Oh God. This is embarrassing.
A cute smile curls up his lips. “You can’t talk?”
My mouth feels like it’s stitched together, as if I’m unable to pull it open and say anything. I must look ridiculous.
I push my glasses farther up my nose so they’re not askew anymore. Flushing, I force my lips to part. “Yeah,” I say. “I was so scared I lost it. Where’d you find it?”
He cocks his head, and it shows me his muscular neck, making me blush even more. “Outside. Thought it was yours. It looked expensive.”
I hold out my hand, but he doesn’t give it to me.
“I think it’s important to be careful with stuff you think is valuable. Money doesn’t grow on trees. Besides, not everything can be replaced.”
“I agree, but I lost it by accident. Can I have it back now?” I say. I’m not in the mood for a lecture. I try to snatch it from his hand, but he grasps my bracelet and pulls back his hand.
“What kind of a ‘thank you’ is that?” he says, squinting, taunting me.
Suddenly, he looks a lot less attractive. I cross my arms and say, “Thank you.”
He smiles and tilts his head, dangling the bracelet in front of me. “That all?”
“Yes. What else do you want from me?” I snap.
“Your name.” He mimics my stance and crosses his arms, burying the bracelet deep within the socket of his elbow. His biceps bulge against his leather jacket, and I have trouble not gaping at them.
“Autumn Blakewood. Yours?”
“Autumn? What kind of name is that for a girl?”
With furrowed brows, I say, “Well I like it.”
He starts twirling my bracelet like it’s some kind of toy. I risk a chance and reach for it, but he pulls back again. Goddammit.
“I don’t have time for games …” I say, sighing.
“Oh … I’m not playing games, Leafy.”
“Leafy?” I say, scowling.
He points at my hair and immediately reminds me of the embarrassing scene outside. Now I have to fight off the heat rushing to my cheeks.
“Here,” he says, and he tosses me the bracelet. “Name’s Hunter Bane,” he says.
I barely manage to catch the bracelet before he saunters off again. Frowning, I watch him walk off.
“See ya, Leafy.”
“My name isn’t Leafy, it’s Autumn!” I yell after him, but he only waves as he walks into his room.
Which is only five feet away from mine.
Chapter 2
The First Day
Glaring at myself in the mirror, I brush my fingers through the frizzy mess that is my hair. My brown curls don’t bend to my will, nor that of my brush. It’s like a bomb exploded on my head. I swear, sometimes I think I’d rather not sleep at all than wake up with this hair.
I get dressed and wake up Evie, because we’ll be late if she doesn’t get up soon. She swings her hands in the air, trying to shoo me away, thinking I’m her mother. It makes me laugh when she starts growling at me. As she snores, I open the window and pull the blanket off her. She squirms from the cold rush of wind on her bare legs.
After she’s dressed, we get a quick breakfast at the cafeteria. Evie and I make our way to our first classes of the first trimester. We have completely different schedules. I’m studying English lit and she’s studying linguistics. We both have a love for language, but I like my books close to home and she prefers to learn more about other cultures. I’m glad she found what she likes to do, but it’s unfortunate that we have only a few classes we both follow.
I’m going to miss having her close by. I’m not used to being on my own and not having my friend around to support me. Walking through these massive halls makes me feel like an ant. A tiny, miserable little ant that could be squashed underneath big feet at any moment.
I’m never comfortable around a lot of people. It’s something that stuck with me after that hellhole they call high school.
Right now, I don’t have my best friend to back me up, and Brody’s already in his political science class, so I have no choice but to venture through the campus alone. Still, it surprises me I’ve not yet bumped into someone. That nobody has called me any names yet.
As I find my way to the classroom I’m supposed to be in, I sit down on the nearest empty bench seat I can find. I don’t want to have to walk all the way down the steps, knowing people are going to look at me. I don’t like being watched. Maybe I’m too insecure, but when the focus lies on me, I get the creeps.
