I cringed but then continued with making my sandwich. “Fair, but I don’t know many twentysomething-year-old guys who’d notice.”
“Twenty-one,” he offered. “And it’s not me who notices.”
He seemed to realize he’d given up too much information then because his lips tightened and he turned back to what he was doing: scrubbing the inside of the oven.
“Andrew really hates dirt and mess, huh?” I mused out loud. Based on the way Connor’s back muscles tensed beneath his tight shirt, I’d guessed accurately.
“He has his reasons.”
That was all he said, confirming my previous thoughts about a deeper reason for Andrew’s franklydesperate needto control everything, and I got the sense that he wasn’t about to go into any further details, even if pressed. “Why did you guys pretend to fight?” Because you had to give a pretty large fuck about someone to care this much for their neurosis. This was epicbrothers from another mothershit.
It was making less and less sense to me why they persisted with their enemies facade, and frankly, I was wondering if that cafeteria fight hadn’t all been a ploy to live together in this house without anyone knowing they were actually besties. But it wasn’t as if they didn’t have any pull in the school. Surely they could have roomed together and pretended it was under orders from the dean.
They certainly didn’t need to involve me to make it happen.
Connor’s full lips curled, and the look he shot me was downright furious. “You should mind your fucking business, new girl. You’ve already caused enough issues, and just because my gun is retired for the time being, doesn’t mean it’s gone completely.”
Dropping my knife, sandwich only half-finished, I must have lost my fucking mind because I took a step right into his chest. Slamming my finger against hard muscles, I barely stopped from wincing at how much that freaking hurt. “Are you threatening me, asshole? I could go to the police you know. No NDA stops you from doing illegal shit, and pulling a weapon on a person is fucking illegal.”
It surprised me when his anger was replaced with a mocking laugh. “Oh, you poor, delusional idiot. My family owns the police in this town. Fuck, in this entire state. Report me. See what happens.”
We were so close that I could smell the faintest sweat from his cleaning, mixed with expensive and spicy cologne. It was a potent combination, reminding me how attractive this dangerous lunatic was. My words were a whisper when I said, “Why do you hate me so much? To my knowledge, I’ve never done anything to you.”
I caught a flicker in his green eyes, which were the darkest shade of forest I’d ever seen. “It’s not what you’ve done now—it’s what you’re going to do. You’re trouble, Evelyn. The others might want to play happy families and pretend you’re not our downfall, but I know fucking better.”
I opened and closed my mouth, but I couldn’t actually find the words to reply. He’d stunned me. There was only one real reason I’d ever be a threat to them, and that was if they knew about the shooting and thought I might…I don’t know, bring the same situation down on his friends?
A super illogical sort of thought. It wasn’t like I’d asked to be attacked and almost murdered. I’d never asked for any of the shit in my life.
“If you stay out of my way, I’ll stay out of yours,” I rasped, emotions pressing down on me until it felt like my chest cracked. “We only have to make it through this term.”
“Deal,” Connor snapped. “Clean up after you finish your sandwich.”
He was gone before I could formulate a scathing response, but let it be known, in my head, I tore him to pieces.
My appetite was gone, but not wanting to waste food, I finished fixing myself lunch and grabbed a bottle of water to wash it down. It annoyed me to follow his orders, but I did clean up after myself and left the kitchen in what was fairly pristine condition compared to how it had been before.
Not wanting to stay in the house when Connor was still upstairs, I trekked back to school, heading for the cafeteria. By the end of this punishment, I’d be almost as fit as I’d been before the shooting.
Stepping in the crowded room, I looked around for Nina, but it was Brodie who I noticed first.
“Evie babe,” he called, waving me toward the table he was at with two other guys.
Deciding I could use a break from the darker side of life, I headed straight for him, and it was only when I dropped into the chair that I realized who the two guys with him were.
“Dexter Jays,” Brodie said, pointing to the Calvin freaking Klein model on his left. Dexter Jays was tall with a soccer-player physique. Muscled but not heavily so. His skin and hair were dark, but his eyes were olive green, adding to his striking looks. “And Hewie Macintyre.” Brodie motioned to his other friend. Hewie—with his purple-streaked blond hair, multiple tatts, eyebrow and nose ring—was a rock star.
Yep. World famous, multiplatinum-selling rock star.
Of course Brodie Keller would have equally famous friends.
“This is my girl Eve,” Brodie continued, slinging his arm around me. “You two can look but don’t even fucking think about touching. I’ll destroy you without remorse.”
My elbow swung back to slam into Brodie’s ribs, and justlike with Connor, I was fairly certain it hurt me more than him. The asshole basically laughed.
Dexter and Hewie stared at me, their expressions open and curious. “Ignore the idiot,” I said drily. “He’s punishment dished out by the dean. I’m here under duress.”
Brodie brought out his saddest face again, and to my annoyance, it still worked on me. “Evie babe, you are horrendous on a man’s ego. You’ve smashed me to pieces.”
