Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
BLAIR
Hurrying into my bedroom and shutting the door behind me, I finally release the breath I didn’t realize I have been holding. Walking back from class, I felt this prickling sensation of eyes on me the entire way home. Scanning behind me every so often, I was met with an almost empty campus. “ You're probably just imagining things,” I whisper to myself once inside the safety of my home.
The disappearances around campus have unsettled me more than I care to admit. I didn’t think the majority of my time here would be spent looking over my shoulder for danger while also fighting off thoughts about Emmett .
I don’t know what type of witchcraft Emmett is using, but that has to be the only explanation as to why I can't get him out of my head. He's arrogant and rude, yet I feel a blush start to creep up my chest and face when I think about him.
I find myself putting on a mask and pretending to be bold and fierce, while truly I’m inexperienced and timid. But those eyes, eyes that can cut you with just the right look when you peer into them, they do something to me. Then there’s that smile paired with the curves of his dimples, the expression creates a pool of heat in my core.
I begin to think about his rock hard chest and how I was able to feel every muscle through his shirt during our collision. My mind wanders to what Emmett looks like without a shirt. Each defined abdomen muscle leading down to the no-doubt, yummy v-line.
Before I’m able to daydream about Emmett’s body and the possibilities of its appearance any longer, I'm pulled from my thoughts. My phone is ringing and when I lift it from my desk, the smiling contact picture of my mom is staring back at me. Without letting another second pass, I answer.
“ Hi mom!” I speak cheerfully. It's only been a few weeks and I miss her like crazy. I got used to the feeling of it being only the two of us, always together, partners in crime.
“ Hey hunny, how are you? How are classes?” Her soothing voice washes over me, bringing me back home.
“ I'm good. My classes are engaging and my roommates haven’t started any catfights yet.” I laugh.
“ Oh , that’s good. I’d love to meet them sometime! Hey hunny listen, I can’t talk for long, but I wanted to ask if you've heard about what's been happening at that school of yours? Some students have been going missing and I’m worried about you.” Mom says with concern in her voice.
“ Yeah , I’ve heard about them. They’ve definitely made me feel uneasy but I make sure to keep my mace on hand.” I assure her.
“ Good , okay. I trust that you can take care of yourself, but please trust your gut. If something or someone doesn’t feel right, do not involve yourself. I can’t lose you too. I love you hunny.” Mom expresses.
“ I know, I love you too. I’m not going anywhere.” I check the time and realize if I don’t leave right now I’ll be late for my economics class. “ Scratch that, I do need to get going. Class starts soon. I’ll call you this weekend?” I ask. She agrees and we say our goodbyes.
I head out, stopping at Cozy Cup before continuing my walk to class. Making sure to not collide with men made from bricks, I successfully arrive at class with a full cup of joe. Small wins.
As I’m booting up my laptop for notes, I watch in horror as somebody knocks my coffee off the corner of the desk where I had set it down. They don’t stop walking to apologize or offer to clean up the absolute mess they just made. Whipping my head around, I’m met with a familiar and viciously handsome set of green eyes. Fucking Emmett , of course. I rise from my seat and storm over to him.
“ What is your problem? Help me clean that up!” I demand.
He leans over to peek past me at the puddle of caramel, vanilla, and ice pooling underneath my seat.
Shrugging , he nonchalantly responds, “ Call it even.”
His eyes reach mine again and he flashes those pearly whites at me. His dimple makes an appearance, mocking me. I want to fucking slap him but how would that play out for me? A nobody from New York , physically assaulting the dean’s son for what would most likely be deemed an accident.
I stomp to the front of the room, grabbing the roll of paper towels to speedily clean up before it’s time for Professor Monroe to begin his lecture for the day.
I've been fuming the entire class. Not only did I not get the coffee that I was so desperately craving this morning, but I practically missed the whole lecture due to my thoughts being filled of murder and torture. It's hard to learn about interest rates when my only interest right now is stabbing Emmett in the neck.
I know it sounds extreme over coffee, but I don’t know why he continues to stare at me, especially after he purposely knocked my cup over. Every time I see him on campus, his eyes are glued to me, as if he has no shame in how he’s staring.
Before I know it, the lecture has ended and I didn't learn a damn thing. Great . I blame the green eyed snake searing a hole into the back of my head.
I gather my things quickly, not wanting to spend another minute in the same vicinity as him. As I bolt out of the lecture hall and through the doors, I let out a sudden squeak of surprise when I almost run into him again. Fuck .
He tilts his head to the side, looking down at me.
“ Were you looking for me, baby?”
Baby ? Again ? What is it with this guy and his nicknames?
“ Absolutely not,” I say sharply.
“ Huh , that’s funny,” he draws out, eyes sparkling with amusement. “ I could have sworn I saw you looking for me.” The low rasp of his voice paired with his intense stare causes the same blush to stain my skin and heat to build in my core.
Clearly , he notices because his lips start to tip up. Before I can respond, he cuts in .
“ Yeah . You were, baby.” He leans into my space, so much that his masculine scent of cedar and sin, with a hint of minty tobacco, wraps around me, making it hard to focus on anything other than him.
“ Don’t worry. I won't tell anyone.” He whispers. “ It’ll be our little secret.”
With him so close to me, every ounce of oxygen leaves my lungs and it feels like I’m suffocating. As quickly as he invaded my space, he leaves it. Leaving an icy cold emptiness in its place. I straighten, trying to compose myself.
It seems like this is becoming a pattern as I turn to storm off from another flustering encounter with Emmett . I can't deny the feelings of desire skittering down my spine, but I'll be damned if I let him know that. He doesn't need anything else to hold over my head.
As I make my way out of the building and down the wide steps I chance a look behind me to see if he’s still there, but to my surprise he's already gone. Fortunately , economics is the only class we have in common, so the rest of my day should go by quickly and I can grab another coffee on the way home.
Thankfully , the rest of my classes go smoothly. By the time my last class ends, I don’t even care to grab coffee anymore. I'm exhausted and just want to head home. Making my way out of class, I let out a sigh of relief at the day finally being done.
On my walk home, I can't shake the feeling that someone is watching me as I make my way back to the house. Goosebumps line my arms and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Certain my mind isn’t playing tricks on me, I do the only logical thing I can think of .
Reaching into my bag, I locate my mace. With my finger on the trigger, I whirl around, ready to face whoever may be following me. To my dismay, I’m met with the rustling trees, a few students who aren't paying me any mind, and nothing more.
Even though there’s nothing for me to fear within eyesight, my instincts tell me that someone is out there. I remember my mom’s words of wisdom from earlier, “ Trust your gut.” I repeat it to myself as I pick up my pace to a light jog. Once I reach my front porch, I unlock the door, close it behind me, and double check that it's locked.
Checking once more for good measure before I make a beeline to my room, I drop off my bag and head to the bathroom. Immediately ripping off my clothes and turning on the piping hot water, I step in and scrub my frustrations and worries away.
After my shower, I dress in a tank top and shorts then jump into bed. It’s not late and I have assignments that need to be completed but I don’t care. Sleep comes to me easily and I have a feeling between Emmett and the too many missing students, I won’t have this privilege for long.