“You aren’t listening. He’ll want your name, which I now have, and I won’t give it to him. There will be consequences for that, which I’ll face.”
I sucked in a breath, absorbing what he was saying. It didn’t make sense. There was absolutely no reason for this guy to sacrifice himself for me. Unless he wanted something.
Now, I got it.
“What do you want in exchange? Because, honestly, I’m short on cash and out of favors.”
His head dropped, and he groaned. “I don’t want anything. I’m just talking to you, but you’re making that really, really difficult.”
I pushed his forehead, bringing his head up. “Then go. I’m not keeping you prisoner”
He jerked at me echoing his words. Then his eyes dropped to my mouth. “Not yet.”
My breath hitched as he moved closer. He was going to kiss me, just like he’d started to outside the T. And I...I couldn’t let that happen.
Raising a hand between us, I pressed my fingertips to his lips. “Don’t kiss me, Theo.”
His body went rigid, then he wrapped his fingers around my wrist and yanked my hand away. “Don’t act like you don’t want me to, Little Tiger.”
“I don’t.” I shoved him again, and this time, I took the opportunity to stoop and grab my skateboard. “Even if I liked rich boys, I don’t like cheaters. Your girlfriend probablyreallydoesn’t like cheaters. Poor thing.”
My board clattered to the ground, and I pushed off, away from Theo’s silence, back to my dorm. Hopefully it would be empty so I could stew over a plate of dining hall mozzarella sticks in peace.
Our suite smelled different. Like rare flowers and imported vanilla. I flung my backpack on the couch and placed my to-go box of mozzarella sticks on the coffee table.
Z emerged from her room with wide eyes. “Our roommate is here.”
My eyes went round like hers. “Bad?”
She bit her lip, her eyes avoiding mine. “I’ll let you be the judge. I don’t want to color your opinion.”
The door to the previously empty room suddenly opened. “Did I hear a new voice?” A blonde emerged, a big, white smile splitting her perfectly symmetrical face. “Hey, I’m Ele—”
“You’re absolutely kidding me.”
Elena Sanderson’s fake smile wiped from her face faster than it had appeared.
“You’re kidding me,” I repeated.
Elena’s manicured hands hit her hips. “Is this a joke?” She glanced at Zadie. “This is a joke, right? Are there cameras? Because this has to be a joke.”
Zadie’s eyes darted back and forth between us. “Do you know each other?”
I snorted. “Elena was the queen bitch in high school.”
Elena smirked at my assessment. “I’ll take that title gladly. It’s far better than town whore. Isn’t that what everyone called you?”
“Wow.” Slowly nodding, I gave her a long once-over. “It’s nice to know some things haven’t changed. Even in college, in the throes of adulthood, you still remain a child. Go you, Elena.”
Elena and I hadn’t had many personal run-ins in high school. For one, our school had been massive, with over four-thousand students. For another, she’d been in classes aimed toward getting her into the best school while I’d been vying to make it out whole and alive.
I’d gotten it half right, at least.
But I knew who she was and the kind of things she had done. Elena was the type of girl who laughed at others’ misery. She provoked for her own entertainment. She’d screwed with my friends and looked down on people who weren’t born with a silver spoon up their asses.
Elena Sanderson was a monster in angel clothing.
“Is it possible to start over?” Zadie asked quietly.