waits for me to walk in. I can’t help but notice that his shirt rides up while reaching out for the door. Just as I thought; he is built and I’m not talking little work outs here and there built. I’m talking Dwayne the Rock Johnson style, with the naughty happy trail that I’m betting leads to bigger and better things. I catch his smirk as I realize he’s caught me staring, well shit now my whole body is a pretty shade of crimson. Stone takes my order and tells me to go find a table. The small shop has several open by the window; yet I’m not ready to be seen out in the world with him, and the fear of you know who appearing makes me want to vomit. I start to get nervous about the table situation, when Stone walks right past me to a booth in the back. Great, I’m betting he doesn’t want to be seen with me either, instantly I start chewing on my damn lip to try and easy the discomfort of this situation.
With a little sigh, I walk over and slide into the seat across from him. Stone scoots my drink over the small table to me while taking a long sip from his cup. “That’s exactly what I needed today” he says while setting the cup down and looking straight into my eyes. Those eyes; well they can stop time, find out your secrets , bore holes straight through your mind, and make you lose all your inhibitions with just one look. They are a death trap for my mind, and I am completely falling head over heels into his snare.
“So tell me about yourself Seven” Stone asks as he takes another drink from his rather large coffee cup. “There is not much to tell” as I stare out the window, desperate
not to look at him, hoping he will get the hint and not pry. “Come on, just a little teaser into your life, you already know I have a crazy little sister and I’m basically a fantastic person to have as a friend” as he sets his cup down and gives that panty dropping smirk. “Your sister isn’t crazy, and I’m truly a boring person. I come from a small town in the middle of nowhere, with no one to worry about but myself now” I say as I stare down at the table trying to find anything that could grab my attention so I don’t have to look at his face. “I doubt that” Stone says while clasping both hands behind his head. “I really don’t buy that at all Seven, but if you insist on keeping yourself a mystery then by all means do so”. Yep this is what I had to do to protect myself, keep everyone at bay. So much for the new and improved me, I’m back to being a total pansy.
Stone
After dropping Seven off at her dorm I got the feeling she was hiding something; I couldn’t put my finger on it yet, but I am bound and determined to find out. There is something about that girl that makes me want to be around her, like a moth to a light I am just waiting to get zapped. Scary thing is I have no desire to act on my rather large and relentless appetite for women. It is all I can do to try and not think of the lonely little red head rooming with my sister, she is burned into my mind and unfortunately the fire that she’s set in me isn’t going out anytime soon.
Pulling into a parking spot at my apartment I start to climb out of my door when I hear the familiar sound of heels clicking behind me. “Well if it isn’t Stone the womanizer, wooing women and breaking hearts in one knight’s tale” the voice speaks. Before even turning around I know who it is, my neighbor Amy. “I’m not in the mood for your shit tonight Amy” I say as I slam my truck door, wincing at the sound of the metal clanging. Sorry old girl I think to myself as I pat the front fender of my truck. Ol Red is the only thing I love in my life; I shouldn’t take my anger out on her. I continue to walk to the stairs to quickly make it into my apartment, safe away from the bitching I know I’m about to hear.
“What, you too good to say hi anymore Stone? After all these years as friends this is what I get” Amy shrieks. I stop dead in my tracks and turn around. Yes Amy was normally my type; Tall, tanned, blonde and big boobs. However putting up with her shit for the last three years is more than a turnoff for any guy. “Seriously Amy, we fucked once, one fucking time and you seem to think that we had a connection” I glare at her. “Wow somebodies got their nuts in a bunch” she mutters as she crosses her arms beneath her chest. I know what she is doing; seriously I’m not going to give her the satisfaction of looking at her tits, even though she has them on display like puppies in the window. Shaking my head I walk up the stairs to my door, smashing the key into the lock I quickly step inside and slam the door. “You know you can’t deny what we have Stone and I’m not going to wait forever you know” I hear from the outside of the door as she walks by. I seriously need to rethink who I screw from now on, how is it that the crazies never seem to leave me alone?
I throw my keys on the end table and walk over to the fridge to grab a beer. Shit, I realize I forgot to pick some up, staring at the empty fridge. “Mother fucking great” I curse out loud and slam the door. Digging for the cell phone in my back pocket I hit the call button for Hunter, knowing he will be down to go out. I’m getting a damn beer tonight one way or the other, and preferably a piece of ass so I can get rid of the one that’s been occupying my mind all damn day. Hunter lets the phone ring for a while before the dumbass answers, and I basically tell him we are going out and to pick me up in an hour. I have time to shower and change before he arrives, so I head to the bathroom and turn on the music. I need something loud to drown out the thoughts in my mind telling me that tonight’s escapade isn’t going to help my situation any. A little attention down south will cure the infatuation I am having; at least I am hoping it will.
Hearing my front door fly open and a “Honey I’m home” makes me laugh as I finish getting dressed. “Got any beer amigo” calls Hunter's voice from the kitchen, followed by a “What the hell, no beer?”
