Addiction (The Hunted Series Book 2)

by Ivy Smoak

  I watched as he pulled an envelope out of his pocket. He put his hands in the middle of it and was about to rip in half but stopped. He tossed it on the bench beside him, put his elbows back on his knees, and his face in his hands.

  I stopped looking and leaned against the brick wall. Whatever was in that envelope was why he was upset. He wasn't missing me. "Melissa." It was so hard to swallow reality. "Please, I can't."

  "Okay, this way," Melissa said and grabbed my hand.

  I looked at Professor Hunter one more time before following Melissa down the alley. Seeing him like that made it feel like he had only just left me. The wound was still fresh. And I was beginning to think it would never heal.

  But for the first time since he had left me in his apartment, I felt a glimmer of hope. There was no basis for it. He was clearly upset about the contents of the envelope. But I hadn't been eating. And I hadn't been sleeping. All I wanted to see was that he was upset too. Maybe he wanted me back as much as I wanted him.

  Chapter 3

  Friday

  I woke up to the sound of my phone buzzing. My head was pounding. Melissa was a terrible influence. I grabbed my aching forehead in one hand and my cell phone in my other. I slid my finger across the screen.

  It was a text from Tyler: "Class is canceled! See you tonight, Penny!"

  I quickly opened up my email. There was one waiting from Professor Hunter. I clicked on it and read the message.

  Comm 212 is canceled this morning. Please spend the weekend thinking about your next speech - describing how something works. Everyone with last names beginning with A through M will be going Wednesday, and everyone else will go on Friday. I'm looking forward to hearing your speeches.

  - Professor J. Hunter

  Why had he canceled class? I needed to see him. I needed to talk to him. I bit my lip. He never answered my calls, emails, or texts. What was I doing? I was being a stalker. Enough was enough. His problems were no longer mine.

  I typed out a text to Tyler. "Can't wait!"

  But I could wait. I didn't want to go to the party tonight. I didn't want to dress up in a stupid costume. All I wanted was to see Professor Hunter.

  ***

  I walked down Main Street toward Professor Hunter's apartment building. I should have been going to the dining hall to grab lunch, but I couldn't resist. Besides, it was almost on the way. Actually it wasn't. It was in the complete opposite direction. My stalker tendencies were out of control. I stopped outside of his building. If I could just see him through his window to see if he was okay.

  "So who is it that you're looking for exactly?"

  I looked over and saw a man staring down at me. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and was already sporting a five o'clock shadow. He looked familiar but it took me a second to place him. It was the man from the elevator; the one who had seen me flee from the building wearing just one of Professor Hunter's t-shirts. And who had probably seen even more of me when I had fallen.

  Oh God. "Oh, umm...I'm not looking for anyone."

  "No?"

  "No. I'm just...admiring the architecture."

  The man laughed. "You're a bad liar."

  I looked back up toward Professor Hunter's window. He wasn't there. "Yeah, you caught me."

  "So you were running away before, and now you can no longer get in?"

  "Something like that."

  "Sounds dramatic."

  I couldn't help but laugh. "I guess it is."

  "Isn't that rather exhausting?"

  I turned toward him. "Yes." That's exactly how I felt. I was completely and utterly exhausted.

  He put his hand out. "I'm Brendan, by the way."

  "Penny." I shook his hand.

  "It's nice to meet you, Penny."

  I smiled at him, but only half heartedly. If Professor Hunter had canceled class and wasn't in his apartment, then where was he? My stomach churned. I couldn't help but let my mind wander to his soon-to-be ex wife. Maybe our fight had led him back to her. I felt like I was going to be sick.

  "Is there a message you'd like me to relay to this person that you're stalking?"

  "I'm not stalking him."

  "Mhm."

  I looked over at Brendan. He was eyeing me curiously. He looked older than me, possibly older than Professor Hunter. He was handsome in a rugged way. For some reason he didn't look like he belonged in such an extravagant apartment. I shook my head. There was no reason to assess this stranger. I had enough going on right now. Besides, he clearly thought I was nuts. "I should probably go."

