Chapter 6
B lake
Gripping the bathroom sink, I closed my eyes and let the shit work its magic.
I’d tried not to take any for first period, but by the time English finished, my heart was racing, and the palms of my hands were sweating.
It didn’t help that three of the cheerleaders decided that today was the day they were going to flirt and sit on my lap.
I did all the appropriate things, like flirting back and complimenting them on how beautiful they were.
I took their numbers, promising to think about giving them a call.
I wasn’t even sure if it would be a date with one or all of them.
Did it really matter at this point? Focusing on my breathing, I let everything that was bothering me slip away.
“Hey, you good?”
I jerked at the sound of Liam’s voice and turned to look at him standing in the doorway.
Liam didn’t talk a whole lot, but he saw everything.
As his eyes stared into mine, a nagging fear trickled back into my system.
I fucking hated how it felt like he was looking right through you to your damn soul.
“Yeah, man.” I pointed to my head. “I have a headache that’s driving me crazy.”
“Huh,” he said, walking past me to the urinal.
“Huh? What the fuck does that mean?” Crossing my arms, I glared at his back.
Liam glanced over his shoulder at me, and my heart sped up in my chest. Shit, what if he figured out I was using and he went straight to Theo? Fuck.
“Pretty defensive for someone that just has a headache,” he said, turning his head away. He was right. I needed to play shit cool.
“Sorry.” Sighing, I washed my hands as Liam walked over to the sinks to do the same. “Is it possible to be sick of the school year on the first day?” He smirked. I tried to look tired and annoyed, which wasn’t hard to pull off, considering.
“That’s my life every day,” Liam drawled. “What do you think of Myles’s girl?”
I hadn’t expected that, and the sudden change in questioning had me floundering for an answer that didn’t sound like I liked her more than I should. Shrugging, I picked up my backpack and led the way to the door.
“She’s decent. Not hard on the eyes, and she’s smart. I’m disappointed the bet is off. I was having fun. But I don’t really know her. Why?”
“Just curious. Myles seems invested, and it’s best to know any potential weaknesses or threats before they come up.
Nash is determined to figure out the mystery surrounding her.
” We stepped out into the noisy hall, still crowded with all those milking every minute they could before the bell rang.
Liam grabbed my arm before we walked into the classroom. “Maybe you can help with that.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re around Myles more than the rest of us. You’ll have more opportunities to hang around Ren. See what you can dig up or just get to know her better so we can assess the threat level. If we need to get Myles to cut her out, we better know now.”
“What about Mr. Collier?”
“What about him?”
I poked my head in the classroom and spotted Ren sitting at a desk all by herself. I absolutely fucking detested that my stomach did a weird jittery thing. Like she felt me staring at her, she glanced my way. I turned and faced Liam instead.
“I mean, he seems to be all up in her father’s business. Won’t he get pissed?”
“So what if he does? According to my father, he is only a soldier for Lawrence and a lower-level one at that. Which makes who she is all the more intriguing.” Liam gripped my shoulder and gave me a sly smile.
“Is it really that much of a hardship to hang out with your best friend and a hot girl?” He lifted a brow.
“I mean, hanging out with hot chicks is sort of your thing isn’t it? ”
“Fine, whatever. I’ll fucking see what I can do,” I said, knowing this wasn’t going to go well.
The last thing I should be doing is hanging around them more.
If anything, I should be hanging around them less, but how could I say that without waving a banner, saying I might have more than friendly feelings for Ren? I didn’t need this shit!
“Knew we could count on you, man,” Liam said and walked into the classroom as the bell rang.
Of course, Liam took the empty seat on the other side of the room and left the only open chair beside Ren.
Sucking it up like I did everything else, I plastered a smile on my face and dropped down into the vacant space beside her.
Ren’s pen didn’t stop moving, and she didn’t even acknowledge that I’d sat down.
Opening my notebook, I tore off a small piece of paper and wrote, I’m sorry , as Mr. Sharpe walked in.
I pushed it over to her, much like I’d done once before, and she paused, glancing at the paper and then up to my eyes.
“Please,” I mouthed.
Her fingers brushed mine as she took the small note, and just like in her bedroom, there was a spark in my system that I didn’t understand.
It wasn’t like being electrocuted as much as it was a connection that terrified me.
My friendship with Myles was more important than anything, and even knowing that didn’t stop the sexual thoughts from forming.
Ren opened the little note and read it before scribbling on it and sliding it back. Opening it, I smiled as I stared at her response.
For?
Being an ass yesterday.
Nash was an ass. You were weird.
I bit my lip and held back the snort of laughter as Mr. Sharpe gave us page numbers.
Fair enough. Nash is definitely an ass. Still, sorry. Coffee?
I’ll be in the library after classes.
I’ll be there.
Ren nodded, and the glimmer in her eyes made me smirk.
Everything had felt like a chore lately.
Just the simple task of having a shower or getting the fuck out of bed was more than my mind and body wanted to deal with, but that one look made it feel all worthwhile.
Why was someone I hardly even knew affecting me this way?
For the first time today, when I opened my textbook, the words on the page didn’t make me want to run screaming from the room.
Halfway through the period, Mr. Sharpe was summoned to the office.
The moment he stepped out the door, the entire class erupted in chatter, except for Ren.
The way she managed to keep her focus was not only impressive, but I was officially jealous.
Maybe if I could block out the world the way she did, I wouldn’t be fucked up.
A shrill whistle silenced the class, and everyone looked at Vicky standing a couple of tables away. What the hell was she up to? I had never liked her and had no idea why Nash insisted on staying with her when he clearly didn’t want her.
