Chapter Three
I make it to the library and slowly move through the aisles of books and over to my favourite chair, hidden at the back and surrounded by shelves that block me from the view of the other students.
Just how I like it.
As I get to my chair however, I notice someone is already sitting there.
I seriously can't catch a break. I'm about to turn back around and try to find a different secluded spot, when the guy stands up and turns around to face me.
I audibly gasp as I take him in. He has a lean but strong looking body similar to a swimmer, black well-loved Dr. Martens are on his feet, black jeans encase his long legs and a ribbed white tank stretches across his muscular chest with a black and white plaid shirt over the top.
He has a slimmer face than Jax and Hunter with high cheek bones and a square jaw.
His lips capture my attention next, the twin piercings making me wonder what they would feel like pressed against my own.
His dark red hair can only be dyed as it's such an unusual colour but it surprisingly suits him.
It's shaved short on either side with a longer section on top that sweeps down into his gorgeous, grass green eyes.
Fuck me, where have all these gorgeous guys suddenly come from? I don't think I can take much more of this!
"Fucking hell," he breathes out suddenly, making me look at him curiously, "you are fucking beautiful."
I look behind me to see who he’s talking to and to get out of their way, feeling a pang of jealousy for whoever gets this gorgeous stranger’s compliment but squash the feeling quickly, I have no right to feel jealous.
He’s not mine. He chuckles and it sends tingles racing through me as I turn back towards him not seeing anyone behind me and wondering if maybe he's not all there in the head.
He can't have it all right? Looks and brains?
"I meant you, Beautiful Girl.” He states looking directly at me with a wide grin. My cheeks instantly colour, he's the first person to ever call me beautiful.
"Thank you." I say shyly.
"You're more than welcome, Beautiful Girl!" He says, his eyes twinkling at me. "I'm Kai.” He introduces himself quickly as if sensing that I’m a flight risk.
"Sage." I reply, not being able to stop from smiling back at him, his smile is infectious.
"Come on.” He grabs my hand and I flinch. Unfortunately, it’s become my body’s automatic reaction to being touched since I’m always expecting pain.
Please don't let him have noticed.
I don't dare glance up at him to check. After being tense for a few seconds I slowly relax, his warm, slightly calloused hand engulfs my tiny one sending sparks of warmth up my arm.
I'm surprised to realise that I actually really like holding hands with him.
We are out of the doors to the library and halfway down the corridor before it occurs to me that I have no idea where we are going.
"Um, where are we going?" I ask. Glancing up at him, he smirks cheekily down at me.
"We're going to lunch.” He states.
I gape at him; did I just get invited to sit with someone at lunch in a roundabout kind of backwards way? He chuckles lightly at the confused face I’m certain I’m pulling right now. I duck my head to hide behind my hair, I have never blushed so much in my damn life.
It’s getting annoying.
We walk into the cafeteria and he pulls me over to a table in the middle of the room. At least I'm guessing it's the middle of the room, I'm still looking at my feet.
"Sage?"
I know that deliciously deep voice.
I glance up to find Jax looking at me, a smirk on his handsome face.
Timidly, I return his smile then glance around at the rest of the table.
Of course, they'd all be friends. Gorgeous people attract gorgeous people, it's how it always works.
I spot Hunter leaning back in his chair his arms crossed over his massive chest and a glare decorating his handsome features.
It's not nearly as intimidating as it was the first time we met.
"Hey Jax and Hunter." I say quietly tucking my hair behind my ear and stand up straighter.
See I'm a bit odd like that, the more I feel comfortable around someone the more I come out of my shell.
I become confident, sarcastic and swear like a sailor.
Somehow, despite my best efforts even with only brief encounters between us, I am already becoming more comfortable and less shy around them.
As I continue to glance around the table I spot two new faces staring at me curiously.
They are completely and stunningly gorgeous.
In fact, they both have similar facial features as Kai, although that’s where the similarities end.
Leading me to believe that they must be brothers, possibly even triplets, since they all look about the same age.
The one on the left, although still lean, obviously works out at the gym daily. He has sandy blond hair that's cut close to his head and his eyes are more of a stunning pine green colour, than Kai’s grass green ones. He looks more serious than Kai.