  "Penny?" he said before I started to walk away.

  I looked back up at him.

  "If you ever decide you're done being exhausted, how about you give me a call." He handed me his business card.

  I grabbed it but didn't read it. "What, are you a therapist or something?"

  Brendan laughed. "No." He gave me a funny look.

  I just stared back at him.

  "No." He smiled at me. "I'd like to take you to dinner."

  "Are you seriously hitting on me? Even though you know I'm a crazy stalker?" I swallowed hard. I don't know why I had said that. Now he really would think I was crazy. Not that it mattered, because I was.

  "Actually, I think your behavior is endearing."

  "Endearing?"

  Brendan shrugged.

  "I'm sorry, but I'm seeing someone."

  "How about I pick you up at eight?"

  "What? I can't, I just told you."

  "Are you referring to the man you're stalking? Even though I'm not a therapist, I do have some advice for you."

  Normally I'd be horrified at someone saying these things to me. But I needed advice. An outside perspective could be just what I needed. "And what is your advice?"

  "Trying this hard to make something work sometimes means it's not meant to."

  I looked back up at Professor Hunter's window. "That's what I'm afraid of."

  "So maybe you can give me a call when you figure things out."

  "Assuming that I'll follow your advice."

  "It's good advice."

  It was. But it wasn't advice that I wanted to hear. "How old are you?"

  Brendan smiled. "Does that matter?"

  "Yes, it does."

  "I'm 29."

  "So you're not a student here?"

  "No, I'm not."

  "I am."

  "I figured that." He nodded at my backpack.

  "And I only just turned 20 yesterday."

  "Well, happy belated birthday, Penny."

  "That doesn't horrify you?"

  "That you're 20? Why would that horrify me?"

  I shrugged. Because it horrified him.

  "I have to say though, you do look older than 20."

  Maybe that was the problem. If I looked older than my age it could have led Professor Hunter astray.

  "Have you had lunch?" Brendan pressed.

  "No. I was actually just on my way to the dining hall. I should get going."

  "Come with me." Brendan turned and started to walk down Main Street.

  I stood frozen. I looked down the road toward the dining hall and then back toward Brendan. He stopped and turned around.

  "You coming?"

  I took a deep breath and followed him. I wasn't sure what I was doing. Brendan was a stranger. And for some reason it seemed easy to talk to him. Maybe he wasn't a therapist, but talking to him might help me work out my problems.

  We walked up to a small stand outside of the Five and Dime. He ordered two hotdogs with the works and handed one to me. We walked to a nearby bench and sat down.

  "This is delicious," I said after taking a bite. The only thing I really had an appetite for recently was cupcakes. It was a nice surprise to want something savory.

  "It's good to know that you like meat in your mouth."

  I choked on my bite. Had I imagined him saying that? I looked up at him and cleared my throat. "What did you say?"

  He was smiling down at me. "You
've never had one of these?" he asked, ignoring my question. "You've lived on campus for awhile, how could you pass by here and not try a hotdog? What is wrong with you?"

  I laughed. "I never knew hotdogs could be this good. Thanks for this."

  "No problem. See, eating with me isn't so bad. I'm not sure why you turned down my dinner invitation so vehemently."

  "I'm sorry. I'm kind of going through some stuff right now. I'm really not in any place to start dating someone."

  "Dating? That's rather forward of you. I asked you on one date. No strings attached."

  "What, do you only do one night stands or something?" Melissa's advice came back to me. The best way to get over someone is by getting under someone else. I shook my head. Ridiculous.

  "No, not always."

  "So you're kind of a slut." I quickly took another bite of the hotdog. Why had I just said that?

  Brendan laughed. "I like to live in the moment is all. Sometimes it's best to move on to better things." He raised his eyebrow. He was referring to him being better than Professor Hunter. He was rather full of himself.

  "So you've never been heartbroken?"

  "Is that what you are?"

  I looked at the traffic passing through Main Street. "Yes."

