Six
Fallon
T he throbbing in my head jolts me awake, and for a moment I panic. Where the hell am I? As the room comes into focus, memories trickle in from the night before.
The party.
The pool.
Remy.
Slowly, I turn my head to see him peacefully sleeping beside me. He looks so different in this light, boyish and less threatening. For a moment I take him in, without his arrogant baby blues to dissuade me. His brown hair is ruffled, as though he spent half the night running his hands through it. He has the face of a Greek god. Hell, his whole body could be a sculpture. His perfectly formed nose sits flawlessly between his chiseled cheekbones. I wish I had the time to sketch him. He’s classically handsome with a roguish charm that adds an irresistible edge to his appearance. His eyes, deep and expressive, seem to hold a thousand untold stories. Every movement he makes is graceful yet powerful, like a panther on the prowl. It’s as if he stepped out of a myth, a living embodiment of timeless beauty and daring spirit.
My eyes wander down to his bare, broad and muscular chest. There doesn’t seem to be a flaw in sight, unless you count his self absorbed entitled personality. Remy is a total dick and he knows it, he actually welcomes it. Even with his less than sparkling demeanor, people cling to him. I scoff when I think about his little band of groupies that seemed to follow him around last night. From the looks of it, every girl wants to be with him, and every guy wants to be him. My aggravation grows the longer I’m in such close proximity to him.
I look around the room for my dress but it’s nowhere in sight, and I don’t dare wake him to ask. Instead, I gently slide from the bed and pad to the bathroom. I wince when the light turns on automatically, spinning around quickly to see if I’ve woken him up. That’s the last thing I need. My plan is to get out as fast as I can, unnoticed if possible. However, with the light streaming in through the drapes, I’m sure there are students up and milling around the campus already.
Thankfully the bathroom door doesn’t squeak as I close it behind me. As I glance at my appearance, I’m thankful that my makeup isn’t smeared like I thought it would be. It must have been washed away in the pool. Fear snakes up my spine as I remember the water filling my lungs. My hands clench the counter as I steady my breathing. I turn the faucet on to a trickle and let it fill my hands, needing to splash my face with the coolness. Using a towel hanging by the counter, I dab my face and flinch when it touches the cut on my forehead. I lean up to the mirror to see that Remy must have cleaned and bandaged the wound after I’d fallen asleep. Something flutters in my stomach at the thoughtfulness, but it’s quickly replaced with annoyance. I’m sure he did it with his own agenda in mind.
Once I’m finished using the restroom, I wash my hands and slip from the bathroom. I sigh in relief that he hasn’t moved a muscle. I quietly and quickly rummage through his drawers for some track pants that I may or may not return to him later. I’m not walking back to my dorm with only a low hanging shirt. All of the pants are so long that I have to roll them at the waist and ankles to keep from tripping. With one last glance, I close his bedroom door behind me. Wanting to get as far away as possible, I sprint down the stairs and through the front doors, ignoring the strange stares from guys that are already awake. Before I can sigh in relief that I escaped, I hear a familiar voice behind me.
“Going already?” Well, look who it is. Mr. Red Flags from last night approaches, coming far too close for comfort.
“Yeah, I need to get back to my dorm.” I motion my thumb over my shoulder in the direction I need to be going in.
“Aw, where’s the fun in that? Don’t you want to stay for breakfast? I make a mean omelet,” he croons into my ear as the hairs rise on the back of my neck. This guy is definitely a date-rape horror story waiting to happen.
“Fallon, come on. I’ll take Remy’s sloppy seconds,” he winks, like he knows exactly what happened.
“First, how the hell do you know my name? Second, do these lines actually work for you? Because let me tell you, you sound pathetic and creepy,” I seethe as my anger rises. His face morphs from the stupid playboy to downright menacing. I wish I knew how to shut up sometimes because this conversation just escalated, and there’s no one around to help me.
“You fat bitch. I was going to do you a favor, but now you better watch your back,” he swears. I recoil at his words, but turn on my heel and run as fast as I can without these stupid pants falling down. I don’t doubt that he will try to do something to me. How the hell have I been here two days and made two enemies?
