36. Mallory
CHAPTER 36
Mallory
I t’s been three days since Stryker showed me his face and told me his name.
We’ve spent nearly every moment together. I even did something rash and skipped classes yesterday to spend the entire day with him.
I never tire of looking at his handsome face. While I love his masks, I cherish his handsome face. And that fucking smile… his chiseled jawline… I’m obsessed.
I’m sitting in the back of the classroom, waiting for the professor, when an idea hits me. I pull up Instagram and type his name in the search box.
Oh my God. There he is.
My heart lurches as I see his profile picture. It’s the one he took of us yesterday at the lake.
His profile is private, so I can’t see his pictures. I hover my finger for a few seconds before clicking the follow button.
I immediately received a notification that he had accepted my request to follow.
Clicking on his profile, I look through his pictures. He’s wearing the purge mask in all of them except for the one of us .
I click on the one of him sitting in a chair, shirtless, wearing jeans and an orange purge mask.
“So hot,” I mutter.
“That’s one of my favorites, too.” His voice is in my ear, and I jump.
“Stryker.” I hiss, whipping around. “What are you doing here?” My heart thumps inside my chest like I just got caught doing something wrong.
He gives me a smug smile. “Watching you Insta stalk me.”
“I’m not Insta stalking you.” My eyes roam over him. “You look good in that blue hoodie.”
He stands, climbs over the seat, and settles beside me. “Thank you, little prey.” He plants a kiss on my lips, drawing the attention of several of my classmates.
When he pulls back, he smirks at me. “I need to point out I’m not the only one who stalks.”
I swat him, a laugh bubbling from my lips. “I’m not stalking. And what are you doing here? You’re not in this class.”
He grins. “I am today.” He tilts his phone so I can see it on his schedule. “I’m auditing the course for the day to see if I’m interested in being a prospective student.”
My brows furrow as I stare at him like he has two heads. “How did you manage that?”
He laughs. “I told you I have skills.”
Linking our fingers, I wink at him. “I can’t argue with that.”
The look he gives me lights my damn panties on fire. RIP to another pair of ruined panties.
“Nice of you to get me another tutor. How did you arrange that?” I stare at him with raised brows, amazed at the lengths he goes to for me.
He shrugs. “Not hard. I told you I have skills.” His lips are by my ear. “I’ll show you more of them later. ”
I shiver, an excited tingle going through my skin. God, I can’t wait.
“I’d like to take you to a fall festival this weekend.” Stryker has his arm over my shoulders, walking me to the coffee shop before I go to my next class. “You interested?”
“Of course.” I grin as Mandy runs to us, her eyes glimmering with interest as she looks from me to Stryker.
“Okay, I’ve waited long enough. Introduce me.”
I laugh, looking up at the handsome guy beside me. “Stryker, this is my bestie, Mandy. Mandy, meet Stryker.”
She holds out her hand, and he takes it. “The two of you are so cute,” she gushes.
Stryker chuckles. “She’s the pretty one. Makes me look better by being next to her.” He kisses my cheek, and I melt.
“Awe. I think you should marry this guy so he never gets away.”
Stryker tightens his grip on me. “I’ve been telling her that.”
“Stop.” I swat him, a huge smile on my face as I turn to Mandy. “Don’t encourage him.”
“Where are the two of you headed?”
“Coffee and then class.”
“Oh, mind if I tag along? I need some caffeine. I have a meeting with my group in the library in an hour.” She makes a face. “Group projects suck.”
“Tell me about it. There’s always one freeloader in the group who does nothing.”
“In my case, I have two like that. The other girl and I are doing all the work.” She shakes her head.
The wind blows, and I shiver against the cool breeze, my eyes on the vibrant colors of the maple trees .
Stryker pulls a sweatshirt from his backpack, putting it on me. I inhale his woody scent before I lean up on my tiptoes, my lips grazing the stubble on his chin. “Thank you.”
He winks. “You’re welcome.”
Mandy and I do most of the talking as we continue across campus. Stryker seems content to listen and hang on every word I say. I bask in his attention, not used to anyone giving me so much of it.
I always felt like a bother to my parents. A doll they’d pull from the shelf when it was convenient or beneficial to them.
Despite the happiness coursing through me, a nagging worry lies beneath it all.
Why do I feel something will happen to ruin it?