  "You're young. You'll get over him."

  I wasn't sure how those two things necessarily went together. But maybe he was right. I just needed time. "If you're not a student or a therapist, what do you do?"

  "You mean, how can I afford to live in that apartment building?"

  "No, that's not..."

  "It's fine." He smiled. "Actually, I wouldn't be able to. But I designed it. They comped me a small apartment."

  "Oh. So you should have been flattered when I said I was admiring the architecture."

  "I would have been if you weren't lying."

  "I wasn't really. It is a nice building." My phone buzzed. I grabbed it and looked at the alarm. "I have to get to class."

  Brendan stood up and put his hand out for me. I grabbed it and he pulled me into him. I gulped. His hands slid down my cheeks to my neck. His palms were rough. He pulled my face toward his and kissed me. I immediately kissed him back. His experienced tongue made me completely forget that we were making out in the middle of Main Street. He placed one last hard kiss against my lips before moving his face away from mine.

  "Thank you for the kiss," I said weakly. "I mean lunch. Thank you for lunch. Well, and the kiss."

  Brendan was smiling at me. It looked like he was holding back from laughing. "I look forward to your call, Penny." He let go of my face and walked back toward his apartment building.

  Chapter 4

  Friday

  "God that's hot," Melissa said.

  "It was." I had relayed the story of running into the handsome stranger outside Professor Hunter's apartment building. My skin still tingled where he had touched my cheek.

  "Now he completely understands how to get over someone. You should have just followed him right into his apartment."

  "Melissa!"

  "Penny!" she said sarcastically.

  I actually had wanted to. But I liked the idea of it more than actually doing it. It was comforting to know just because Professor Hunter had rejected me, it didn't mean that I wasn't still desirable. I was starting to think that Melissa's advice had some merit. I didn't want to go sleep around with a bunch of strangers, but maybe kissing a few wouldn't hurt. Besides, I had already slept with my professor. Anything I did from here on out couldn't possibly be worse than that. So what did it matter.

  And now I was actually looking forward to the party. Normally I'd be horrified to be wearing a costume like this, but tonight I felt sexy and confident. I had let Melissa talk me into buying it when I was still with Professor Hunter. I stood back from the mirror and examined my outfit. The dress was so short that it was basically a green bathing suit. Ivy encircled my arms and legs. I had applied green eye shadow and matching lipstick. And to make my hair crazier than usual, I had diffused it.

  "I can't believe you've never dressed up as Poison Ivy before," Melissa said and turned to me. "It's the perfect Halloween costume for you. You look amazing."

  "Thanks, Catwoman."

  Melissa laughed. She was wearing a tight leather onesie and matching black cat ears. "Pretty sexy, huh?"

  "Mhm." I looked back in the mirror. The old Penny would never wear something like this. But she was gone. I wasn't innocent anymore. This was the new me. I was going to let go and have fun tonight if it was the last thing I did. I was going to take Brendan's advice and live in the moment. I was done being upset about Professor Hunter. Fuck him. Yes I was young. And it was time to start acting like it. I strapped on the green, platform stilettos that matched my costume.

  Melissa poured us each a shot. I downed it. We each had a second one too.

  "Can I have one more?" I asked. I was ready to let loose. Alcohol helped.

  "Absolutely." She poured us each another and I downed that one too.

  I took a deep breath and glanced in the mirror one last time. "Let's go," I said. I grabbed her arm and we made our way out of our dorm. "It's so cold."

  "We'll be there soon. Definitely not worth bringing coats. We'd probably just lose them."

  "Definitely." I was trying to be less like myself, but I still wished that I had a jacket.

  When we arrived at the frat house, the music was already blaring. It almost felt like the ground was shaking. Or maybe it just felt like that because I had already had three shots. We walked in the front door and looked around.

  "Hey, birthday girl." Tyler smiled at me and walked over to us. He was wearing all black with a mask that covered just around his eyes. And a sword was strapped to his belt.

  "Tyler!" I threw my arms around him.

