Heart Stopper: Rebels of Rushmore Book One

by Hercules, Michelle

  “I’m telling you, he’s been watching too many serial killer shows,” Danny chimes in.

  “Thanks for the ride. I’ll see you later,” I say, annoyed.

  I get out of the car as fast as I can. Andreas managed to put me in a foul mood during the short drive from campus to here. Maybe I should walk from now on if Charlie can’t give me rides. Andreas has always been a pain in the ass, but as long as he annoyed other people and not me, I was fine with it.

  I’m almost at my door when someone calls my name. I turn around and find Charlie’s obnoxious friend Blake Ford coming my way.

  Gee, what does he want?

  “What’s up?” I ask cautiously.

  “Can I have a word with you?”

  “Sure. Do you want to come in?”

  “No. What I have to say won’t take long.”

  His attitude immediately puts me in defense mode. “Okay?”

  “I don’t know what games you think you’re playing with Charlie, but she’s a nice girl and doesn’t need a cocky jock to break her heart.”

  “Whoa. Hold on. Who the fuck do you think you are to come here and assume I’m going to hurt her?”

  “I know your type. Charlie does too. But I guess she must have fallen prey to her physical needs.”

  I stare at the guy without blinking. Is he for real?

  Shaking my head, I laugh without humor. “Dude, you know nothing about me, and clearly you know nothing about Charlie either.”

  He scoffs. “I know nothing about her? I’ve been friends with her since kindergarten. We dated for a year. Don’t tell me I don’t know her. I know her better than she knows herself.”

  A spear of jealousy pierces my chest and then quickly morphs into anger. Charlie dated this tool? No wonder he’s here playing the concerned friend to hide the fact that he’s fucking envious. Why the hell didn’t she tell me?

  I don’t want to let him know his revelation bothers me, so, making a Herculean effort to control my rage, I reply, “If you know her so well, what do you think her reaction will be when she finds out you came here to warn me away from her?”

  His condescending expression changes into one of worry, but it only lasts a moment before a cold mask takes its place.

  “I don’t care how angry she’ll be. I did what I had to. If you hurt one single hair on Charlie’s head, I’ll destroy you, pretty boy. The dean won’t be able to help you then.”

  Fuck. Why would he think I’d hurt Charlie? He doesn’t know me, but he’s quick to assume the worst because I play football.

  What a load of crap.

  My nostrils flare as I curl my hands into fists. This asshole is cruising for a bruising, but if I punch him in the face, Charlie will probably take his side.

  He turns on his self-righteous heels and strides away with shoulders squared and chin high. I stay rooted to the spot, still pissed at his words. I don’t know why I let him get to me like that. I’ve been judged my whole life; what’s one more asshole doing it?

  I was right, dating Charlie is definitely something new, and it even comes with knights in shining armor, ready to defend her honor. I wonder what Blake would do if he knew all the kinky stuff I’ve done to her already. The thought helps me shake off my irritation.

  I try to forget the encounter when I get into the house, but his pesky comments are still in the back of my head, tormenting me. Why are my friends and hers all of a sudden shitting on our parade? Andreas thinks Charlie is responsible for my busted shoulder, and even though he acts like a dick, I know he has good intentions. But Blake is an asshole through and through who seems to still have feelings for Charlie. He’d better forget about her. I’m not letting her go.

  Jesus, where is this possessiveness coming from?

  I have a ton of work to do for school, but I can’t concentrate to save my life. My relationship with Charlie has barely begun, yet it’s already turning sour all thanks to outside forces. That’s not what I intended when I cornered her in front of the cafeteria building earlier. I was only thinking with my dick, and that’s my punishment. I should have kept things private a while longer.

  It’s getting late, and I keep anxiously looking at the clock and wondering when Charlie will get home. I have to stop myself from sending her a message. I don’t want her to think I’m needy or controlling her. I wouldn’t text her if she were only my roommate, and that’s what we agreed to be.

