Chapter 24
TWENTY-FOUR
LANA
O nce again, I find myself seeking solace in the library in an attempt to find some damn peace in this place.
The usual table I sit at is taken by a couple of freshmen, and there are no other free tables.
Figures.
“Lana?” I turn to my right to find Savannah sitting alone at a table, a look of trepidation in her eyes, and I move towards her.
“Hey. Savannah, right?” I ask and she nods.
“I’m nearly finished up with this,” she says, pointing towards her laptop. “You can sit, and I’ll be out of your hair soon.”
My teeth clamp down on my lower lip. “You don’t mind?”
She laughs softly, shaking her head, and kicks out the chair opposite hers, motioning for me to sit down.
“I know you don’t know me, but I’m not like most of the girls who go here.
I don’t care where you came from or what you’re doing here.
You seem like a nice person. You’ve only ever been friendly to me, and I don’t mind the company. ”
I shrug and sit down, taking my things from my bag before dropping it at my feet, but I can’t focus on anything when there’s someone so close to me.
“Just ask,” I murmur when I sense her looking at me.
“I-I don’t want you to think I just asked you to sit here because I want gossip or anything…”
I roll my eyes. “Trust me, I know that. I’ve spent a lot of time in here, and I know you only really socialize with the students you tutor. You’re a lot like me, more introverted. I don’t think you want gossip, but you are curious about something, so go ahead and ask.”
Her lips quirk, and I find myself fighting my own smile. I kinda like this girl, she’s soft and sweet yet also has a no-bullshit attitude that calls to mine.
“So, you and Cole Aston?” she asks, and I can’t help the snort that escapes me.
“That guy is the bane of my existence. He’ll get bored of annoying me soon enough and move on.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, they taste bitter. The idea of him moving onto the next girl has a rage so blinding bubbling over that if I wasn’t already seated, it would have threatened to bring me to my knees.
Savannah stares at me quizzically for a moment, tapping her pen against the table while she seems to debate something. She must finally have her answer because she says, “Can I be honest with you?”
“Always,” I answer automatically. I’ll always favor honesty over anything else.
“I’ve known Cole for a long time. Well… not personally, but we went to all of the same schools growing up, and I can honestly tell you, not once have I seen him so fixated on a girl the way he is you.
Sure, he’s messed around with other gi rls, but he’s never usually gone back for more.
He’s never been in a relationship. None of those guys have, and I think the reason everyone is so invested in what’s happening between the two of you is because they see how different he acts around you. ”
That’s… a lot to take in.
“People are invested. In Cole and me?” I ask, bewilderment in my tone.
She laughs. “Lana, you’re both the talk of the school.”
Jesus, do these people not have anything better to do with themselves than to obsess over something like this?
“We hate each other. There’s not much to tell other than the fact that I want to see him tied up in a basement somewhere and fed small rations of bread with only his piss to drink.”
Okay, maybe a little too much gory detail, if the look on her face is anything to go by.
But just when I think she’s going to call me out for saying something so dark or just stand from the table and walk away, she bursts into laughter instead.
“Oh my God,” she cries. “I would honestly pay to see that.”
“You don’t like him?”
She shrugs. “I don’t know him, but his friends are assholes.”
“Any one of his friends in particular?” I ask, since there was something in the way she said it that made me think maybe she has a past with one of them.
She waves a dismissive hand in the air, and with that, the conversation is finished. We work for a few minutes in silence before she packs up her things and lets me know she has class to get to .
“I’ll see you around?” she asks just as she’s about to walk about.
“Sure will. I’m not going anywhere.” At least, not yet, anyways.
Once she’s gone, I stare blankly at my laptop screen, trying and failing to come up with a plan of what’s next.
I should have moved on by now, I should have left and never looked back, yet I can’t help but feel that there’s something stopping me.
I have a gut feeling that I’m meant to stay here, I just don’t know why or what it means.
My gut instincts have never turned me wrong before, but I usually have at least some idea of what’s behind me feeling that way. But with this? I have no idea what’s stopping me from leaving, I just know that my time here isn’t done yet.
In an attempt to distract myself, I chance a quick glance around the library, only to stop short when I spot none other than Harley Thorn ducking through the rows of books like a thief in the middle of the night.
I should probably ignore it and move on, since it has absolutely nothing to do with me, but unfortunately for me, my curiosity gets the better of me.
I pack my things away and shoulder my bag before following in the direction Harley left in, if nothing more than to see what it is Cole’s friend is getting up to.
Right there in the fiction aisle is Harley, huffing to himself as he peruses the books on the shelves.
He looks distraught, and I’m pretty sure this isn’t his normal attitude towards, well…
anything. I’ve spent more time than I’d like to admit watching Cole, which means I’ve also been watching his friends, too.
Apparently, I’m now someone who likes to… help pe ople? Ugh. I internally sigh at myself before just biting the bullet.
“What’s wrong with you?” I ask, though it comes out as more of a bark than anything else.
Harley startles, his eyes meeting mine before looking around to make sure no one else has spotted him.
Okay… so he’s acting shifty. What is this dude’s issue?
“I’m, uh…” He licks his lower lip before scrubbing a hand down his face.
“I’m failing statistics, okay? And I need to get a handle on this shit before my father finds out and forces me to get a tutor.
I can’t have a tutor. I just can’t. I’ll fling myself off a damn bridge before I have to—” He cuts himself off as a visible shudder runs through him, and my head tips back as I bark out a laugh.
“You’re really fucking dramatic, you know that, right?”
“Easy for you to say,” he grumbles before looking me up and down and fixing me with a sneer. “You’re in the same class, and I know you’re one of the top students. Is that why you don’t seem to have friends? Because you’re too busy studying?”