  "Whoa. Did you pregame or something?" Tyler kept his hand on my waist when I let go of his neck.

  "We had a few shots before coming here," Melissa said. "Where's Josh?"

  "Setting up the keg in the basement."

  "I will see you two later. Remember that advice I gave you, Penny." Melissa gave me a not so subtle wink and left to find Josh.

  "Tyler." I traced my finger along his sword. "Your sword is huge." I giggled to myself.

  "You are so drunk," he laughed.

  "No. No, I'm not. I'm just happy. It's my birthday party!"

  "Well I'm glad you're happy."

  "Are you?" I looked into his blue eyes. It was easy to get lost in them.

  "Look, Penny, I'm sorry about the other day. It's none of my business whether you report Professor Hunter..."

  "No, I am. I'm so sorry about everything. I've been such an idiot."

  "Yes, you have." He was smiling at me.

  "Tyler," I said teasingly and shoved his shoulder. "What are you supposed to be anyway?"

  Tyler let go of my waist and stepped back. "You don't know?"

  "Zorro?"

  "What? No, I'm not Zorro. I can't believe you don't recognize me from your favorite movie."

  "Oh my God, you're Westley?!"

  "Technically the Dread Pirate Roberts, but yes."

  "You're Westley! Tyler that's so sweet. God, you're like the sweetest guy ever. I can't believe you dressed up for me."

  "Well it is your birthday party."

  I stepped toward him and leaned in close. "Is your mustache real?"

  "Does it look fake?"

  I rubbed my index finger along his upper lip.

  "What's the verdict?"

  I kept my hand on his face. I gulped. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to get over Professor Hunter. "You're my Westley."

  "As you wish." Tyler grabbed my waist and pulled me against him.

  For weeks I had felt empty. I didn't want to feel empty anymore. I grabbed both sides of his face and kissed him. His kisses were familiar now. Soft and loving, yet enticing. I didn't flinch when his hands drifted to my ass. I liked his hands on me. There had been so many almosts with him. Tonight wouldn't be
an almost. I was finally going to have him. I grabbed his collar and pulled him down so that I wouldn't have to stand on my tiptoes. I wanted him to pick me up and take me to his room. I wanted all of him.

  "Oh my God." I released his collar. "I'm so sorry." I took a step back but Tyler grabbed my wrist.

  "Penny, what's wrong?"

  "Natalie. You're still going out with Natalie. How do I keep forgetting about her? Geez, is she here?" I looked around the room. There weren't any girls staring at us. Maybe she wasn't here yet. I needed to get out of here.

  Tyler sighed. "I'm not going out with her anymore."

  I took a step back toward him. "Why?"

  "I stopped seeing her after you and I almost...after we...well, after you and I almost had sex."

  "Why?" I asked again.

  Tyler took a deep breath. He let go of my wrist and leaned back against the wall behind him. He rubbed the side of his neck. He finally looked back at me. "Because I realized that I couldn't stop thinking about you."

  It felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. "Are you still thinking about me?"

  "Always." He said it without hesitation. He was so sure of what he wanted. I wanted to be sure for him.

  "Penny! Tyler!" Melissa came up to us.

  I reluctantly broke my eye contact with Tyler. He hadn't said it, but it felt like he loved me. How could he love me? I had been so awful to him. But I liked him. I really liked him. It still felt like my heart was broken though. A part of it was still with Professor Hunter. Would I ever get that part back? Would being with Tyler help? Or would it just make everything worse?

  Melissa shoved cups of beer into both of our hands. "Come on! Let's dance!"

  "But..." I tried to say. Melissa grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the basement. I looked back at Tyler.

  He shook his head and started to follow us.

  We made our way down the steps. The room was dark except for a strobe light. I drank a few sips of beer so that it wouldn't spill while I was dancing. Melissa pulled me into the middle of the dance floor. I let my body move to the beat of the music. Before I knew it, two hands were at my waist. Tyler pulled my waist into him. I began to grind against him.