  At a little past six o’clock, the sound of her key in the lock has me perking up in my seat. I look over my shoulder and try to keep a straight face. I don’t want to look too eager, but hell if a smile doesn’t break through anyway.

  “Hey,” I say.

  “Hi. Have you been home long?” She shuts the door with her foot since her hands are occupied with two huge bags.

  I jump up from the couch and run to help her out. “I got home a couple hours ago.” I take the bags from her hands, frowning at their weight. “What do you have here?”

  “Fabric and other materials to make props.”

  “Oh, is there another LARP event coming soon?”

  “Yeah, in a few weeks.”

  I set the bags down and then pull her to me for a kiss. She melts into my embrace, clutching my left arm as if she needs help keeping upright. Quicker than wildfire, our breathing becomes heavy, and I want nothing more than to peel her clothes off and lose the bet.

  She breaks the kiss before I succumb and steps back. “Is this how you usually greet all your roommates?”

  “Only the ones who drive me crazy with need. Besides, you’re the only roommate I’ve ever had.”

  “Really?” She arches her eyebrows.

  “Grandma was adamant when she let me stay here that I wouldn’t have roommates, so I was surprised when she told me she’d be renting a room to you. You made quite an impression on her. She doesn’t like a lot of people.”

  “Well, I’m very likeable. Only you thought otherwise.” She smirks.

  “Because you had a bad attitude when we met.”

  She puts her hands on her hips and glares at me. “And whose fault was that? You made me wait forty minutes and never apologized.”

  Guilt takes over me. She’s not lying.

  I rub the back of my neck. “I was a jerk to you. I shouldn’t have agreed to the interview that day knowing I’d have to meet my mother right before. She has the ability to suck the joy out of everyone.”

  “I’m sorry. Your parents are divorced, right?”

  “Yeah, for a while.”

  A shadow crosses Charlie’s eyes, but she turns away and veers for the kitchen, almost as if she’s hoping I didn’t notice her change in demeanor.

  “Is there something wrong?”

  “No, nothing is wrong. I’m just sad about Bailey.”

  “I’m sorry. I never had a pet, so I don’t know what you must be feeling,” I lie.

  I know exactly how painful the grip of grief is. But I don’t tell her that. I have no intention of ever telling Charlie about Robbie. That’s my biggest shame, and I’ll take it to the grave.

  When she looks at me, I have the feeling she knows I’m lying. She doesn’t make a comment, only smiles sadly before looking away again.

  “Are you hungry? I can make dinner.”

  “Yeah, I’m hungry.” I hug her from behind as she peruses inside the fridge.

  She leans against me, pressing her sweet ass against my cock. Instant erection. “Hmm. You know all you have to do is admit defeat.”

  “Tempting,” I whisper before biting her earlobe. “But I definitely do not want to be at your mercy if I lose.”

  “You might like what I have in mind.”

  I dig my fingers in her hip, pulling her closer to me. “Maybe, but I don’t want to risk it. Besides, I want to see you beg for me.”

  She frees herself from my grasp and pushes me off. “You’d better sit and wait. That’s not likely to happen.”

  Since I’m not going to make her cave tonight, I might as well ch
ange the subject before I end up begging her. “Guess who came by earlier to have a chat with me?”

  She looks over her shoulder. “I haven’t the faintest idea.”

  “Your buddy Blake, or should I say, ex-boyfriend?” I try my best to keep the venom from my tongue. I don’t think I succeeded.

  She whirls around, shutting the fridge door hard. “Blake came here? I can’t believe him. What did he say?”

  “Basically, he came to warn me that if I broke your heart, he would make me pay.” I shrug to hide that I’m jealous as fuck. “The usual empty threat stuff.”

  “Those aren’t empty threats. When Blake says shit like that, he means it.” Charlie pulls her hair back. “I can’t believe him. He’s never pulled a stunt like that before.”

  “Maybe because he was never threatened by another guy before.” I lean against the counter, trying to convey a relaxed stance, when in fact I’m anything but.

  “Blake isn’t threatened by you. Why would he be?” She pulls a tray of chicken wings out of the fridge.

