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  “Yeah, you go have fun with the popular crowd,” Evie scoffs.

  “Evie,” I say with furrowed brows, and she rolls her eyes.

  “Thanks, Brody. I appreciate the offer, but Evie and I really want to study.”

  “Okay … Well, see ya then.”

  “Bye!” Scarlet says, chirpy, and I smile at her because I don’t know what else to do in an uncomfortable situation such as this.

  We wave at each other, and Brody wraps his arm around Scarlet. My eyes widen. As they leave, I notice his hand is on her ass.

  Evie throws her pillow across the room and lets out an annoyed moan.

  “Oh. My. God. Was that his girlfriend?” I stammer.

  “Seems like it. I can’t believe he wants someone like that.” Evie closes her eyes and lets out another groan.

  “Hmm … maybe she isn’t that bad. I mean, we don’t know her, really.”

  “True …” Evie mumbles. “Still, I don’t get why you still hang out with that guy.”

  “Brody? Why not?”

  “He’s turned into a total ass.”

  “No, he hasn’t.”

  Evie points at the door. “Well, what do you call that then?” She rolls onto her back and stares at me from her bed. “He thinks he’s all that now that he’s part of the popular group. And he’s trying to pull you with him.”

  “It’s not that bad. He just wants to help.”

  “By making you remember your shitty time at high school?”

  “He’s just trying to convince me, that’s all.”

  “Don’t make excuses for him,” she says, sitting up. “I’m trying to help you, too, and I’m telling you that he’s changed.”

  “Maybe …” I say, opening my textbook again.

  “I don’t like those people he’s hanging with. Ever since we’ve been here, he’s done nothing but ‘socialize,’” she says, making quotation marks with her fingers. “I don’t think he’s studied at all.”

  “Well, that’s his problem.”

  She sighs. “I know.”

  It’s quiet for some time, and I go back to reading the same page as last time, just to make sure I read it well enough to remember.

  “Look, I’m sorry. I know he’s your friend, and that you’ve known each other for God knows how long … I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  She looks up at me and smiles.

  “Don’t worry. I know Brody and he knows me. He wouldn’t do that.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Evie says, and she props up her pillow. Then she starts to laugh. “Did you see the look on her face when she saw me? Priceless.”

  I chuckle. “You looked like a hibernating bear who got disturbed in her cave. Not a pretty sight.”

  “Awesome!” she says, smiling widely.

  “You really like scaring people off, don’t you?”

  “Hell yeah …”

  Shaking my head while laughing, I turn the page of my textbook and try to read the next sentence, but I can’t get Brody and that girl out of my head. I want to believe my own words and think everything will be all right, but some part of me also believes Evie. I know he’s changed. And it’ll probably only get worse. Can I deal with it?

  ♥♥♥

  Evie and I have been studying at the library all day. After Brody came by, I told her I really couldn’t concentrate and that I needed to be somewhere where we couldn’t be disturbed. Or be distracted by weird thoughts. I have been having those a lot, lately. Especially about Hunter.

  She went to our room earlier, because she was tired, but I stayed so I could do some homework ahead of time. I like being prepared.

  After I jot down the last notes about Hamlet, I pack my stuff and make my way through the halls. It’s already late at night, and it’s dark outside. I hurry to my dorm and try not to make a noise as I walk up the stairs. Shuffling through the hall, I freeze when I turn a corner.

  There’s a guy in the shadows.

  He’s leaning with his head against a door only a few feet away from my room.

  I straighten my glasses to make sure I’m not imagining things, but it’s real. Swallowing, I stay put and stare at the guy, who’s just slumped forward, barely moving. Who is he? What’s he doing here? Should I leave?

  My heart races in my chest, and my muscles are tense. I know my body is preparing for flight or fight. My instincts tell me to make a run for it, but I know that’s absurd. He could just as well be a student, someone who’s drunk or had a rough night. Maybe I’m exaggerating.

