“What do you want, Asher?” I ask as I stand. My words are acidic, but I don’t care. He was there when Travis tore into me the other day and he didn’t do a damn thing to stop him. Even after already apologizing for him once.
Apparently, apologies mean nothing to these people and the puppies might have me all squishy on the inside, but he doesn’t get the squishy parts of me just because of my love for the little monsters. He hasn’t earned that.
“I was out walking the dogs, and I saw you… and well, I want to apologize,” he says, pushing his glasses up his nose, and I laugh loudly.
“Of course you do.” I roll my eyes and walk around him, continuing on my way to my class, Shadow at my ankles while the others stay behind with Asher.
Little traitors.
He grabs my arm and pulls me to a stop. “Come on, Briar, don’t be like that.”
“Be like what?” I hiss. “Like someone who doesn't accept being treated like a piece of shit? I am not a chew toy for Travis to step on and try to tear down because he’s all bent out of shape.” I reach down and scoop Shadow up into my arms. I need all the squishes I can get to keep having this conversation.
“I know. He was just having a bad day. He didn’t mean it,” Asher says, rubbing the back of his neck.
Do not get lost in the muscle show, Briar.
“Is that supposed to be an excuse for what he did? And am I meant to be okay with the fact that the rest of you just stood there and did nothing?”
Asher shakes his head and runs his hand through his hair, like he thought this would be easier and I’m making him sweat.
Good.
“No, it’s not, but it doesn’t mean that he isn’t—that we’re not—sorry.”
“If Travis was sorry, he’d be here apologizing instead of you, Asher. Don’t you ever get tired of apologizing for him? Maybe if he wasn’t such an asshole, you wouldn’t have to clean up his mess all the time.”
And maybe I should vent my frustrations to Travis instead of Asher, but he isn’t here right now.
Asher takes a step back, like he really thought I’d just roll over and accept his apology as gospel. “I’m not cleaning up his mess. I came to make sure you were okay. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to do. Noted.”
I shake my head, scoffing at his nonchalance. “Here I was thinking you were the smart, decent one of the four, Asher. It’s not the right thing to do. The right thing is not to be a giant asshole in the first place.”
He scrubs the back of his neck with one hand again. Pushing up those black-framed glasses of his with the other before shaking his head. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Do you even know what you’re sorry for, Asher?” My snark is at full nuclear levels, and I’m pretty sure people are watching, but I’m losing the last few fucks I had tucked away for safe keeping.
He just blinks at me, like he’s never had to work this hard to apologize before, and I laugh again. “That's what I thought. I’ll see you around, Asher.” I put Shadow back down on the ground and stride away from Asher, feeling him watch me as I leave, along with a few others. Hating the yips that come from Shadow that pull at my little black heartstrings.
Travis Kensington is an asshole, but I’ve fought off much worse monsters than him. I just hope they all leave me the hell alone so I can graduate and get out of here and away from them.
They want me gone anyway so it shouldn’t be a big ask.
I loosen a breath as I head into my Intro to Psych class, grabbing a seat in the middle of the room and putting my satchel on the one beside it for the coffee guy—pretty sure he said his name was Connor—and of course that’s the moment Sawyer St. Vincent walks into the fucking room.
Someone freaking save me.
CHAPTERSIX
Fuck my actual life.
I watch as Connor darts in behind Sawyer, beelining toward me, and as the realization dawns on Sawyer that Connor is heading for me… it’s like a car crash happening in slow motion as that audacious, arrogant smile on Sawyer's face changes. Like someone just waved a red flag in front of a bull.
I don't even know why. He has been fully Team Travis since they discovered who I was, and he hasn’t spoken to me once.
Yet… he’s looking at me like I’m a toy he’s played with that he doesn’t really want, but he doesn’t want anyone else to play with either.
I will never understand men, of that I’m positive. I used to think they were simple creatures. Turns out I was fucking wrong and all that propaganda about them being simple is just bullshit created to confuse those of us with vaginas… and dicks in some cases, but I’m pretty sure the gays have a better insight than I do right now.