Once I round the corner, I slow to a walk as the cool air hits me in the face. I feel like I can finally take my first true breath since last night. As I make my way across campus, I realize that my phone and key card are either in the destroyed dress or at the bottom of the pool. Of course, I’ve got more to add to my plate today. I hope Rowyn or Lyndsy are home to let me in, otherwise I’m screwed.
I bypass a crowd of students huddling together, probably gossiping about someone when I hear my name float through the air. Surely I’m hearing things, but when the party is mentioned, I know news has spread. Dread makes my stomach flip, so I pick up my speed, twisting and turning to avoid running into anyone. My bare feet slap against the concrete, but I don’t feel the pain. I have to get someplace safe, and right now that’s my dorm.
Willowbrook Hall emerges behind the trees. Dashing up the wide staircase, I fling open the front doors as I jog to the elevators. A few students bustle out as the door opens, but I keep my head down, pressing the button to close the doors continuously until they shut. I take in a long, calming breath as I lean against the wall. My heart is beating wildly in my chest, but my heated skin feels good against the cool partition.
The elevator dings as the door rolls open to the fifth floor. Relief floods my body when I see there isn’t a single person in the hall. I knock on our door several times before I hear feet scurrying closer. Rowyn opens the door and flings her arms around me, forcing me to take a step back.
“Fallon! Thank God! We were so worried about you!” she blurts. She releases me from her grip, ushering me inside before the door slams closed.
“What’s going on?” Lyndsy comes into view, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. When she sees me, her tired demeanor morphs into one of concern.
The girls begin tossing a million questions at me.
“Where were you?”
“We tried to call!”
“What happened?”
“Whose clothes are you wearing?”
“What the hell happened to your forehead?”
Neither stop for a breath as they spin me around, examining me for any other injuries. Their care for me is a foreign notion, leaving me feeling awkward and making me want to hide. Once the questions cease, they look at me expectantly, waiting for answers.
“I-uh, got shoved into the pool at that party last night.” I avert my eyes, not wanting to see the pity written across their faces.
“Did you hit your head?” Rowyn asks at the same time Lyndsy chimes in.
“Can you not swim?”
Great, now they think I’m completely helpless. The truth is, I don’t know if I could make myself swim anymore. My fear of the unknown takes over, clogging my brain with nothing but terror, leaving me paralyzed. I know for sure I would have drowned last night had Remy not been there to rescue me. I shouldn’t have gone to that party to begin with. I’ve been fine on my own for years, there’s no reason to open myself up now.
“It was some prank or something. I don’t really know, to be honest. I hit my head on the way in, and Remy jumped in to grab me.” Both girls exchange knowing looks, making me wonder what the hell they are thinking.
“Listen, Fallon. Remington Frampton is like a god on campus. He has a reputation for using girls for one thing, and then discarding them like last night’s trash. My brother told me all about him and warned me to stay away,” Lyndsy winces.
“Remy is Remington Frampton, as in Frampton University?” I voice to no one specific. Of course it would be my luck to become the target of his unwanted attention. He has the power and resources to make my life a living hell while I’m here, and now I believe what he threatened last night. Anxiety spreads through my chest until I feel like I can’t breathe. Like I’m back thrashing in the water with no one to save me.
Both girls nod their heads, and I feel like I’ve been splashed with cold water. No wonder he had girls trailing after him. He is actually the king of the school.
I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts. “So, what do I do now?” I ask, my voice barely above a mumble
Rowyn steps closer, her expression softening. “Just be careful, Fallon. Remy might have saved you, but that doesn’t mean he has good intentions.”
Lyndsy nods in agreement. “Yeah, just keep your distance. Focus on your studies and stay out of his way.”
I nod, but my mind is still reeling. How am I supposed to avoid someone who seems to be everywhere? And why did he save me if he’s as bad as they say?
As if reading my thoughts, Rowyn adds, “Maybe he saw something in you that made him want to help. Just don’t let your guard down.”
I force a smile, appreciating their concern. “Thanks, guys. I’ll be careful.”
We part ways and I head to my room, my mind a whirlwind of confusion and fear. Remington Frampton might be the king of the school, but I won’t let him control my life. I’ve had enough trouble with entitled men to last me a lifetime. I just need to stay focused and keep my head down. Remy will lose interest eventually. Right?
But as I jump on my bed and stare at the ceiling, I can’t shake the feeling that my life is about to get a lot more complicated.