I shake my head with a sigh. I don’t have friends because that means I’d have to communicate with people and ew, no, thank you.Though, Savannah seems nice, she’s probably the only tolerable person in this place.
A thought hits me as I stare at the seemingly depressed guy in front of me, and I grin wickedly at him. He notices my expression, and a wary look crosses his face.
“What?”
“Want my help?” I ask with a sweet smile and he perks up.
“Yeah? You’ll help?”
“Of course… for a price. ”
His throat bobs as he swallows, a skeptical look crossing his face.
He’s no doubt heard of at least one bad thing about me from Cole, so I don’t blame the guy for being a little wary, but whatever his issue is with hiring a tutor is clearly more important than anything that could worry him about working with me if he’s so ready to risk it.
He lets out a resigned sigh. “What do you want?”
I tap my chin in a contemplative gesture. “I’m not sure. Let’s just agree that I’ll help you, and you’ll owe me a favor that I get to call in whenever I need it.”
He groans, probably knowing that whatever I want with him will have something to do with his friend.
“Take it or leave it, sweetheart,” I say with a shrug. “It’s me or the tutor.”
“Fuck, fine,” he mutters. “But not here.”
My arm darts out in a ‘lead the way’ gesture and he stalks back through the stacks of books, muttering to himself as he does.
God, these rich boys really are on another level.
I follow Harley into his place, which looks totally different during the day. It’s weird being here actually invited, rather than sneaking in in the dead of night.
As soon as we left the library, Harley’s demeanor totally changed. He went from being the fidgety, on-edge guy he was as he sneaked around inside the library to the usual carefree guy I see whenever he’s with Cole, and it left me wondering what the hell that was all about.
I’d ask, but that would mean talking about personal shit, and the last thing I need is for him to turn it around on me and start asking me questions.
We settle on the living room floor, both of us opening our laptops and pulling up what we need. We’re not too far into the semester, so at least I know I don’t have too much to catch Harley up on.
“So, what’s your issue?” I ask.
He tenses beside me, and I realize how he could take it the wrong way.
“With statistics,” I clarify, and he relaxes before explaining about how he struggles with equations.
“It’s like… one moment, I’ll understand. And then the next thing I know, I’m staring at a page that’s just full of random numbers and symbols and I don’t know what the fuck is going on. It’s like it’s all scrambled, and I can’t make sense of anything.”
I lick my lips and debate for a minute about what he just said before deciding to just go ahead and ask. I don’t particularly care if I offend him. I’m here because he needs my help.
“Do you have dyscalculia?”
He blinks at me. “Huh?”
“Dyscalculia. It’s like dyslexia, but with numbers.”
His head tilts to the side, and he kinda reminds me of a puppy. I really want to reach out and scratch him behind the ear. Tell him he’s a good boy.
“Maybe,” he mutters with a shrug. “I’d never even heard of it before.”
“You should speak to Professor Mayfield. Tell him what you’re struggling with and maybe he can help you.”
And with that, that conversation is done. I dive into helping him to the best of my abilities, and after around an hour or so, he seems to have a slightly better grasp on the subject than he did when we started, though he complains the entire time.
Small wins, I guess.
My laptop is discarded on the floor in front of me, and we both sit with our backs to the couch, huddled together so we can see his screen better. He points something out to me, and I lean over him to get a better look.
Just as I’m about to sit back and resume my place next to him, the door slams open and I hear a growly voice bark out behind me, “What the fuck is going on in here?”
Oh yay, Cole’s home.
I straighten before climbing to my feet and turning to face him.
Cole’s not alone. He has his sister, Noah, and Logan with him, who all stare at us with shocked expressions.
Harley jumps to his feet and stands behind me, his hands up in a surrendering gesture, but before he can even open his mouth, Cole has him by his throat and is backing him up against the wall.
“I’m only going to ask one more time. What the fuck is going on?” Cole snarls.
Harley coughs and splutters in his hold, and the poor guy can’t even get a word out because of Cole’s hold on him.
I stand, completely mystified at the chaos around me. The others are seemingly as lost as I am as they stare at their friends in horror.
Jesus Christ, I guess I’m going to have to be the one to stop this.
“Cole,” I say sternly, but he ignores me, instead continuing to stare down at Harley with fire in his eyes.
“Cole,” I bark, and he flinches almost imperceptibly before muttering something under his breath and dropping his hold. He takes a deep breath before turning to face me, and his glare probably matches mine.
“Enough,” I demand, and the room goes silent.
He opens his mouth as though he’s about to give me a snarky comment before clenching his jaw and continuing to stare me down.
“I’m helping him study, dumbass. It’s not like I was fucking him on your living room floor. Besides, I’m not your girlfriend, pretty boy. I’ll fuck who the hell I like.”
He cringes, like he’s just realized he’s gone full-on possessive asshole over me, and I inwardly grin.
In truth, I’d absolutely be the same. Just the thought of him touching someone else has fire boiling in my veins and makes me itch to grab my knife and carve some bitch’s eyes from their face.
Focus, Lana.
This is about him, not me.
“Sort your shit out, Cole. Now, apologize.”
“Wha—”
“Apologize,” I insist, and he mutters a sorry to his friend who’s still slumped against the wall, his hand caressing his neck.
“Good boy,” I purr and crouch to pack my laptop away in my bag, ignoring the eyes that are drilling into the side of my head.
“I’m sorry. What just happened?” Gracie asks, and Noah snorts a laugh.
“Our boy just took orders, that’s what happened. Lana, right?” he asks, and I nod my head as I shoulder my bag.
“Can we keep you?”