Chapter 13 Ava #2
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” I wrenched my arm again, and still his hand held me in a punishing grip.
“I know exactly who I am. Tell me,” he looked down at me as we walked, “who the fuck are you?”
“Wh . . . what?” Digging my heels in, I made it so he had to drag me, and I really think he would have if he hadn’t heard the same sniggers I did from passing students.
He turned me roughly to look at him, his hand still tight on my arm. “Where were you Friday night?”
No! My horror froze me for a moment. “Where were you?” I countered glibly.
Sky-blue eyes now looked like a heavy storm was coming in. He was not happy. In fact, he looked kinda scary. This was not where I wanted to be. “Cut the bullshit.”
“I agree, you should.” I finally jerked out of his arm. “And I’ll bruise, thanks for that.”
“Where were you on Friday night?”
“Is it your business?” I snapped at him. Why did he want to know now? Had he figured it out?
“You’re her?” he asked me as he looked me over one more time. I didn’t like the fact that he was looking at me with barely concealed contempt. Maybe it wasn’t contempt, maybe it was astonishment? Either way, it was non-complimentary.
“I’m who?” I hoped that I sounded confused, curious even. I didn’t feel curious; I felt like I was three short seconds from a complete panic attack, throwing my coffee at him, and running very, very fast away.
“Fuck, it really is you.”
“If you’re so sure, then why are you asking?
” I tore my eyes away from his perfect, stupid face and looked out over the quad, desperate for an intervention and praying that I appeared indifferent, searching the faces of the other students in the hopes of seeing someone I recognized, someone who would save me from this embarrassment. Please, God, make him leave me alone.
“I can’t believe it would be you.” His hand dragging slowly over his face emphasized his growing horror at the realization, and I forgot that I was supposed to be appearing cool and casual, if not slightly irate. Instead, I felt nothing but mounting anger that he was being such a complete jerk.
Asshole.
“Wow.” I looked him over as coldly as he had looked at me. “You really do know how to make a girl feel special.”
“How the fuck did it even happen?” His eyes were narrowed in anger, and I knew that the longer I stood in front of him, the more questions he was going to ask.
Personally, any other time, I loved questions, but only when it was the right time, right place, and the right person.
Right here? Right now? This was not it.
I didn’t have enough answers to make me look good coming out of this.
Biting back the rapidly building hysteria inside me, I sent a quick silent prayer to the angels above to forgive me for the sin I was about to commit against caffeine, and then I actually did it.
I threw my coffee at the star quarterback of my college’s football team.
Catching him by surprise, I took the opening, and turning, I sprinted across the campus grounds like the Devil was nipping at my heels. Because he was, and he was gaining on me . . . fast.
Ignoring the catcalls and the shouts of encouragement as he chased me across the campus green, I savagely cursed myself for being a couch potato and not a fitness freak as I felt my lungs scream in protest at the sudden unwelcome exercise.
Strong hands grabbed me, and I was half-carried, half-dragged into a building and thrust into the first room he came across.
Thankfully, it was empty, so no one would see my humiliation.
“What is your problem?” I demanded as I turned and realized it could be that he was wearing my caramel latte on his white T-shirt.
“You bitch.” Jett stepped toward me, and on instinct, I backed away as he advanced. “No, you don’t fucking run.”
The door opened, and I turned in hopes that someone had come to save me from whatever the hell was going on, but instead, Gray came in. Closing the door behind him, he leaned against it, folding his arms, his unfriendly glare telling me there was no help coming from him.
“What’s going on?” I asked them as I tried to keep my voice calm.
“Why did you do it?” Jett demanded.
Seeing no compassion from Gray, I turned back to look at Jett. “I don’t know what you mean.”
His fist came flying past my head and met loudly with the wall behind me. I flinched. He didn’t. His body was mere inches from mine, and I didn’t dare look up at him.
“Tell me why and who gave it to you.” His voice was low and sinister.
I was either going to throw up or faint. I think he’d seen enough of me throwing up, and I wasn’t sure he would take kindly to me passing out either. “I’m sorry, I don’t know what you mean.” My voice cracked as I stared at the tattoos on the arm that caged me in.
“Ava?” he asked. “That’s your name?”
“Yes,” I croaked. Great, he only learned my name today? I felt cheap.
“Tell me what I want to know, and I won’t make this worse.” His voice was cold in my ear.
“It gets worse?” I tried to joke. I heard Gray’s sharp inhale, I felt Jett press closer, and for the gazillionth time in my life, I wondered what possessed me to speak before I thought.
“Why?” He drew back slightly so he could look down at me. “Who gave it to you? What did you have to gain?”
I knew I looked confused because I felt confused.
“Why what? Gain what? Why did we . . . have sex?” My face flamed, but this was too intense, and I needed to leave.
Now. “I dunno. Why do most people have sex? It felt like a good idea at the time?” I suggested wildly. “Why do you normally sleep with girls?”
A hand wrapped around my throat as he tilted my head backward to look at him. Furious eyes met mine, and I should probably have been grateful he was holding me up, even if it was by my neck.
“You’re hurting me.”
Jett leaned closer, and I forgot to breathe as I felt his hate envelop me. “Hurting you? I’m going to destroy you.”
He shoved me away from him, causing my head to bang off the wall as he stormed past me and left.
Silently, Gray met my stare. With a quick glance over me, he followed his brother out of the room.
My knees gave out as soon as the door closed behind him, and sliding down the wall, I brought my knees up to my chest. Tears ran down my face as I dropped my head down onto them.
I don’t know what he thought had happened, but I knew I was in deep shit, and I had no way of knowing how to get out of it.
What did he even think I had taken? Wiping my eyes, I shakily got to my feet.
There was only one thing I could do, and that was to find out.
Even if it meant I had to talk to him again.
Not knowing if I would survive another encounter with him, I left the classroom.
One thing I was sure of — it wouldn’t be today. I wasn’t that reckless.