39. Kai
Kai
“Last item on the agenda,” Hillary says. “The dean spoke to me this morning. She wants to encourage more physical donations this year, not just cash. Something to show that people actually give a shit about Riverside, not just their tax write offs.”
A bored murmur moves through the students clustered around the GAZ dining table. We’ve been at this for two hours, and shit’s getting stale as fuck.
Everyone here looks like they’d rather be studying calculus than dealing with the nitty-gritty of party planning. We dealt with all the fun shit at the last few meetings—lining up the DJs, making sure there were enough ‘party supplies.’
…I’m not talking about red solo cups.
This isn’t my first Rain Dance, and despite everything that’s kicked me in the balls so far this semester, I’m looking forward to it.
I might even leave Haven alone and concentrate on enjoying the party.
Yeah, who the fuck am I kidding?
Tormenting this girl has become my favorite pastime.
The entire time Hillary’s been droning on about fundraising, all I could think about is how I’m going to make Haven’s life a living hell.
Vaseline on her doorknob. Hiding her textbooks right before a test. Fucking with her laundry so she only has one outfit to wear.
Childish shit that’ll make her paranoid as fuck.
I’ll sign her up for every campus volunteer opportunity until she’s drowning in commitments. Heavenly can’t refuse them, not without looking ungrateful.
Spreading rumors will probably do the most damage, though.
Her and Rooke.
Maybe a pic or two of her sleeping in her car. Old news, sure, but it’ll stoke the fire.
Hell, I could go full scorched earth. Call in an anonymous tip about a student with a meth problem.
I know where to score that shit. I’ll plant it in her room, get her grant revoked.
Make sure she ends up exactly where she started—sleeping in that piece of shit car, giving hand jobs for grocery money.
But no. That’s too quick. Too merciful.
I want to savor this. Draw it out. Make her suffer in ways that leave no bruises for Rooke to kiss better.
Starting with letting everyone know exactly what kind of trash just moved into their pristine sorority house.
“Speaking of donations,” I cut in, the words a little muffled with my plastic straw in my mouth. I try to always keep a sucker on me. It’s probably the only thing that’s helped me quit cigarettes.
Fuck nicotine patches. Raspberry suckers are the way to go.
“Maybe your new sister has some ideas. You know, from personal experience.”
Haven’s eyes snap to mine, wide with alarm.
I rock back on my chair and grin. Widely. Showing all my fucking teeth.
“You’re from Riverside, right?”
I can literally see the blood draining from her face, but just as quickly, spots of color bloom in her cheeks. Panicked eyes narrow into slits.
“Yeah. Just like you, Kai.”
Jesus. The bitch has teeth.
I pretend I don’t hear her.
“Who better to tell us what the poor need than someone who probably dug through donation bins as a kid?”
Melissa leans forward to catch my eye, mouth opening on a protest, but I’m not done.
“What do charity cases like you need, Haven?” I stage-whisper, my sucker stick pointing her way.
She flushes, and just for a moment, I swear I can see those marks around her throat.
And fuck if that doesn’t make me hard.
I did that. Me.
Melissa stands so fast her chair almost falls over. “How dare you speak to one of our sisters like that?”
“Actually, Melissa?” Hillary leans forward, arms on the table, boxing in the impressively thick file she’s compiled for the dance. “Haven isn’t a sister. She’s not even a pledge.“
“That’s right, Parker,” I say, pocketing my chewed-up stick in favor of unwrapping a fresh new sucker. “Haven’s a rescue.” I pop the new sucker in my mouth, swirling it over my tongue.
That ought to do it.
But the bitch ignores me. Haven fucking ignores me.
She’s looking at Hillary, grabbing Melissa’s wrist and urging her back into her seat.
Yeah, I’ve heard this one.
Don’t feed the trolls, right, Haven?
I don’t eat scrawny mice like you. Hunger won’t drive me away from this bridge. I’m here to stay.
Unlike you.
“We could use some ideas, if you’ve got any,” Hillary says.
I purse my lips, flicking out my hands, giving Haven the floor. If she wants the spotlight on her so badly, then she must have it. She won’t come crying to me when she makes a fool of herself in front of everyone.
“Uh…yeah…I don’t have a copy of the list, but is there pet food on there?”
I laugh, but no one joins me.
Fuck, no one’s even looking at me.
“This is a charity event for people, not animals,” Hillary explains carefully, as if Haven’s IQ is lower than her BMI.
That kinda pisses me off. I never implied Haven was dumb, just poor. If Hillary doesn’t let up, she’s going straight onto my shit list.
“Riversiders love animals.” Haven has the fucking audacity to look over at me like she’s making a point. “Everyone I knew had a dog and shared a few cats between them and their neighbors.”