I unpack my books, pens, and paper and put my bag under my seat, while someone sits down next to me.
As I look up to see who it is, I almost jump up from my seat.
Just seeing his big gray eyes makes me want to run.
“What are you doing here?” I say, perplexed.
“Following this class,” Hunter retorts. “What else?”
Pursing my lips, I gather my pencils and line them up neatly like I always do when I’m nervous as hell. “I uh …”
“And what are you doing here?” he asks playfully, putting up a curious face like it’s the most serious question in the world.
“Do you really want me to answer that?”
“Well, do you want to be here?”
I arch one eyebrow and he does, too, mimicking my expression, as if he’s making fun of me. “Of course I do,” I say.
He chuckles. “Figured. You seem like the nerdy type.”
I gasp. “I am not a nerd.”
“No?” Hunter reaches over to my books and opens the first one he can find. “Looks like it to me.” He points at all the notes I’ve made. “I don’t know anybody who writes this much before class has even started.”
I snatch the book from his hand and shut it. “I just like to be prepared.”
“For what? The apocalypse? It’s just college.”
I sigh. “Whatever.”
“Or are you just afraid you might have to deal with stuff you’re not prepared for?” He inches a little closer. When his leg briefly touches mine, I squeeze my thighs together and shudder. He’s too close for comfort. I’ve never had a guy come this near.
“You’re scared, aren’t you, Leafy?” he says. His low voice is soft, and I can feel his breath near my ear. Shocks course through my body, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I feel completely naked.
“Can I borrow this?” he suddenly says, and grabs one of my pens from my neatly lined stash. I look at him in astonishment, and he stiffens for a second. “I promise I’ll give it back,” he says with a cutesy voice, and then he flashes me a smile. “Thanks.”
He scoots back in place and glares at me from a distance. I don’t need to see his eyes to know that he’s watching me; I can feel his eyes piercing my side.
I close my eyes for a second to regain my composure. Since I sat down in class I haven’t caught anything of what the teacher is saying. I don’t even remember the man starting his class. All I know is that Hunter is toying with me, and I don’t know why. Am I funny or something?
“Autumn?”
My head shoots up from dreamland and I look around. The teacher and almost every student in class is looking at me.
“Autumn Blakewood?”
“Yes?” I stammer, ducking between my own shoulders, because I feel scrutinized.
“I asked a question.”
“Sorry, I didn’t hear it.”
A few muffled laughs are audible throughout the auditorium, and I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks. Shit, I’m totally making a fool out of myself.
“Can you name the primary source for Shakespeare’s famous plays?” the teacher says.
“I … uh …” Crap, I don’t know the answer. I haven’t been listening at all.
“Holinshed’s Chronicles,” Hunter whispers as he leans forward.
“The Holinshed’s Chronicles!” I shout.
The teacher squints and waits a second. “All right.”
Then he continues his le
sson, and I let out a huge breath, falling back into my chair. God, I can’t believe Hunter helped me. Him, out of all people.
Turning my head, I see Hunter smiling cheekily at me. I’m dumbstruck with his sudden helpful answer.
“What?” he says, as I gape at him.
“Nothing. I just didn’t expect that.”
“There’s a lot more you can’t expect from people.”
I chortle and shake my head. “Well, thanks anyway.”
“Yeah, I pretty much saved your ass there.”
My eyebrows draw closer together. “Hey, don’t get cocky.”
Hunter wriggles his eyebrows, and it makes me laugh. “Comes with the jacket.”
His eyes drift off to the teacher, and he starts penning down notes. I’m surprised by the mere fact that he even seems remotely interested in learning something today.
As I start some pre-work on today’s assignment, I notice his face turning my way every couple of seconds. I glance sideways and see him studying my notes.
“Hey!” I exclaim.
He’s seriously peeking at my notes? First he helps me find the right answer to the teacher’s question, and now he’s cheating? I don’t get this at all.
