“What!” he yelled as he threw open the door. “Ew.” He wrinkled his nose at her. “You look sticky.”
“Do you have my schedule?” Hailey said in voice way nicer than she intended.
“Mmm—maybe...” He smiled with his nose in the air as he pulled an envelope out of his back pocket.
Hailey made a grab for it, but missed when he pulled it out of her reach. “That’s not funny,” she told him, trying to sound more mature than irritated, and Fin shook his head with a mischievous smile.
“Ask me nicely.”
“Give me my schedule.”
“You’re funny when you try to be angry.”
“Iamangry.”
“Really?” he said pointing at her chest. “Then why are you still hugging my note to your heart?”
Hailey whipped the note down and stuffed it in her back pocket. She hadn’t even realized she’d been holding it that way, which made her even angrier.
“I wasn’t—”
“—you were,” Fin sang, smiling and nodding and overly pleased with himself. “This isn’t your schedule,” he told her waving the envelope, and Hailey sighed.
“When will you finish it?”
“Come see me tomorrow morning,” said Fin, and before Hailey could protest, he slammed his door.
As she sulked toward the stairs, Giselle popped into the hallway out of nowhere, and Hailey ran right into her.
“Watch where you’re going,” Giselle spat, but Hailey didn’t hear her. She was too distracted by a gorgeous, dark-haired girl, who’d just passed them in the hallway, swishing her hips as she walked up to Fin’s door.
“Why do you care?” said Giselle, snapping Hailey out of a very unbecoming stare just before Fin invited the belly-dancer-walker into his room.
“What now?” Hailey smiled brightly at her roommate. “Are you actually talking to me?” she asked excitedly. Then her smile vanished. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s Aida,” Giselle informed her. “Pádraig sleeps with her a lot—she’s one of his favorites, and she’s in love with him, but he could give a shit.”
Hailey didn’t know what just hit her, and she stared with a blank face at Giselle. “Wha—I don’t—”
“—don’t lie.” Giselle grabbed her hand and pulled her down the stairs. “I saw you clutch your stomach. And all he did was kiss your cheek. But I don’t know why you entertain him—you clearly belong to Asher, and Pádraig only touches you to piss him off.”
“Belong…?” Hailey pulled her chin back, shaking her head. “I don’t—”
“You think you have something special with Pádraig, but that’s just his talent. Pádraig O’Shea makes every girl feel like they have something special with him—that’s why so many end up naked in his room. He’s just an asshole.”
Hailey suddenly missed the time when Giselle wasn’t talking to her and stared at the ground as they both walked outside.
“I thought you didn’t want to talk to me,” she said as Giselle turned toward the bookstore with Hailey.
“I don’t, but Asher scares me.”
“I don’t understand,” Hailey said, stopping mid-stride. “Did Asher tell you to talk to me?”
“No, he told me to make sure nothing happens to you.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means,” Giselle snarled as she plucked Hailey’s shirt away from her skin with her finger and thumb, “if somebody decides to kill you or maim you or scratch you or...or…” Giselle grimaced at Hailey’s sticky shirt. “Or coat you in goo, Asher will punishme.”
