“You are trouble,” Tanner tries to take on a seductive voice, it's sad really.
“I have been told.” He gives me a comical look as if he was teasing me. It's kind of insulting. If he only knew what it was that I am capable of, he would realize that his use of the word trouble is truer than he would ever imagine
“I heard that a girl overdosed after the last party. I don't know her name and I don't know exactly what happened, but I know that she died in the hospital after it happened.” I watch his face while he talks, his jaw is tense, and he makes a point to look at the sidewalk or the houses that we pass instead of looking at me.
He’s lying.
“Damn,” I pretend to be horrified, but overdosing and dying in the hospital is mild compared to what happened to her. “That's a good reason to shut us down for a while.”
“They are making us use extra security that is supposed to ID and confiscate anything that isn't alcohol. I don't know that they are supposed to arrest people, but they will be taking any drugs.” Tanner is bummed by the no drugs rule, but I am not surprised, I have seen him do lines of coke off a girl's breast on more than one occasion.
“It will still be a good party, even without the nostril party favors you enjoy,” I laugh and push him lightly, when he bounces back, he puts his arm around my waist and I feel his fingers graze a strip of skin just below my shirt.
The slight touch makes a gross feeling bubble in my stomach and I could holler praise at the sky when my phone pings and I can pull away from him without it being too obvious.
“If he touches you again, I am going to remove his hand with a chainsaw.”The message is from Bell, but it came to the group chat that they never seem to leave alone.
“WHO IS TOUCHING HER”I hear his bellow in my head as if he is standing right next to me, it would scare a normal person.
“Stop.”
I step away from Tanner farther and look around the streets and buildings around me. We are on Greek row already so there isn't much other than the houses but we have a few small coffee shops on campus and one of them is right here. He has to be in there, but I have no idea how in the hell he would get away with it without someone seeing him and telling everyone in the vicinity that there is a terrifying biker on campus. Plus, how in the hell would he have gotten here without me hearing his bike, it's just not possible.
“You go on, I'm going to grab a coffee before I get home. I have a feeling that I am going to need it.” I take my books from him and turn, walking away before he can respond. Thankfully he doesn't follow me, I have no idea how that would have gone.
That's not true, I have a pretty good idea of what would have happened if he followed me into that coffee shop. If he made a move to touch me, it might have even ended up bloody.
“Can I get a large, iced caramel macchiato and a small black coffee?” I keep my back to the room, but I can feel his eyes on me. I didn't notice him when I walked in, but I know he is there. There is no one else behind me so I simply stand at the counter and wait for the woman to hand over the cups.
When I finally turn to the room there are a few people, a couple that looks way too comfortable on one of the couches off to the side, and a couple of random people that are on their phones or computers. I choke on my coffee when the man in the back of the room picks his head up and those amber eyes meet mine.
Bell is in a well-fit long sleeve shirt that covers all of his scars and tattoos, his khaki pants look tight on his thick thighs but that is normal for him and the jeans that he wears, and his long form is slouched down in the chair to hide most of his height. He has a blue baseball hat on that hides the curls that I can tell are longer than he normally keeps them, and his face has about three days worth of scruff on it.
“When you cover your tattoos and hide the crazy in your eyes you look kind of like a nerd,” I smile and set his coffee down in front of him and he picks it up right away.
“How in the hell do I look like a nerd?”
“Well, when you speak it goes away, but it's the long lanky form that you have. Most men your height have all these muscles and scars–which I know you have–but without those things, you are way less intimidating.”
“You mind your tongue, or I will have to remind you of just how intimidating I can be,” Bell is seething over the touch on my hip from Tanner, and I hate that it makes me preen a little at the thought of him being jealous.
“No need to get murder-y, I know how dangerous you are. Why don't we move to why are you here, because that has me kind of reeling?” Mostly I want to know how he got here, we aren't far from home, but I would know if his motorcycle is close, something about growing up around them have my ears tuned into the sound of them.
There is no way in hell that he brought a motorcycle here without me hearing it. Which only leaves one choice.
“You came caged?” My words are louder than I had meant for them to be and a few people around us turn to look, I smile apologetically and turn back to Bell, lowering my voice drastically.
“I did.”
“Hmm.” I don't know how to respond to him, I don't know the last time that I saw him go anywhere caged.
This man rides his bike, rain or shine, even in the cold–because we don't get snow here–but the only time that I have ever seen him inside a vehicle is when he is in the back of a van because the club is doing something sketchy. Getting behind the wheel of a car isn’t something that should be taken lightly.
“I would go everywhere caged if it meant that you would come home.” For the second time since getting the coffee, I am choking on it.
“Bell,” I stop because I have no idea what to say, after a few breaths I figure telling the truth is the best way. “You were supposed to move on, you were supposed to go back to fucking club whores and drinking too much. You were supposed to ignore me and act like it never happened.”
“That was never our plan, doll. You fucked us that night hoping that we would break your heart so that you could move on. You wanted us to prove you right and make you believe that you needed to get away from this life. You failed to realize that we are in love with you, at least I am and that one night with you would never be enough.”