by J. Nathan
“No.”
“All I have to do is call for help,” I said.
He glanced to the bustling hallway filled with students coming and going behind him. “And what exactly do you need help with?” he asked, his blue eyes shifting back to me. They were such a stark contrast to the black shirt he wore.
I clenched my teeth. “Getting you out of my way.”
“Do you know how many girls would very much appreciate me in their way?”
I couldn’t stop my eyes from rolling. “What do you want?”
“There’re a lot of things I want. World peace. A star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. A gold medal—”
“Seriously?” I huffed, hating him bothering me and making me late for my next class. “Some of us need to get to our next class.”
“Then stop cutting me off. I need something from you.”
I scoffed. “Like a reality check?”
“I’m serious. You seem to get all this physics stuff, and I need to get it.”
My brows squished together. “They have these things called books. Why don’t you open one and read it?”
His features changed and harsh lines tightened around his eyes. “I’m serious, Little One.”
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.
“I need your help.”
A humorless laugh shot out of me. “You need my help?”
“Yes,” he deadpanned.
“So, let me get this straight. When I asked you for help lowering the music so I could sleep, you said no and then proceeded to be an even bigger asshole and turn it up.”
His gaze held mine. I could see his bravado wavering as he fought to hold eye contact.
“But now you want me to help you?”
“Yes.”
This guy wasn’t only an asshole, he was an idiot. “No.” I pushed by him and made my way down the hallway and out of the building, not looking back. Why would I? I already knew I bought myself another night of loud music.
CHAPTER 4
Shay
“Hey, any chance you’d wanna go to a party tonight?”
I glanced up from my homework at Kendall sitting on her bed. “Is there anything about me that screams party?”
She laughed. “Come on. All you do is study. You’ve gotta get out a little.”
“Says who?”
“Me. And since I’m your roommate who has the privilege of listening to you snore at night, I think I’m entitled to a night out.”
I laughed to myself, appreciating her offering to hang with me, but I knew her sorority pledge class friends were a lot more fun than I’d ever be.
She pointed at me. “I can see you thinking about it.”
“Oh, I’m thinking about it all right. I’m thinking about what a terrible idea it is.”
She laughed. “Come on, if it sucks you can leave.”
“When it sucks,” I corrected.
“Have an open mind. You’re going to be a scientist, right? Don’t you need proof before making determinations?”
“It was a hypothesis.”
She rolled her eyes. “Riiiight.”
“Where’s this party?”
“Off campus.”
“I don’t have anything to wear,” I explained, hoping it got me out of the dreadful night it would inevitably be.
“Sure, you do. Your green T-shirt brings out your pretty green eyes.”
My cheeks warmed, uncomfortable with the unexpected compliment. No one had ever called my eyes pretty before. “Maybe.”
She squealed. “I’ll take it.”
I glanced to the photo of my mom and me beside my bed. I’d been five when the photo was taken on my first day of kindergarten. She stood behind me with her hands on my tiny shoulders looking so proud of me in my flowered dress with my lunch box in my hand.
“Is that your mom?” Kendall asked, sensing that my mind had drifted from our party talk to the photo.
I nodded.
“Will she be visiting?”
I shook my head. “She died from cancer when I was six.”
“Oh, Shay. I’m so sorry. I had no idea.”
I shrugged. “It was a long time ago.”
She looked at the photo as if it was the first time she’d ever really looked at it. “You look like her.”
I grinned, happy to know Kendall could see it. People always said that over the years. And, it made me feel close to her even though I’d lost her so young.
“And, you wore braids back then too,” she observed with a smile.
“She used to braid my hair every morning,” I said, the vision of those days materializing in my mind’s eye. “I’d sit on the floor between her legs, and she’d just go to work on my hair.”
“That’s why you still wear them,” she said.
I considered her words, knowing without a doubt that it was the truth.
***
We stepped out of the Uber in front of an off-campus house. Music blared inside the two-story house and lights cast through the front windows that were devoid of curtains or blinds. People stood outside on the front lawn while others inside could be seen through the windows.
Kendall wore cutoffs and a pretty sleeveless top. I glanced down at my green T-shirt, jeans, and black combat boots that I never left home without.
“You look great,” Kendall assured me.
I appreciated her trying to make me feel comfortable with my wardrobe, but it was unnecessary. I was never one to try to fit in. Why bother when I stuck out like a sore thumb?
We made our way up the walkway to a group of girls who beckoned her over. Kendall glanced to me before we approached her friends. “If we get split up, text me to let me know where you are.”
“And don’t forget, if I’m not having fun, I’m outta here. Which should be in about ten minutes.”
She laughed. “It’s my mission in life to get you to have fun.”
I scoffed. “Good luck with that.”
She greeted her friends who swiftly wrapped her in hugs as if they hadn’t seen her in years. They shot me polite glances before we made our way inside the house. The music was even louder inside and people holding red cups filled the hallway and rooms. I glanced around, not recognizing a single person in the house.
“Let’s get drinks,” one of Kendall’s friends announced.
