Chapter 12 #2
Don’t go over there. You’ll look like a jealous lunatic, and your brothers will make fun of you for it for the rest of your life.
Amy says something to the guy with that mischievous smile she gave me earlier. The one I love. Her hand briefly rests on his chest. A wave of heat rolls through me. She’s already getting touchy? What the fuck happened to her?
She’s taunting me. That’s what all of this is. Her hair, that insane dress, and the uncharacteristic flirtatiousness.
I have to take action, even if it makes me look like a lunatic.
I push off the wall and stride toward them, my eyes locked on her.
“Amy.” I grab her arm. The guy looks at me, his eyes wide and perplexed, but he retreats without a word.
Amy shoots me a scowl, but I don’t wait to let her scold me.
I make my way to the staircase, guiding her up the first few steps.
“Cops!” I shout. “Cops are here!”
A wave of curses ring out through the room, but it grows mostly silent. Just like I planned.
As people start quietly looking for exits, I raise my voice even louder. “No, not really. I just wanted to get your attention, because I have something to say. Do you see this woman right here?” I point to Amy. “No one flirts with her. No one touches her. She belongs to me. Are we clear?”
A wave of laughter descends over the room, but my point hits home. No one will have the balls to go after her after I staked my claim. Not even people outside of the frat. I’m well-known on campus, and not for being nice.
I don’t mind that I have a dickish reputation—even though it’s mostly undeserved—because at the moment, it serves me quite nicely.
When I turn to Amy, her lips are parted, and her cheeks are pink. It’s too much to hope that she’s as turned on as I am. I’ve been dreaming of calling her mine in the bedroom for as long as I can remember.
As if recalling herself, Amy yanks her arm from my hold. “That is the most medieval, misogynistic bullshit I’ve seen in my life.”
I turn to her, smirking. Though she’s scowling, I catch that sparkling amusement in her eyes. I know this girl’s expressions well after watching her from afar for so long.
I shrug. “We have an agreement, Amelia. We’re supposed to make Harper think we’re falling in love.”
The brightness in her eyes dims, and I must be an asshole, because it makes my heart soar.
She doesn’t like that I’m supposedly making Harper jealous.
Maybe she’s jealous.
The thought makes heat uncoil low in my gut. I’ve coveted Amy for years. Anyone blessed with one of her smiles made me want to rage. If she felt even a fraction of that for me, I could die happy.
Fuck. Now I’m getting sappy again.
“Right,” she says. “Well, I think I’m going to head home. I came here to flirt tonight, and you just cockblocked me.”
I laugh. “Damn right I did. I’ll walk you home.”
“No.” She lifts her chin. “I’ve had enough of you tonight.”
I look at her sternly. “You’re not walking home alone, I’ll tell you that.” I glance around the room. When I spot one of the pledges, I flick my fingers to beckon him. He immediately makes his way over to me. “Walk her home,” I say when he gets close.
Amy scowls at me. “I’m going to make out with him.”
I chuckle. “The fuck you will. He’ll be out of the frat. Do you really want to do that to him?”
The pledge’s expression grows baffled. Fuck, I’m being a dick, but I can’t help myself.
This woman makes me crazy.
As Amy walks toward the door, the pledge keeps a careful distance as he follows her. A strange dejection pulls at my chest. I need to just tell her about the damn bet. About my friendship with Harper. These lies keep me from having her with me every moment of the day, which is all I’ve ever wanted.
“Damn,” a voice to my right says. I turn and see Dom, one of my least favorite brothers. “You’re really all in with her, huh?”
I roll my eyes. “Either get me a beer or go away.”
He smiles. “I didn’t get it before tonight, but she’s actually pretty damn cute. Maybe I’ll steal her from you and win that five K.”
I’m able to keep my jaw from clenching. He’s only doing this to piss me off.
“I’ll bet she’s wild in bed,” he says. “The nerdy girls always are. I’d love to see those big tits bouncing when she rides—”
The world is a black haze. Dom is already against the wall before I even know what I’ve done.
“Shit, dude!” He looks down at my hands, which are clenched on his shoulders. “Are you insane?”
I must be, because the area around me has gone quiet. I’m making a scene.
I can’t seem to stop myself.
“Did you hear what I said earlier? If you go near her, I’ll end you. I’ll make sure you’re out of this frat. I’ll tell our chapter president you give alcohol to minors.”
His eyes grow huge. “Everyone in this frat gives alcohol to minors.”
“Yep, and you’ll be the one taking the fall for it.”
“I was just fucking with you. Put me down.”
Reality seems to descend over me suddenly. I’m standing here with a brother pinned against the wall because he teased me a little bit. Plenty of guys have said shit about Harper over the years, and I’ve never lost my cool like this.
Fuck, I’m drowning. I’m so deep in my obsession with little Amelia that I can’t even think straight.
This has to stop.
I will fucking conquer this. I’ll get her out of my system, or she’ll be the death of me.