“You won’t win against us,” Gabe says idly.
“No? You’re too used to winning on the track and field team,” I say, “or so I heard. Do you like it when girls chase after you? Or do you hunt them down like you’re a lioness?”
Gabe scowls.
I hold up a hand. “Lions are lazy. It’s the lionesses who do all of the hunting. Believe me, I wouldn’t disrespect lionesses like that, so you can stop getting your boxers in a twist.”
“You think you have us all figured out, don’t you?” Zac asks.
“I might have you all pegged, yes.”
Ace shakes his head. “You don’t know any of us, and that includes Rob. You’re on treacherous ground here, Katie.”
“I always win at Don’t Break the Ice,” I say.
“Yes, well, the boat is rocking, and the waves are sky high. You’ll drown if you aren’t careful.”
It’s a threat. There’s no other way to look at it, but that doesn’t stop me from pushing back once again.
“I know how to swallow,” I say, and I deliberately lick my lips as I grab my tray. I sway my hips as I walk away, my heart pounding.
What the hell am I doing? It’s bad enough that I’m worried about my father and what he might do, especially since he keeps blowing up my old phone. Every so often, I’ll turn it back on just to check and see if he’s given up. No such luck.
And now, I’m making enemies of four guys on campus. Grim Reapers. What if there are others who attend here? Will they start to harass me too? I never would’ve thought Rob would be the kind of guy to let others do his dirty work for him. It’s almost enough to make me want to find him and chew off his ear and spit it back at him in his face.
Rob might think everyone is right, that he is a legend of a man.
But if he and his friends continue to mess with me, he’s going to learn that I’m a legend in my own right.
CHAPTER10
When my phone rings,I almost jump out of my skin. I hate being so jumpy, and who would be calling me but someone that I know? Since getting this new phone, I’ve only given out the new number to a select people.
Not my father. Never him.
And it’s not him.
My heart starts to slow as I answer. “Hi, Mom. How’s it going?”
“I can’t believe you haven’t called me yet to tell me all about how college is going for you,” my mom says. “I want to know everything.”
My mind flashes to Rob and our encounters, about how stupid I had been to go to his place and how I should’ve realized what he intended. I should’ve just made up my mind whether or not we were going to have another one-night stand before I accepted, but I think fear that it wouldn’t have been a one-night stand, that I would’ve become a booty call for him was reason enough for me to not even consider it.
As much as I like to tease Erika about her four guys and pretend that I’m as promiscuous as I want to be, I’m not. I’m definitely not a prude, but I’m not sure I could ever go for casual sex. I mean, I had sex with Rob once and then started to dream about him almost every night. Talk about getting attached way too early.
“Katie? Are you there?” my mom asks, starting to sound worried.
“Sorry. I’m here. Classes have an insane amount of work expected to be done before the end. I don’t know how I’m going to manage it all.”
“I’m sure you’ll do fine.”
“Yeah.”
I don’t agree with her assessment. High school, I got all As, but I also didn’t take any honors courses. I just cruised on by, and I know for a fact that won’t work here.
“How’s your roommate?” Mom asks.
“How about we talk about you some?” I ask.