  “He’s your ex-boyfriend, isn’t he? Maybe he’s still harboring feelings for you.”

  “Please. There are no lingering feelings there. Trust me.”

  “I don’t know. The way he was acting sure sounded like he was jealous.”

  Charlie narrows her eyes. “Where are you going with this? Do you want Blake to have a thing for me?”

  I stand straighter. “No. I just want you to be aware of the possibility. You guys do spend a lot of time together.”

  The frown disappears from her forehead while the faint hint of a smile appears on her lips. She steps closer to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Well, Troy, it sounds like you are jealous.”

  “What if I am?” I grab her ass, squeezing it.

  “I’d say you have nothing to worry about.” She rises on her tiptoes and presses her lips to mine.

  She meant it to be a quick peck, but I keep her in place and devour her mouth. My body turns into a furnace immediately, and my rock-hard erection presses against her belly. She moans against my lips, making me forget dinner, the bet, everything. I just want to rip her clothes off and fuck her on the counter.

  I’m breaking all the rules, and I don’t care. We’re supposed to keep things strictly platonic in the common areas, roommate stuff only. But it seems whenever she’s near me, I can’t resist having a taste of her sweet lips, of feeling her body against mine.

  I’m about to say to hell with the challenge when my phone rings. I’d be tempted to let it go to voice mail if it wasn’t Grandma’s ringtone.

  Reluctantly, I end the kiss and go look for the device.

  “Saved by the bell,” Charlie murmurs.

  “Too bad I didn’t want to be saved.”

  I finally locate the phone under one of the couch cushions. “Hello?”

  “Wolfie, I thought I was going to miss you.”

  “Is everything okay, Grandma?”

  “Oh yeah. I’m fine. I’m just calling to see how everything is going.”

  “Everything is going great.” I glance at Charlie.

  “How are you and Charlie getting along? I haven’t seen her in ages.”

  “Fine. She’s nice.” I wink at her.

  Charlie smirks.

  “Oh good. I was afraid you’d be mad at me for imposing her on you when I forbade you to have any roommates.”

  “It’s your house. I’m lucky you let me live here rent free.”

  “Yeah, yeah. When can I expect to see you?”

  “Uh, I don’t know.” I love Grandma, but I confess that seeing her with her two boyfriends freaks me out. That’s why I prefer to take her out somewhere without them. “Grandma is asking when we’re coming by.”

  “Oh, she is, huh?” Charlie shakes her head. “I heard what she said. I think she meant you specifically.”

  Fine. She caught me. “Well, you haven’t shown your face in a while either. So, when?”

  “We can come on Sunday.”

  I think of the party Andreas wants to drag me to on Saturday. If I manage to convince Charlie to come with me, we might actually stay late.

  “How early are we talking?”

  “Why? Do you have any late-night plans for Saturday?”

  I cover the phone with my hand and smile. “No, sweetheart. We do.”

  25

  CHARLIE

  I call Sylvana the next day because she’s the only close girlfriend I have. It’s not because I have a dislike for my gender; it’s just one of those things that happened. I need some advice, and since my best friend is being an idiot about Troy, and Fred can’t be trusted to give a sound opinion about anything, she’s all I’ve got.

  Troy wants me to go to a football party with him. I reminded him that, not too long ago, I trashed him in the paper and all his teammates must hate me. But besides being the sexiest man alive, Troy also has killer persuasion skills. In the end, he got me to agree, and now I’m panicking. Going to a party with him is definitely something out of my comfort zone.

  After I pour out all my worries over the phone, Sylvana asks, “Do you know what you’re going to wear?”

  “No. I have a cute dress that I wore to the last date I went on, but I don’t want to wear that again.”

  “You can’t go wrong with some tight jeans and a sexy top. Don’t overthink it. And definitely leave the glasses at home. It’s not like you need to wear them all the time.”

  “Sure, sure. The problem is, I don’t think I own any sexy tops. You know if I’m in jeans, I’m wearing a T-shirt.”

