I jerked away from him, tilting my phone so he couldn’t see the text—that was if his spying eyes hadn’t already. “None of your business.”
We drew a few eyes from in front of us and across the aisle.
“I noticed you’re in the same clothes as last night.” He pinched the fabric on my shoulder, eyes running over me before letting the material fall back to my skin. “A little walk of shame on a Thursday. Who would have thought? So scandalous, Splash.”
“Stop calling me that,” I hissed under my breath, my eyes darting to the front of the class to make sure the professor wasn’t frowning at me. I wanted her to like me, not see me as a nuisance Sterling so clearly wanted to make me out to be.
His face was too close to mine, yet I had nowhere to go, not without letting him see how uncomfortable he made me. “What should I call you?” he countered.
I stared him down, my fingers clutching the closed laptop resting on my lap. “Nothing. Now please be quiet. Some of us are here to learn.” I snapped my gaze back to the professor.
The tension didn’t leave me, and it didn’t help when he did little things like bump my leg with his or lay his hand close to mine. Those were done to make me uneasy. Well, mission complete.
It wasn’t until class ended and Professor Davis dismissed us that I released a hunk of the stress stiffening my muscles. Bolting out of my seat, I walked around Sterling and merged with the sea of students shuffling into the hallway.
I couldn’t get away from him fast enough. All I wanted was to drag in a breath of fresh air and clear the scent of him from my nostrils.
An arm caught me before I reached the stairwell. I whirled, already knowing who it was. “What do you want?” I snapped, cradling Micah’s laptop to my chest like it was a shield to protect me.
Sterling's eyes gleamed playfully at me, and I wondered if anything ever intimidated him. In a way, that trait reminded me of Micah, but unlike my boyfriend, Sterling wasn’t a pretty boy. “You still owe me that tea, Splash.”
My promise to Micah came back to me again. This whole thing had turned into a mess. Maybe if I just had a drink with Sterling and explained everything, he would go away or back off. I somehow had to make the point very clear to him. Nothing would ever happen between us. Again. But if Micah found out I didn’t keep my promise… The very last thing I wanted was to do anything that could jeopardize my relationship—the relationship we were working hard to build, and that started with trust.
Pressing my lips together, I replied, “I changed my mind. I want nothing to do with you.”
He shifted, moving in closer to me. “Well, that’s a shame, because I very much want to get in your way.” He still had a hold of my arm, a fact I’d just realized when the pad of his thumb brushed over the inside of my wrist.
My gaze flicked to where his fingers were wrapped around me. I jerked my arm, surprised that his grip had been firmer than I judged. He didn’t release me immediately, only after I tried to pull away a second time, as if he, too, hadn’t been aware of the strength in his fingers. “Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my gaze imploring his.
The smirk permanently affixed to his lips faded as a speck of seriousness shadowed his eyes. “You know why.”
My gaze lingered on his. “I don’t. Really. You know I have a boyfriend.”
“For now,” he admitted, implying he had every intention of changing it.
I snorted, shaking my head. “I’m not the same girl I was back then. If you’re looking for a quick fuck, I’m not your ticket.” What Sterling insinuated left an icky feeling from his touch.
Mads Clarke was no slut—not that I thought having sex or a one-night stand made you a slut, because by those definitions, half the girls I knew were, including me.
No, I had standards, but I wasn’t a prude. I wanted to be respected and… loved. There it was. The real reason I was taking things slow with Micah and not giving in to all those raging hormones sparking and lurking around inside me.
I wanted Micah to fall in love with me. That hard, deep, passionate love. I wanted to hear the words, and for him, they were difficult to say. He wasn’t the type of guy who tossed them around. As far as I knew, he had never said them. Of course, he playfully told the guys he loved them and shit like that, but he was extra careful about using those three little words with females. There might be a few exceptions, like Josie and Kenna, but that was sisterly love or playful banter.
Never the real thing.
Sterling shoved his hands into his pockets and rocked on his heels. “Then I’m looking forward to knowing who you are now.”
He just didn’t give up. Why me? What was so special about Madeline Clarke? I cringed internally at my full name. “Is that the point of this? To break Micah and me apart?”
He shrugged, his expression confirming he gave no real thought to my relationship. “It matters little to me that you have a boyfriend. I’m more concerned about what you can give me.”
Oh. My. Fucking. God. This self-entitled prick.“The only thing I’m going to give you is a bloody nose.”
“Why doesthateven sound fun coming from you?”
He made me want to thump my head against the nearest wall. “You’re twisted.”
“And if I remember correctly, you like it twisted.” He hadn’t even bothered to lower his voice.