“No you dumbass, this is why we are going out tonight” I yell down the hall. Grabbing my wallet from my dresser, I then throw on a black hat; I never have to try and impress women, it’s just something that happens naturally. “Damn padre, trying to get laid tonight” Hunter smirks as he walks through the living room. “I see you’re taking Spanish 101 again” as I pick up my keys and follow him out the door. “Nope just practicing up on the language of love” he laughs. Shaking my head at my dumb best friend I lock the door, “Its French you idiot, French.”
Being the night before classes start the small bar is packed. Nodding at Gene the bouncer at the door, I walk right in and head straight to the counter. Marcy is behind the bar serving, so I give her a wink and turn around to scope out the women. The lights are dim and the music is loud, but I can tell there are a lot of new faces tonight, perfect for working my magic. “Well look what the cat dragged in” Marcy says while twisting the top on my Miller Lite and setting it down behind me. I glance over my shoulder “Thanks dear.”
“You’re naughty Mr. Hastings, just naughty” Marcy says, laughing as she walks back to the other end of the bar. Reaching for my beer I give it a long pull, just what I needed. I find myself searching the crowd for redheads, and not the normal blondes I’m naturally attracted to. I’ve got this itch to scratch and maybe if I take care of it the need will go away I think, as I lock eyes on a girl across the room. The girl standing in the corner is bold; I watch her saunter over to me slowly. She looks hot in her low rise jeans and cropped black tank top, and I’m sure it’s the red heels that seal the deal for me. “Hey there, I’m Ashley, and you are?” she asks while making herself comfortable standing between my legs. This girl knows what she is after, and I’m about to give her exactly what she came for.
Chapter 3
Seven
The reality is I’m still broken, and to think I could reinvent myself was just a lie to make the pain subside. How am I ever going to accomplish anything if I can’t even pretend to enjoy life and not run from my own damn shadow? I’ve been waking up every morning since I left home and reminding myself over and over to be a better person, drop the baggage, forget the hurt, and put a damn smile on. Yet the instant I see my reflection it’s over, the broken girl emerges and I have to fight my mind from replaying the flash back of that night.
It’s the first day of classes and I have managed to stay away from all the mirrors in our dorm room, a task which is actually more work than it should be. I swear Tammy is a nervous wreck today, throwing clothes all over the room and constantly asking if this looks okay. I smile and nod my head with each option she presents me with; I’ve never been into fashion so how should I really know if those heels go with that top? I start digging in the now disaster of a closet and find a pair of flip flops, throwing my hair into a pony tail I turn and ask Tammy if she is ready. Surprisingly we share the same Monday morning class of English 101 together, and I hope this routine of getting ready is not an everyday occurrence for her.
“I’ve just got to find my bag……” as she scurries around the room, franticly throwing even more crap everywhere. “Uh Tammy” I say holding the bag out in front of me, I knew damn well ten minutes ago she would lose this, hence the reason I snatched it up before the earth swallowed it whole. “Seven, you’re totally my favorite person in the whole world” as she grabs the bag and walks out the door. Yeah it’s going to be a long semester getting her ass out the door each morning.
Classes went by so fast today, not only did I conquer English but math and cross training as well. Walking across the quad in the direction I think our dorms are located, I started to feel quite proud of myself. I was able to make it to all three of my classes without getting lost and I even smiled and talked with a few girls sitting around me, basically I was a badass. Hold that thought; crap this isn’t the way to my dorm, I silently curse at myself for daydreaming and not
paying attention to the direction my feet were carrying me. I glance around to try and get my bearings but realize it’s hopeless. I grab my cell and scroll through the whole five numbers in my phone for Tammy’s name. Thankfully I remember her schedule and she should be getting out soon; let’s hope she will come rescue me. So much for me being a badass; how about a damsel in distress? This basically fits my lost situation perfectly, ugh loser.
While waiting for my savior to rescue me from the unknown, I am able to watch the people pass by. None of them know my story; no one remembers the accident, people still smile at me and place no blame on my shoulders. It’s a very refreshing thought knowing that you are not hated and despised, now if only I can keep that image up. I’m starting to believe in myself again, look what moving half way across the country can do for one’s character, but that nagging feeling never tends to go away. However, today calls for a celebration, something fun and crazy, maybe even reckless. Who cares if I got lost; I’ve made it through the day without crying and that calls for a party. I see Tammy walking across the quad towards me and notice a tall man next to her. My heart skips a beat and my breathing starts to become erratic, oh crap in a bucket it’s him.
Tammy waves as they get closer, and I swear I might just piss myself in public. I wasn’t prepared for her brother to come to my rescue, he must think I’m a basket case since this is the second time he has come to my rescue in the three days I’ve been on campus. Suddenly the ends of my ponytail are fascinating, giving me something to look at instead of the walking sex on a stick that’s headed towards me. “Seriously girl I’m going to tag your ass with a GPS, this way we can always find you and never worry about where you are when you call saying you’re lost” Tammy laughs.
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