“Shhh,” he whispers, shushing me.
“You’re cheating.”
“Who cares?”
“I do,” I say, slamming my notebook shut.
He frowns and gazes at me. “Aren’t you uptight.”
I smile pretentiously. “Comes with the skirt.”
He laughs. It’s a deep sound, a manly laugh, one that makes my heart flip over in my chest. Then he licks his lips in a way that makes my toes curl. Watching his tongue come out and flick along those thick lips makes me zoom in on them. It’s the first time I notice how sexy those lips look. It’s also the first time I feel like I want to lick them, too.
“Good one,” he says and winks, making my heart stop.
The teacher clears his throat, and I notice he’s doing it because he wants us to shut up. I crawl back into my shell, drawing back, and hide my reddened cheeks by leaning on my hands. I focus on my textbook just to avoid seeing the class stare at me. Just to avoid seeing his narrow eyes watching me.
As the class comes to an end, Hunter says “See ya, Leafy,” and he throws me my pen.
“It’s Autumn.”
He shrugs and gets up. My gaze follows him as he walks out of the classroom, and then I spot Evie standing behind the huge windowpane. Her eyes are widened, and it looks as though her face is glued to the glass. Just as Hunter leaves the room her eyes zoom in and follow him, as if she’s tracking him.
Then she gazes at me and tips her head, nodding, beckoning me to come.
I hurry to grab my stuff and run down the steps toward her.
“What the hell was that all about?”
“What are you talking about,” I say, as we start walking through the halls.
“You. And that guy sitting next to you. I saw you guys talking, you know.”
“He just asked me for my pen. No biggie.”
She laughs. “Yeah right! You guys were talking. A lot. I could see everything,” she scolds.
“Were you watching us or something?” I say, laughing with my mouth open.
“No. I was waiting for you. Then I noticed who was sitting next to you. Hunter Bane. Jesus.”
“You know him?”
“Brody told me about him,” she says as we head toward our joint class. “Supposedly he’s got a reputation here, and I don’t mean the good kind.”
“Hmm …” I start mulling over what that means. I don’t really know the guy at all, but he doesn’t seem that bad. Besides, having a bad rep could mean loads of things. Actually, now that I think about it, only loads of bad things.
“I wonder why he sat down next to you,” Evie continues. “I mean, he could’ve picked any pretty girl in the room and buttered her up, but he chose to sit next to you instead. What does he want with you?”
“I don’t know,” I say. Now I’m also wondering why the hell he sat down next to me. The more I think about it, the more it creeps me out.
“To peek at my notes is the most likely answer,” I say eventually.
“Well I sure hope so. I also hope that’s the only thing he wants from you.”
Frowning, I bump my shoulder against hers. “Evie! Are you jealous or something?”
“No, I just don’t like it when you hang with bad boys.”
“Hey, don’t worry.” I hook my arm around hers. “I’m not hanging with anyone, and I have no interest in him.”
She smiles, and I smile back, but my stomach churns. What I just said doesn’t ring true. I know it should be, but somehow his presence has two totally different effects on me. One part is freaked out and wants to run, and the other part is curious as hell.
We walk to one of the few classes we share and find two spots in the middle, but before the class can start a loud scream draws my attention. I turn around in my seat and see Hunter.
He’s yelling words into his phone, but I don’t know what. He’s outside, pacing up and down the hallway. I can’t hear anything he’s saying, since there’s a glass wall in between us, but his face predicts thunder.
I wonder what’s going on. He looks pissed, and just seeing him like this scares me.
When the conversation is over, he smashes the phone on the floor.
I spring up from my seat, and a bunch of other students who see it also gasp and point at him. Hunter kicks the wall, and with each thump my body jolts up and down. Then he straightens his jacket and stares at his fists.
Suddenly he turns around and gazes at me.
I freeze in place. With his piercing gray eyes on me I feel like a brick wall. Unmoving, but breakable just from his glare.