  Besides, I want to go to bed, and my room is just up ahead. It can’t be too difficult to pass him, can it?

  Shuffling, I press my body against the wall and start to walk. I slowly step forward, trying not to make too much noise. I don’t want him to turn around. Actually, I’m hoping he won’t notice me at all.

  But it’s too late now.

  “Leave me alone.” The voice is gruff and croaky, full of unspoken emotion. It sounds familiar.

  Inching closer, my eyebrows tighten together as I try to see who it is. If I can reach my room safely. If he’s dangerous or not.

  It surprises me when I hear him sniff and take in short breaths. Is he crying?

  “Stay away,” the voice repeats, and the more I hear it, the more I recognize it.

  My jaw drops open, and I stare in confusion. “Hunter?”

  His head lifts up from the wall and one look at his shiny gray eyes tells me it’s him.

  “Leafy?” he says, his lips parted in a way that make me focus on them.

  His hand drops to his side, and he turns around to face me, still hiding in the shadows of the light. But I don’t need any light to see the redness that clouds his eye. The patch of skin underneath is swollen, and the rest of his face is white. Too white.

  “What’s wrong?” I say, gazing at him. He looks sick, and I’m immediately worried about him. Even though I know he’s been an annoying jerk to me in the past, I want to help him.

  “Please just go,” he groans, and he points at my door.

  “Are you okay?” I say, and I bend my head so I can look into his eyes, but he turns his head away so I can’t see. Is he trying to hide something?

  “Don’t come closer.” His voice is getting thicker by the second, as if it’s hard for him to talk.

  When I look into his beautiful eyes, all I see is hurt. He looks broken. Beaten. As if he’s been to a funeral or something. His face is dark and dreary, full of grief. But not the type of grief that comes with death. I just can’t place it.

  I wonder if anyone’s ever seen him like this. It’s like he’s been crying all day and has been trying to hide it from the world. Like he’s been hiding himself.

  “Wait here,” I say, and I walk past him and sneak into my room. Tiptoeing across the floor, I try not to wake Evie from her snoring sleep. We have a little fridge standing in the corner, and I grab a bottle of water from it. I hurry back to Hunter and open the cap.

  “Here. Drink some.”

  I hold up the bottle, and he just stares at me with a bewildered look on his face.

  “You look like you could use some help,” I say.

  He turns around and faces me. Then he starts walking toward me with slow, heavy steps.

  I inch away until my back is against the wall, but he keeps coming closer. He towers above me, and only now do I realize how much larger he is. How much bigger, stronger, more muscular. His black tee can barely hide the straining muscles underneath.

  He places both hands on the wall beside me and lowers his head to meet my eyes. I cower underneath him, shuddering from being so near to him.

  “I don’t need anyone,” he growls, his lips barely parting.

  I can feel his breath on my skin, and it makes me gasp. He’s so close now, I could touch him if I reached for him. If he stepped forward a little more, he’d be on top of me.

  It scares me to death.

  My heart is thumping in my throat, and I can barely breathe. Lifti
ng my head, I gaze into his glaring eyes. Those vivid gray irises that amaze me. There is something in there that sparks my interest, secrets and hidden emotions he keeps far away from the world. Things I want to know.

  His chest heaves, and one of his hands drop. I swallow as he steps back again and stares at the ground. I wonder what is going on inside his head.

  His hand reaches for mine, and for a second I’m almost convinced I’m going to pull back if he touches me.

  But I don’t. He grasps for the bottle, and our fingers briefly graze. I shudder from his touch as he takes the bottle from my hand and puts it to his lips. I watch him gulp it down with eagerness. Rivulets of water stream down his chin and end up on his shirt, making him look even rawer and more intense than before.

  The way he drinks makes me swallow, too. As if there’s some kind of lump in my throat. His lips suck the opening of the bottle, and it looks … My God … Too hot to handle.

  For a brief moment I imagine jerking the bottle away and pressing my own lips on his.