The one on the right has a swimmer build closer to Kai's, the same sandy blond hair as his brother but his is wavy, shoulder length and left loose. His eyes are a stunning green gold colour and completely unique; he seems quite laid back and is grinning lazily at me but holds a level of authority about him that most people wouldn’t pick up on.
Kai starts almost bouncing up and down beside me.
"You know Hunter and Jax?"
I'm not even fully nodding before he's continuing excitedly making me grin.
"Awesome, have you met my other brothers?"
My grin falters slightly, other brothers? I glance back at Hunter and Jax. Nope there are absolutely no similarities, they are both shooting matching warning looks at Kai, who rubs the back of his neck in a nervous gesture.
"We all grew up together so Hunter and Jax are like my brothers.” He explains.
I feel like there's more to the story than that, but I have just met them. I’m not going question them, if they wanted me to know they would’ve told me.
"Anyway, these are my brothers Maverick and Levi." Kai gestures to the other two.
Maverick is the more muscled one and Levi is the one with the unique eyes. I send them a small smile.
"Want to sit down Titch?" Maverick asks me.
I raise my eyebrow at the nickname.
"You're just so small I thought it fit.” He smiles at me, shrugging, as I sit down next Hunter and opposite him and Levi.
Everyone pulls out their lunches and starts to eat and I sit listening to the easy banter and friendship between them, wishing that I could have it too. Maybe one day.
Levi glances up from his meal and points to the table in front of me. I frown at him not understanding.
"Are you not eating?"
All the guys stop eating to look at me, small frowns on their faces.
"Oh, I'm not hungry." I state, glancing away and hoping that my tone is as nonchalant as I was aiming for. The truth is, I couldn't waste what little food there was in the pantry to make lunch this morning. I need to save as much of it as possible.
"Are you sure? You can have my chips if you want or I can get you something from the cafeteria?" Jax asks me, his frown deepening like he somehow knows I’m not telling him the whole truth.
I catch them all sharing a look over the top of my head, seemingly having a silent conversation that I'm not privy too. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed again, like they are getting too close to asking questions I don't want to answer.
They all seem to be a lot more observant than any of the other people I have tried to make friends with before.
Not that I want friends it's too dangerous, I need to keep reminding myself of that.
For some reason, though it's a lot harder to remember the reason why I can't be friends with these guys, I keep feeling myself being drawn towards them.
Wanting to escape I get up quickly grabbing my bag.
"I have to go to class, I need to talk to my teacher before the lesson starts, thanks for letting me sit with you.
" I say in a rush barely taking a breath before I'm running out of the cafeteria and not noticing the death glares the other girls are shooting at me. The same girls that I’ve been invisible to for the last three years.
I walk down the hallway deciding to walk around for the next twenty minutes until class starts.
As I'm walking, I silently berate myself.
They definitely think I'm weird now and won't want to talk to me anymore, let alone be my friend.
I know that's what I said I wanted but I'm so lonely.
I'm just so sick and tired of being by myself.
I want a real friendship and I think these five guys could be that for me.
I feel like I keep talking in circles, my mind constantly skipping from one decision to the other.
Never fully committing to either letting them in and trying to be friends or keeping them at a distance for their own good.
As I walk around the corner, I notice the same group of popular girls that I saw this morning with the two girls that were talking about their Imprint Tattoos.
I start to walk around them when one of them shoots their hand out and grips my arm tightly.
"You need to let go of my arm right now." I say in a deathly calm voice.
I may be quiet and yes men do scare me, that’s a fairly recent development thanks to my dickhead ex. I know that if I wanted to, I could defend myself against my mother, but I don't want to hurt her. I can't do to her what she does to me. I don’t want to stoop to her level and end up like her.
Despite being quiet and shy, unless I’m comfortable around someone, I don't let people walk all over me. I put up with enough crap at home so if anyone tries to pull the same shit anywhere else, I stand up for myself, I will not be walked all over.
Shock covers blondies face temporarily before it morphs into an ugly smirk.
"What are you going to do, skank?"