  “Get your act together, girlie. I can’t go shopping with you this week, but I can send you links of stuff I think will look good on you.”

  “But the party is Saturday. If I order online, will it get here in time?”

  “Heck yeah. Don’t worry. I’m sending some links now. Let me know which one you decide to buy.”

  “Okay.”

  “I gotta go. Late for my spinning class.”

  Before I open any of the links she sent, I finish getting ready, then head downstairs to grab breakfast. Troy is catching a ride to school with me today. He got into an argument with Andreas, but he didn’t tell me the details, which means their fight was about me. It seems our closest friends have zero faith that what we’re doing is going to work, which is really a kick in the shin. I already have enough doubt; I don’t need people piling it on.

  It’s tempting to go check on Troy, but I fight the urge. If he’s still in bed or in the shower, I’ll probably want to join him. Hell, we might not even manage to go on a single date before one of us puts their hands up and surrenders.

  I begin obsessing about the party. Does that count as a first date? I hope not.

  While I wait for the coffee to brew, I check the links Sylvana sent me. Some of the tops are uber tight and with a deep plunge in the front that are a Janet Jackson accident waiting to happen. I don’t like any of them, to be honest. They’re not me.

  Engrossed in my online shopping, I don’t notice Troy’s approach until he hugs me from behind and rests his chin on my shoulder.

  “What are you looking at?”

  “Clothes. It seems I need to update my wardrobe.”

  “Oh, I like that one.” He points at a black cropped style that’s closer to a bra than a top.

  “Of course you do.”

  “I’m teasing. But why do you think you need new clothes?”

  “Uh, in case you haven’t noticed, my social activities require different types of ensembles.”

  “I can’t wait to see you in cosplay.” He kisses my cheek, waking the butterflies in my belly.

  “Only because you think I dress slutty.”

  He circles around the counter and then glances at me with an eyebrow raised. “Do you?”

  I clamp my jaw because unfortunately, Raven the Sorceress likes provocative attire. “Maybe.”

  His jaw drops. “Are you serious? Damn. I was only joking. When is your nex
t LARP event? Because I’m coming.”

  “You want to come to LARP?” I fight the smirk blossoming on my lips.

  “Well, I don’t want to participate.”

  And the smile wilts before it can bloom.

  “Sorry, buddy. LARP is not a show. You can’t come and not be a part of it.”

  Troy wrinkles his nose as if the idea smelled funky. “I’m not sure. I was in a play once and I sucked.”

  I shrug, trying to downplay my disappointment. Troy doesn’t need to love everything I do. I wish he’d be more open-minded though.

  “You can create your own character. I can help you with that.”

  “Hmm, what would be a cool character?” His gaze seems to go inward.

  Please don’t say something cliché, like a knight.

  “Oh, I know. Do you have trolls in your game?” he asks.

  “You want to be a troll?” I arch my eyebrows, not expecting that answer.

  “Yeah. A cool one, like Shrek.”

  “Technically, Shrek was an ogre. But I suppose we could use a troll who’s not evil. Ben’s character is a troll hunter. I’m sure he would get a kick out of hunting you. But I have to check with the other writers first.”

  “All right.”

  Well, that’s something. He might not be super enthusiastic about LARP, but at least he agreed to try.

  He gets distracted by the coffee machine, and I return to my search. Unfortunately, it seems all the clothes on this particular website are on the super slutty side. Not my style at all.

  “What’s with the frown, babe?”

  I sit straighter. “I was frowning?”

  “Big time. Does this sudden need to buy new clothes have anything to do with the party on Saturday?”

  I twist my face into a scowl. “Yeah. Don’t laugh, but I’ve never been to one of those infamous football parties.”

  “You have nothing to worry about. Just wear whatever you’re most comfortable in. It’s not like there’s a dress code or anything.”

  “I’m most comfortable in my pajamas. Should I wear them?” I laugh.

  “That depends. Are they the sexy kind?” His lips curl into a wolfish grin.