  It strikes me that I’m having these weird fantasies about him. I haven’t seen him like this before. Somehow he looks sexy. And I like it.

  As he lowers the bottle again, he gazes at me with a fierce look that makes me want to step back a little. He seems angry, but I know it’s not because of me. I didn’t do anything wrong.

  “Thanks,” he says in a gruff tone.

  It doesn’t sound thankful, but mostly because I know he’s pissed at something else. The something that made him cry.

  Hunter Bane, of all people, is standing outside his room, crying.

  I didn’t expect to witness something like this.

  “No problem,” I say, and I turn the cap back onto the bottle.

  “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me,” he says, glancing sideways at his dorm room, avoiding my eyes.

  My breath hitches. Why would he ask me that? Is he afraid or something?

  “Good night,” Hunter says, and he puts his hand on the door handle.

  “Sure … good night,” I say, and I turn around as well.

  Biting my lip, I walk toward my room, every step feeling like a mile. Before entering my room, I turn my head to watch him walk into his room and close the door.

  Sighing, I enter mine, too, and close the door behind me.

  Chapter 4

  Out of my League

  I couldn’t close my eyes last night. Not one second did I sleep. One moment I was thinking about Hunter so much I thought I was dreaming, but of course I wasn’t. Sometimes I even wondered if he was awake, too.

  Dragging myself out of bed this morning was no easy feat. Normally I wake Evie up, but this time it was the other way around, which is unusual, to say the least. With half-mast eyes I make my way to class and sit down somewhere comfortable.

  Suddenly the door to the classroom opens, and someone comes stumbling in. Everyone turns around in their seats, but I don’t really care today. I’m way too tired to check and see who it is.

  “Well …” the teacher says, and puts down his book. “Mister Bane.”

  The moment I hear his name my eyes jerk open, and I turn my head like an owl peering around. Hunter walks down the steps, carefully watching where he puts his feet. His eyes look even more swollen than last night, which I thought wasn’t possible until now.

  “Be on time from now on. Next time you can wait outside,” the teacher says, his eyes following Hunter all the way down.

  Until he sits down right next to me.

  I gulp the moment he slumps down in his seat, his arm grazing mine. I hesitate to look at him, because I’m afraid he might look even worse than before. No, I know he does. And I don’t like seeing him that way.

  The teacher glances sternly at him one more time before continuing with his lesson.

  Hunter sighs and buckles. He drops his arms on the table in front of him and lets his head rest on them. With his head completely buried between his arms he looks like he’s falling asleep.

  When he starts snoring, I know he has.

  I pick up a pencil from my stack and poke him with it, but he only groans. He moves around a little, but doesn’t stop snoring. The more I try to wake him, the more he starts making noises, and I don’t want the teacher to hear. What if he looks this way and sees him sleeping in the middle of class? I don’t want Hunter to get in trouble. However strange it sounds, even to me.

  I bend over and put my mouth close to Hunter’s ear. I’ve never been this close before, and it makes me shiver. My lips are so near to his skin, I could kiss him and feel what it’s like. If I could only do it. If I had the courage.

  God, what am I thinking?

  The smell of his aftershave is intoxicating, and my lips start to quiver the moment I try to speak. “Wake up,” I whisper.

  He takes in a huge breath, and suddenly his face is turned to me.

  A squeal almost comes out of my mouth, but I stop it by jamming my lips shut. He’s looking straight at me, eyes wide open. His lips are parted, his hair is messy, and I can feel his breath tingle on my lips.

  Holding my breath, I just stare back.

  “Well hello there,” he says, a devilish smile appearing on his face.

  “I … uh …” I stammer.

  I scoot back to my place and draw back as far as I can. I suddenly feel very, very exposed. Like I just kissed him or something.

  As if I would ever do something like that.

  “You what?” he says, leaning on his hand.

  “You were sleeping in class. I was waking you up,” I say, staring ahead.