They laugh at that for some fucked-up reason. I cross my arms over my chest, gobsmacked by what the fuck is happening. When did my mangy church mouse turn into a show pony?
“Pet food is really expensive, so we—they buy the cheapest brand. That stuff’s so bad for the animals, they end up needing vet visits no one can afford.”
“And?” I scoff. “No shortage of shotguns down there.”
Now everyone’s paying attention to me.
Hillary even fucking gasps.
“Jesus, come on!” I throw my hands up. “It was a fucking joke.”
“Animal cruelty is a joke to you?” Haven snaps.
My mouth opens, but fuck it if all my words don’t dry up. If she’s talking about that fucking squirrel again, I swear—
“Actually, that’s an excellent suggestion.” Hillary points at Haven with her pen before making a note in her file. “I’ll add it to the next social media announcement.”
Haven’s eyes flick to Hillary. “Do you maybe know of a vet who’d offer some pro bono consultations?”
Hillary points at her with the back of her glittery blue pen. “I love it!” She scratches down something in her folder, then snaps it closed so fast I flinch. “Right. Meeting adjourned. Thanks everyone.”
I stay in my seat, glaring at Haven as she stands with the rest of them. She hangs back a moment, throwing the departing students a quick glance, and then leans her hands on the dining table, openly glaring at me.
Why the fuck does my cock twitch when our eyes meet?
“Next time you want to humiliate me, Kai, please try harder. That trailer trash bit is getting fucking old. I’ve been called worse by better.”
I scoff, but there’s heat moving up my neck, and I don’t like it one bit. It feels too much like, what, embarrassment?
Nah.
That’s not it.
It’s fucking need.
I recognize it by the way my fucking cock’s behaving. I open my mouth, but Haven’s not done yet.
“I should be thanking you, actually.” She flips her hair back with a flick of her hand, and stares down her nose at me. “That bullshit about donations gave me the perfect opening. Always tough to break the ice with a new crowd, but you made it so fucking easy.”
She pivots on her heel, popping her hip like she was born on a fucking runway.
“Yeah, well—” I call out after her.
Haven spins back, eyes wide. “Oh, and speaking of donations, should I ask Hillary to add something for you?”
“Me?” I croak.
If my dick wasn’t stealing all the blood that’s supposed to be going to my brain, I might have seen where she was headed. But all I can think about is how fucking hot Haven looks when she’s in full-on dominatrix mode.
Her rosy cheeks, her wild hair, her glittering eyes.
Jesus, how badly I want her to crawl into my lap right now and ride my dick raw.
“Yeah, Kai,” she says sweetly, strolling back to where I’m sitting. “I think you could use a new fucking personality, don’t you? I mean, aren’t you tired of still using the same one from elementary school?”
Fuck me, I like this new Haven.
I like her so much, it’s almost sad to think I’ll have to destroy her.
“Cute,” I chuckle. “But if we’re gonna talk about donations, how about that Land Rover outside? Didn’t know Rooke was such a fucking philanthropist. It was him that got you in here, wasn’t it? That why you’re so high and mighty all of a sudden? ‘Cos you got yourself a sugar daddy?”
I lean back, watching her face unravel. She opens her mouth, but like me, words don’t come easily anymore. I leer at her as her mouth squirms and her chest rises and falls with each furious breath.
“Sugar daddy?” she splutters out, too weakly to be anywhere near indignant. “How original.”
“What else would you call a dirty old man like that?”
Haven leans down, close enough that I can smell her. Something’s changed. She smells…expensive, nothing like the dollar store shampoo that smelled like artificial apples.
“Someone who gives a shit,” she whispers furiously. “And he isn’t old. But I guess when you have the emotional range of a toddler, everyone seems ancient in comparison.”
“At least I’m not spreading my legs for grades.”
“Because you’re too busy spreading your cheeks for daddy’s money.”
I stand up so fast, my chair topples over. “You watch your fucking mouth—”
“Or what?” She calmly steps back, the smile playing at her lips making my blood run cold. “You’ll choke me again? News flash, Kai. Some men know how to make women wet without making them bleed.”
“You’re playing with fire, Haven.”
“And you’re playing with yourself.” Her voice drops to a purr. “Every. Fucking. Night. While I’m in his bed, letting him do whatever he wants.”
Motherfucking bitch.
It’s so quiet, I can hear the blood boiling in my veins. So quiet, I clearly hear someone’s shoes striking the tiled floor as they head in our direction.
Thank fuck.
I was about to shove Haven against the fucking wall and force her to tell me exactly what the fuck Rooke did to her. And then do the same things to her, too, just to even the playing field.
“He’s using you,” I grate out, voice low enough not to carry to the nosy fuck lurking just outside my periphery.