My stomach dropped a little. I knew this was college, but I didn’t drink—meaning I did it like once in my life. And, I only took a couple of sips of beer. There was a genetic predisposition to addiction, so I knew I didn’t want to go down that destructive road.
We followed Kendall’s friends into the kitchen and found the keg in the corner. One of them filled the cups, handing one to each of us. I took mine for show, at least trying to fit in. We moved into the living room. People were crammed on a sofa watching a huge television. On screen, snowboarders flew over hills, flipping and doing tricks mid-air. “That’s Colorado for you,” I said to Kendall beside me.
“What?”
“Guys more into snowboarding than all the pretty girls who showed up to the party.”
“Don’t you know who lives here?” she asked.
I shook my head.
She leaned into my ear. “Kason McCloud.”
“Who’s Kason McCloud?”
“An amazing snowboarder. He’s heading to the XGames in January. Not to mention he’s drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Little One?” a deep voice called from behind me.
A cold chill rushed up my spine.
“That’s him,” Kendall whispered to me.
I pulled in a breath then slowly turned to face my nemesis…Kason McCloud.
He glared at me from across the room.
It made sense now. The shaggy hair. The torn low-hung jeans. The black Slopes snowboarding shirt. The relaxed attitude. The skateboard.
“What are you doing in my house?” he asked.
I fixed a smile in place that actually hurt to hold there. “Partying. What’s it lo
ok like?” I lifted my cup to my lips and downed the contents for show. Probably not the best idea since I didn’t drink and weighed one hundred pounds soaking wet, but desperate times called for desperate measures.
He raised a brow, and I couldn’t tell if he was pissed or amused. “Is that so?”
I lifted my chin, giving the impression that I could handle his intimidation if that’s what he planned. “Yup.”
“Well, then, let’s get you and your friends a real drink,” he said, sending a killer smile at Kendall and her friends who all fell for it hook, line, and sinker.
Damn him.
“Let’s go, ladies,” he said, turning and heading toward another room in the back of the house.
Having no other choice, I followed them. The effects of the beer I’d downed began to radiate in my cheeks. I stepped into what must’ve once been a dining room. It now had a bar in the corner with lots of liquor bottles on top of it. Kason walked behind the bar and lined up five cups for the five of us girls. He began pouring numerous liquors into each and topped them all off with a splash of something red. He passed them out to the other girls one by one with a smile until he got to my drink. I expected him to spit in it or something, but he simply held it out, beckoning me closer.
I stayed put, too far to reach it but not budging.
His cocky grin told me he wasn’t about to deliver it to me.
God, I hated him.
Kendall snatched the drink from his hand and handed it to me.
Kason laughed, and I’m sure he knew we would’ve stayed in a standoff all night. He stepped out from behind the bar and stopped beside me, leaning into my ear. His cool arctic scent drifted through my senses. “I made yours extra strong.”
“Why? Because you don’t think I can handle it?”
“No. Because it’s the only one you’re gonna get. Finish your drink and get the hell out.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as high school memories flooded my brain. I hadn’t been welcome at any of the cool kids’ parties back then. I guess a new location didn’t change the fact that I didn’t fit in anywhere I went. Well, I had news for Mr. Hotshot Snowboarder. A new place did mean a new attitude. And this Shay didn’t give a damn. “I guess you’ll have to throw me out in front of all your guests then because I’m not leaving. I came here to have fun, and fun I’m gonna have.”
He said nothing, though his eyes seemed to darken and his jaw ticked. “We’ll see about that.” He walked off and I released the breath I’d unknowingly been holding.
“You know Kason McCloud?” Kendall asked, rushing over to me to get the information.
“He’s the reason our next-door neighbor plays her music so damn loud at night,” I explained.
“She does?” Kendall asked, completely oblivious to the torture I’d been through.
“It seems she and Mr. Snowboarder have a thing going on,” I explained.
“Well, that sucks,” she said, looking completely let down. “What was he just saying to you? Looked like you guys were talking about more than music.”
I sipped my drink, wincing at the strength of it. He hadn’t been lying. Asshole. “Nothing important.”
A few of Kendall’s friends played ping pong in the basement, so we spent the next hour or so watching them. The guys they played against were also snowboarders, according to what Kendall told me. Seemed that these guys, along with Kason, were training for the XGames which were held in Aspen in January. I wondered why, if Kason was this pro snowboarder, he even bothered being in school—and why he cared if he passed physics?
“What’s she doing here?” a high-pitched voice called from somewhere nearby.
I glanced over my shoulder to find my next-door neighbor wobbling over. Her eyes were shooting daggers my way. Great. I turned away from her, not giving her the satisfaction.
“Combat boots?” our neighbor slurred as she stepped in front of me, her nose scrunched in distaste at the sight of my boots. “Do you sleep in those things—oh wait. No, you don’t. You sleep in footie pajamas.”