  I don’t dare look him in the eye, because I realize what those eyes are starting to do to me. Once I see them, I can’t look away. They’re pulling me into something that’s really not good for me.

  But damn, those eyes. I just can’t look away anymore.

  “Nah,” he says, closing his eyes. “I wasn’t sleeping.”

  He yawns, and it makes me chuckle a little. “Guess you didn’t sleep either last night.”

  “Not really, no.” He comes up from his sleeping position and stretches, making me gaze in awe at his well-built features.

  I can’t believe I’m doing this.

  Why am I drooling like this? This is so unlike me. I never fall for the bad boy. I never like guys who act like him, aloof and cocky. Why is this so different?

  Frowning, I sigh, and start twiddling with my pen.

  “You always come so close to guys you barely know?” he suddenly says.

  I open my mouth to say something, but I have no clue what he’s talking about. Shaking my head, I say, “What?”

  “You were only a few inches away from my face a couple of seconds ago.”

  I blush hearing him say that. I know I was, but I’d rather not be reminded of something embarrassing.

  “I’m just trying to help,” I say.

  “I don’t need any help,” he says, clearing his throat.

  “You said the same thing last night.”

  “Yeah, and I meant it.”

  “Well, you sure looked like you could use some help,” I say, pursing my lips.

  He sighs. “As if it could do anything. As if it could solve my problems.”

  “Maybe it could, if you’d accept it.”

  He slams his hand on the table, and the sudden bang makes me jolt up in my seat. He stares at me, the look in his eyes violent.

  “Nothing, nothing, can help me,” he says, his nostrils flaring.

  My eyes sting with tears, and my hands form fists just from anger. “Fine. Whatever. I’m just trying to help. You don’t have to take it.”

  His hand slips from the table, and he turns his head toward the exit, probably thinking of a way to escape. He’s still breathing heavily, and I feel terrible because of his sudden outburst.

  But we barely know each other. This whole thing, the way he’s acting, is not because of me. Something must’ve happened to him to make him act like this. I wonder what’s bothering him so
much that it makes him so explosive.

  Was it the phone call?

  “Look … I’m sorry,” he says quietly.

  I bite my lip as I almost see him think. He’s staring at his table, probably mulling over his words, over what is happening in his life.

  Sometimes I wish I could see inside.

  “I just had a rough night, and I’m kind of pissed about it, okay?”

  “I understand,” I say.

  He nods, still looking like he’s thinking about a whole lot of things at the same time. “Okay.”

  I know I said I understand, but I don’t. I’m only saying it so he won’t be so angry anymore. It frightened me, but at the same time I’m still trying to figure out what the hell is going on in his mind.

  ♥♥♥

  It’s hot outside, and the sky is clear blue. There’s not a speck in the sky, and I feel good just being here. I’m sitting on the grass together with Evie. We’re studying and enjoying the nice weather. I like changing the location sometimes, keeps my brain from dozing off. Besides, the excitement of a new room quickly fades if you spend hours and hours locked up there.

  Evie’s eating an apple, and every time she takes a bite it sounds like a horse is chewing.

  I wince at the sound.

  I look up, and before I can say anything I see a girl in a tight black dress stumbling over the grass, coming toward us in her sky-high heels. Scarlet.

  I poke Evie in the side, and she almost drops her apple. With one eyebrow raised, I say, “Look who’s coming.”

  When she sees Scarlet, she stops chewing. “Oh. My. God. Is she coming to us? Oh, please, no.”

  I nod, sighing. I try to put up a smile for the girl, but I know everyone can see it’s fake.

  “Hey girls!” she says with her usual cheerful voice. “What are you doing?”

  Evie holds up her book and dangles it in the air without saying anything. Then she takes another bite of her apple to ensure she doesn’t have to speak.

  “Studying,” I say.

  “Oh … interesting,” Scarlet says, and she puts up a pretentious smile. “Mind if I join you?”