Chapter 13 Ava
As the week passed, I got more and more nervous.
The rumors were becoming more ridiculous, but the fact remained that Jett was on the hunt, and the girl with the blonde hair was the topic of almost every conversation.
I’d even heard that some girls had approached him and claimed to be the girl.
Seriously, they needed their heads looked at.
It was like a modern-day version of Cinderella, these girls offering themselves as the wearer of the infamous slipper.
Only there was no slipper, and it was all just a bit more desperate and sadder.
He haunted me. At night, I could feel him, and I lived through what felt like a complete rerun every night in my dreams. During the day, I ducked whenever I saw him, and twice I just hid.
My only consolation was that he really didn’t seem to know it was me, and having spoken to him numerous times at the beginning of the week, my brain felt that I should be able to relax, but my heart wasn’t listening.
Ash and Gray were no better. Gray was almost growling at everyone, and I heard that in practice yesterday afternoon, Gray had punched out Jamie Woods, the defensive lineman. One Devil gunning for you was bad . . . but the girl with the blonde hair had three.
Not the girl with the blonde hair. Me. My pen tapped on my desk in a rapid rhythm as I waited nervously for the lecture to start.
This class I was Santo free, but one of their female friends was in it, Elise something or other.
She was classic high school bitchy, and I’d been fortunate enough to never be on her radar.
High school was over, but for the reigning bitches, they never outgrew those years of honing their skills of scorn and vapidness.
Jesus, I was turning into the bitch. For all I knew, Elise was really nice and volunteered at a cat sanctuary or something.
As I watched her hold her group of friends captive with her storytelling, though, I decided she probably wore fur, and if she was at a cat sanctuary, it was more likely that she would skin them for a new coat.
As I despaired internally at my cynical self, I turned my attention to my notepad and started to sketch out a new design for one of Wade’s new posters.
The band had written a new song, and Wade wanted a poster with the song in the design.
The song was called “Kiss Me in the Rain,” and I was debating how to get the song and the band’s name, Atticus Dawn, into the poster.
“Hi, can I sit?”
Looking up, I smiled in surprise at Shane. “Hi, I didn’t know you took this class?” I said as he sat beside me, and I turned to talk to him.
“Yeah, just for this semester.” Dirty blond hair, too long, but it suited him. Warm brown eyes, and today he had thick-framed glasses on. His polo shirt and long shorts were topped off with bright white sneakers. He was as far removed from country rock as I was from the Queen of Sheba.
“I don’t think I’d have recognized you,” I admitted as I looked him over. “You are completely different from the other night.”
“I scrub up well, you mean?” he teased with an easy smile. “Which do you prefer? College me or Atticus Dawn me?”
My laugh was light as I shook my head at his teasing. “You’re still you no matter what you wear.”
“Oh, so it’s what’s inside that counts,” he joked as he smiled down at the top of his desk.
“Bingo!” I gave a light clap of applause. “I was actually thinking of the new poster design,” I told him as I showed him my notepad.
“You’re so talented,” he murmured as he studied it. “It makes no sense to me that you don’t study art and design.”
“I’m not that good,” I protested slightly. “If I was, I would know how to make it rain . . .”
“Go out with me?”
I blinked as I looked up at him from my drawing. “Huh?”
“A date, with me, go on one?” Shane squeezed his eyes shut. “Okay, in non-Yoda, that’s will you go on a date with me?”
I hadn’t been expecting it. I mean, I knew — well, I thought I knew — that he liked me, but this was our second conversation? I wasn’t used to being asked out. I wasn’t sure of the etiquette. Did I just agree?
“Ava?”
“Um, yeah, sure.”
Shane smiled widely at me, and I shyly smiled back.
The door being closed brought my attention back to the front of the class, and I was unsure whether I was grateful there was no further conversation or disappointed.
After fifty minutes of purple prose, my head was weary and heavy.
Which I belatedly realized was the point of the lecture, but still, I think I needed an Advil.
Shane and I walked out of the class together, and at the walkway to my next lecture, he told me he was heading in the opposite direction.
“You still have my number?” he asked me as he reached for his sunglasses.
“Yeah, I do.” As he checked his phone to make sure that Mia had indeed given him my number, I noticed Jett and Ash walking toward the stadium.
Jett looked amazing; there was no other word for it.