It was as if I’d been doused with a bucket of ice-cold water. I wasn’t someone who liked attention. Hell, I avoided it at all costs trying to blend into the scenery. But, this bitch just wouldn’t quit. “Yup. I do. They’re so comfy.”
“Just leave,” she snarled. “No one wants you here.”
Kendall pivoted and crossed her arms. “I want Shay here. So do my friends.”
“Oh, look how sweet,” she scoffed. “It’s the protect-the-nerd-brigade.”
I wanted to die. I wanted to crawl into a hole and die knowing every eye in that basement was on us.
“Cora!” Kason called.
All eyes in the basement looked to him standing halfway down the stairs, including my next-door neighbor who I realized now was Cora.
“I’ve been looking for you, babe,” Kason continued. “Come upstairs.”
Without another glance, Cora took off for the stairs, her steps just as wobbly but enough to carry her to Kason.
With Cora gone and the air that she sucked out of the room returning, I chugged the rest of my drink and looked to Kendall. “Thank you.”
“There’s nothing worse than a mean girl.” She shrugged. “But I guess someone has to play the role.”
We stayed in the basement for another hour, downing more drinks and watching more games of ping pong. The effects of the alcohol started to make things a little fuzzy, and I knew I was done. Needing the bathroom, I made my way upstairs a little unsteady. I ducked my head into every open door.
“It’s upstairs,” a guy I recognized from a game of ping pong called.
“What?”
“The bathroom. That’s what you’re looking for, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“It’s the room at the end of the hallway. Don’t mind the mess.”
“Thanks.” I climbed the stairs and hurried down the hallway to the open door at the end, relieved to find it unoccupied. After taking care of business, I stared at myself in the mirror while washing my hands. I was definitely drunk. I almost didn’t recognize myself.
What was I doing there?
I clearly didn’t fit in. I’d been told twice I wasn’t wanted there. But what the old Shay wouldn’t have done was stick up for herself. I was proud of myself for doing it, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t braced for the repercussions.
I dried my hands with toilet paper, since there was no towel, and tossed it into the basket. I pulled open the door and gasped, “Jesus Christ.”
Kason blocked the doorway with his arms crossed. “Are you done making your point?”
“And what point would that be?” I asked, catching the slight slur in my voice.
“That you do what you want. To hell with everyone.”
“I just don’t care what bullies like you and Cora think.”
His head shot back. “Bullies?”
“Bullies. You think you can push everyone around and treat us badly because we’re nobodies.”
“Need I remind you how badly you treated me when I asked you for help?” he challenged.
I balked. “Like you were actually hurt.”
“Not hurt. Pissed.”
I crossed my arms. “Well, you should be happy to know, I’m getting ready to leave your party. No more loser spoiling your fun.”
“You’re not a loser.”
I cocked my head. “Right.”
“You’re a bitch, but not a loser.”
I laughed to myself. I could handle that.
CHAPTER 5
Shay
I kicked the blankets off my legs as a clammy sweat covered my body. It was my own fault for drinking the amount of alcohol I’d drank. It was clearly trying to escape my body from every lowly pore. I rolled into the center of the bed, hitting something hard—and human.
I sprang up, falling off the side of the bed and landing with a thud on the carpet. Carpet? My dorm room didn’t have carpet.
My eyes shot a
round the unfamiliar room. Snowboards stood in all corners of the space.
Oh. My. God.
I looked down at the bra and panties I wore and grabbed for the blanket on the bed to cover myself.
Ohmigod. Ohmigod. Ohmigod.
“It’s too early,” a gravelly voice grumbled.
I froze.
Please no.
Please. God. No.
I crawled onto my knees with the blanket wrapped around me, peeking at the person in the bed. Kason lay on his stomach in nothing but boxers, his face turned toward me on the pillow but his eyes closed.
Maybe he was asleep. Maybe he was sleep-talking.
Yup. Going with that.
I searched the room, desperate to find my clothes and boots. I climbed to my feet and tiptoed around the room, snatching my shirt off the dresser, my jeans off the floor, and my boots from the floor by the door.
“Do you really think I don’t hear you?” he mumbled.
“Go back to sleep,” I whispered. “You’re having a dream. A very bad dream.”
“My dreams don’t usually contain you, Little One. But after last night…”
I chucked my boot at his back with all the strength I had.
He sprang up, shooting daggers at me. “What the hell?”
“That’s what I’m thinking,” I growled, trying to keep my voice low for fear of anyone hearing me. “I would never, even if my life depended on it, come in here willingly. Did you drug me?”
His hair was all disheveled and his eyes sleepy. “Drug you? Are you crazy?” He scrubbed his hands up and down his face.
“How else would I end up in here?” My eyes cast down at the blanket wrapped around me and I felt sick to my stomach. “Wearing only this?”
“It’s actually a really funny story.”
I held up my palm. “Stop.”
He threw his legs off the side of his bed and rested his elbows on his knees, not saying anything for a change.
“Did we?” I cringed, every fiber of my being braced for the worse possible response.
His lips tipped into a cocky grin. “We didn’t. But, you did make me a very happy man.”