Chapter 7
Adrian
I sawthe cute girl around campus all of the following week, and the next. What bugs the shit out of me the most is the fact that Holden, her brother, or someone else is always hanging around her. Don’t they see that they’re suffocating her? She looks ready to bolt at any minute, and it pisses me off.
College is supposed to be freeing, and yet every time I see her, I just see a bird that is close to having her wings clipped or some shit.
Lighting a cigarette, I sit on one of the tables, reading a book. It’s an English book, some romantic shit that we need to analyze, and I hate to admit, I kind of like it. Bad boys with the shittiest reputations can read. I’m not at college to bang chicks and waste away. Contrary to what everyone believes, I do want a life at the end of all of this. A life that I create myself, and I’m determined to get it.
My mind keeps drifting back to that girl, and it’s driving me crazy. She was so beautiful, and I just know that I can make her happy.
Hoping to push thoughts of her aside, I focus on the book in my hand and go back to reading.
Time passes, and I am aware of all the girls around me. Several approach, trying to get my attention, but I’m really not interested. They are the last thing on my mind.
“Hey,” a voice says.
Glancing up, I find Skylar standing staring at me. She has an armful of books and a full bag on one shoulder.
“Hello,” I say, lowering my book.
The moment her eyes meet mine, I see her cheeks start to heat, and she nibbles her bottom lip, which for some reason I find really cute.
“How are you feeling?” I don’t even know who the bastard was but I know his kind. He can’t take no for an answer, and girls like Skylar suffer. What I didn’t like was the look in her eyes. It was like she’d already been through that kind of crap before, which just pisses me off. She should be able to have some fun without any trouble, and yet she isn’t allowed to.
“I’m doing really good. I actually wanted to apologize for my brother and his friend, Holden.”
“Don’t worry. Holden and Alex just have a lot of hate for me,” I say, smiling. I’m not well liked by those two guys. Mainly because the girls they fuck always come back to me. “Was it your idea to be here with your brother?”
She shakes her head. “My parents wanted me to stay at home. When Alex offered to keep an eye on me, I was allowed to come here.” She shrugs. “There’s not a lot I can do.”
Closing my book, I stare at her. She wants excitement. I don’t know how I know that, only that she is pretty much vibrating with it.
“So you’re going to be spending a lot of time with Alex and Holden, right?”
She shakes her head. “Probably not. They’re older than me, and I’m sure they don’t want me hanging around with them.”
“Then how about I take you out tomorrow night?”
“Tomorrow?”
“You can trust me. I wouldn’t have saved you the other night if I wasn’t a good guy.”
“It’s not that, I just hadn’t thought about it. Alex says there’s another party.”
“I’m not taking you to a party. I’m taking you out to go and have some fun. What do you think?”
“It depends on what you consider fun.”
Leaning closer, I inhale her fresh lemon scent. What is it about this girl? I never take my time getting to know someone, but with her, I want to know her, to get her to be addicted to me.
“Then you’re going to have to come with me, and find out.” I wink. “What do you say?”
Before she can answer, someone calls her name. I turn toward the sound to find Holden making his way toward us.
“Your protector is coming over.”
“He’s a good guy.”