His thick black hair was pushed back off his face, his shades hiding his eyes.
His head was held high, his broad shoulders were straight, his T-shirt tight across them, detailing his sculpted muscles.
His sleeve of tattoos caught my eye, and I noted how even in today’s intense humidity, he still wore jeans.
Ash was similarly attired, his usual drop armhole shirt displaying his muscles and ripped jeans.
Both wore dark sneakers, and both looked good.
“You heard the rumors?” Shane asked me with a curious look.
Nodding, I turned my attention back to him. “Yeah, crazy, right?”
“The life of the infamous,” he said, but I caught the bitter edge to his humor and wanted to probe more when his next words caught my question in my throat. “Hey, you’re blonde.”
No no no no no no. People can hear. “As are many.” Was it suspicious if I suddenly turned up tomorrow with my hair colored brown?
“True,” Shane said as he grinned at me. “So . . . you’re not the thief?”
“Err. No.”
“But would you admit it if you were?” His smile was wide, and had he not been so horrifically close to unveiling me, I would have laughed also. “Didn’t Wade say you’re a football fan?”
“I am. But not a Saints fan.”
“Oh.” Shane looked momentarily confused. “I’m only joking.”
“Yeah, no, it’s funny.” I pretended to look at my watch. “Well, I better scoot.”
“Yeah, sorry.”
As I turned from him, I walked straight into the brown-haired girl, Elise.
“Sorry,” I mumbled as I almost ran past her.
When I was far enough away, I turned back to see her talking to Shane, who looked far too relaxed and casual with a girl after just asking me on a date.
I didn’t miss her head turning and looking my way either before I rounded the corner out of sight.
I had a very bad feeling about this, and the feeling lasted all day.
* * *
Yet another night of restless sleep, and I woke up with a banging sore head and a temper to rival a bear who’s just found out some bastard ate his porridge.
“How are you feeling?” Mia asked me as she sipped her coffee.
“You’ve asked me five times,” I replied as I shoved my notebook into my book bag. “And for the fifth time, I’m fine.”
“You don’t sound fine.”
“How do I sound?” I asked as I picked up my own coffee cup and swallowed the contents in a few gulps.
“Irritable.”
With a snort, I kissed her cheek before I was out the door and heading to class.
I would have loved some fresh air to clear my head, but it was September, and I had zero chance of feeling fresh.
I needed more coffee. Maybe an IV right into the vein this morning would do the trick.
Checking my watch, I had time if the coffee shop was quiet.
Putting more speed into my steps, I walked with single-minded purpose to get more of my morning fix.
The line was stupidly long, but I’d stayed in it, and my caramel latte was in my hands and tasted like heaven in a cup.
With a deep gulp, I swirled the coffee goodness around my mouth before swallowing. Ugh, whoever said coffee was better than sex was obviously right. This was much more satisfying. I ignored my inner denial and the projected porn show in my head as I hurried to Leitch’s class.
All the coffee in the world wouldn’t have been enough to get me through the fifty minutes of hell he unleashed on me.
I wish I knew what his problem with me was.
By the time class was finished, I was emotionally and physically drained.
As I walked outside in a daze, my brain in danger of quitting for the day completely, I knew the only thing to get me to the next class was more coffee. Or watching Leitch drown . . .
Coffee. I needed coffee.
“Hey, can I have a caramel latte please?” I ordered, and as I stood back to wait, I looked around the coffee shop.
How I missed seeing Jett when I came in was a feat in itself.
His head was bent together with his brother and the girl who was sometimes with them.
I didn’t know her name, I just wished I had her legs.
She was beautiful and always looked out of place when I saw her, like she shouldn’t be carrying books with her in college, but instead, be on a runway somewhere or have her face on the cover of magazines.
Jett must have felt me looking as his head raised, and his angry eyes met mine. Quickly, I looked away, but not before I saw him hit Gray’s arm to get his attention. Hastily, I picked my order up, and with a glance over at them, I saw all three of them glaring at me now.
What the actual hell? My feet were not slow in getting me out of there.
I didn’t even know he was following me until I felt the hand on my arm before he jerked me to a stop.
“Dude, not cool!” I squirmed, trying to get out of his grip. Jett ignored me as he began to walk us across the grass. “Hey.” I tried to get his attention. “Hey!” My voice was louder, and I saw several people look our way.
“Shut up before I shut you up.”