“I thought I should make a public service announcement,” Vicky said before turning her evil-doll glare on Ren.
“Oh no,” Ren said. So softly, I would’ve never heard it if I wasn’t sitting so close.
“I just thought it would be fair to let you all know that Ren doesn’t have a single pair of underwear with a crotch. So that means anyone sitting in a chair after Ren has rubbed themselves in her girly juices,” she said, making a disgusted face.
Like robots, all heads turned in unison to look at Ren, including mine.
I couldn’t even stop myself from looking at her skirt with the reminder.
My pants suddenly got snug, knowing she was sitting there like that beside me, and all I could think of was what I could do if she sat on my lap.
How I could make her pant and come on my fingers.
I quickly pushed the thought away. Why, why, why? Of all the girls in all the schools, I had to want this one. I was a bigger fucking mess than I thought.
The air was charged around her as she slowly rose to her feet. “Well then, maybe you should tell your boyfriend to stay out of my underwear drawer and not to cut them. He seems to have a fascination with my ass,” Ren growled, and there was a collective gasp around the room.
I’d never seen a girl stand up to Vicky before. I’d heard Myles talk about Ren’s fiery side and how she could put Nash in his place, but this was the first time I was seeing it up close. It was hot as fuck.
“Keep dreaming. Nash hates that he has to spend time with you,” Vicky said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder.
“Clearly, he doesn’t want to spend it with you either,” Ren said.
“You don’t know anything about us,” Vicky fumed.
“Oh yes, I forced Nash to steal my journal and then hunt me down like a stalker. And, yes, of course, I begged him to pull me over his lap and spank me.” Damn, Vicky looked like she was going to explode as she clenched her hands into fists, her body visibly vibrating.
“You know what else? I definitely don’t remember asking him to ruin my panties so I wouldn’t have any to wear.
” Ren crossed her arms. “Or to coninuely ask me to sleep with him despite having a girlfriend.”
“You’re nothing more than a cheap fascination.” Vicky smirked and gave Ren a once over. “I’ve seen a dozen of you come and go, but it’s me he loves and wants to marry.”
Ren screwed up her face like she’d eaten something rotten. “Good. I wish you two all the best, and it should make it easy for you to keep your man on a leash and out of my drawers. Unless, of course, you’re saying you have no control over him.”
Vicky stomped around her desk. “Who the hell do you think you are talking to me like that? You’re a nobody, Ren. You have no money, no power, and no family…at least none that wants to spend time with you.”
Ren tensed, her back straightening, and even though it only lasted for a moment, I saw the hurt in her eyes.
Instead of crumbling, she forced out a fake laugh.
“You say that, yet you’re both obsessed with me when I could care less about the two of you.
I’m obviously Nash’s entertainment, and what else would you do if you didn’t have me to bully? ”
Vicky made a crazed noise as she stomped closer. “Bitch, get it through your head. No one wants you here,” she said. I stood up and blocked her from getting to Ren. “Get out of my way, Blake. This has nothing to do with you.”
“Not a fucking chance. You want her, then you go through me, and you better believe that Nash will hear about it if you lay one finger on me again.” I smiled at her.
“Again? Like I would want to touch you,” she snarled.
“Don’t lie, Vicky, you’ve always wanted to fuck me.
Did you tell Nash that you asked me to fuck you at Tiffany’s party last summer?
” There was another gasp, and the whispering started.
The rumor mill would be in full swing for the rest of the day with all of this.
“You must remember. We were hanging around the pool, and you asked me to do you like a dog in the bushes.” Her face paled.
The conversation happened, but not like that.
The truth was, Vicky had been black-out drunk, and she had hinted at me fucking her while Nash was off doing whatever with whoever.
She also happened to mention that she hated it when guys pissed in the bushes like dogs.
Confusion filled Vicky’s eyes as she looked around at the gaping mouths of everyone enjoying the show.
None of this had to do with Ren. It was more about changing Vicky’s aim.
She could be vial when she wanted to be, but I was close enough to Nash that she was leery to really come after me.
I could see Liam smirking across the room.
The asshole was enjoying this show a little too much.
“I…I never said that. I wouldn’t do that to Nash,” she said, and I laughed, leaning in closer to her.
I bit my lip and purposely looked at her tits. “Oh, but you did. Do you want me to tell you what else you said that night?”
Vicky took a step back. The confidence she’d been oozing a moment ago was gone entirely.
“I know what you’re doing, Blake, and you’re a liar,” Vicky said but backed down and walked to her desk.
She continued to glare at Ren with so much hatred that I knew she would go for her throat again.
“Just remember, Ren, your guard dogs won’t always be around. ”
Mr. Sharpe chose that moment to walk back in, and the rest of the argument was quickly cut off. Sitting down, I glanced at Ren, and her hand holding her pen was shaking. I didn’t know if she was angry or hurt by what Vicky said.
Reaching out, I took her hand in mine, and the trembling stopped. It was cool to the touch but so soft. Ren looked up at me, and I gave her a wink. The corner of her mouth pulled up in response.
“Ignore her,” I whispered, and waited for her to nod before letting go, but there was tension still humming under her skin and in her eyes. Why did Vicky always have to be like this?
Liam was backing me into a dangerous corner. I never should’ve agreed to get closer to her, but selfishly, I wanted to. Being near her seemed to chase the worry from my mind and calm me. That was deadly for someone like me. The last thing I needed was to crave a hit of her instead of the coke.