His eyes scan my face, and I can see the anger and pain. It’s flowing out of him like a seething, bubbling volcano. He continues to stare at me, and I feel like I’m the only one in this classroom. This moment in time feels like an eternity.
Then he turns around and storms out of the building.
Chapter 3
Bitter Changes
A few days later…
It’s been days since I last saw Hunter. He hasn’t been to class, and I haven’t seen him walking around the dorm either. Something tells me he hasn’t even slept in his own room. I wonder what’s going on with him. I wonder what that phone call was all about. What made him so angry?
I don’t even know why I care so much.
Why do I care?
I barely know him, and yet I can’t stop thinking about what’s wrong. That scene of him kicking the wall, furious as hell, keeps replaying in my mind over and over again. His flaring eyes follow me wherever I go, even when he’s not around.
I’ve never had this before, but it’s almost as if I’m desperate to find out what happened to him that made him so upset. He seemed so aloof and carefree in class before. I didn’t expect him to explode like that. At least, not because of a phone call.
I really wonder what’s going on …
Sighing, I read the same sentence I’ve been reading for the last couple of seconds. I’m trying to study, but it’s really going nowhere like this.
“Hey, Autumn.”
I look up and see Brody enter our room. There’s a girl with wavy blonde hair standing behind him with her hands on her hips, and she’s gazing at us with a smirk on her face. She’s shaped like an hourglass, and her brown skin looks like she tans at least once a week. In her short pink dress she reminds me of the Barbie dolls I used to play with when I was little.
“What’s up?” Evie says. When she sees the girl she scowls. “Who’s that?”
Brody clears his throat. “This,” he grabs the girl’s hand, “is Scarlet.”
“Hi!” the girl says with a perky voice. “I’m Scarlet Fox.”
“Pleasure,” Evie says, and she stares at the girl’s feet as she steps into our room. I can see from the grim look on her face she d
oesn’t like it. Sometimes she gets a little territorial. It’s weird, but I like weird.
“I’m Autumn Blakewood,” I say. “And this is Evie Carder.”
Scarlet smiles gently, but seems confused when she sees Evie’s unwelcome, snarly face.
“I’m going out with some friends. Catch up a bit. Wanna join me?” Brody says.
“No thanks,” I say, and I shut my book.
“Why not?”
“Because I need to study and get all my homework done.”
Brody chuckles. “It’s only been a few days since the first trimester started. There can’t be that much work. Besides, you have the rest of the year to study. C’mon.”
“No, I really need to get this done,” I say, frowning.
“We’d love it if you’d come,” Scarlet suddenly says, as if she has a say in the matter.
“Brody …” Evie says, glaring at him.
I know she means she wants him to put a leash on her, and it makes me chuckle a bit. I know Evie hates dolls. Especially when they wear dresses. They’re her pet peeve.
“Don’t you want to enjoy college life?” Brody says.
“We do. In our own way. Without make-up, and dresses, and parties,” Evie says.
Brody squints at her. “By locking yourselves up in your room?”
“I just want to keep up so I don’t fall behind later. Nothing wrong with that,” I say.
“You did that in high school, too, and look what happened to you then.”
“Hey, don’t put that on her. It was not her fault she got teased!” Evie says. Teased is the understatement of the year. Bullied is more like it.
“No, neither was it my fault; I tried to protect her.”
“Guys … don’t fight, please,” I say, sighing.
“Well, why won’t you try something new? I don’t want you to have to live through that again. If you can socialize with the crowd this time, maybe you can enjoy college life a little more.”
“I’m already enjoying it,” I say with a smile, hoping he’ll stop asking me to do things I don’t want to do.
“What’s it to you anyway? Why are you so intent on getting her to go with you?” Evie says, frowning.
“Look, I just want to help out, all right? But whatever. Scarlet and I will just go together then. We’ve got plenty of other friends to hang with.”
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