The coffee shop is only a few blocks away and takes me no time at all to pick it up and return back to the dorm to check on her. I fumble with my backpack slung over my shoulders, being armed with two full hands of piping-hot coffee. I connect my Doc Marten with the door in a clumsy knock.
Clara’s grumbly voice rumbles through the door. “Go away!”
I chuckle. “Coffee delivery,” I chirp, knowing that’ll get her moving.
She’s ripping open the door in a flash, her blonde hair hanging loosely over her shoulders with a huge smile. Her big doe eyes light up, and she snatches one of the drinks from my grasp. She toes back over to her bed in her silky pink pajamas with a look of pure contentment.
“Feeling better?” I muse. I take a whiff as soon as I step inside of the room and frown. Of course his scent is gone. It was all my imagination. Why is he funneling through my brain?She sticks her tongue out. “I feel like total trash. That jungle juice was potent as fuck.” She wrinkles her nose and takes a sip of her coffee. Does she really not remember being given drugs? Maybe it was just the alcohol. I kick off my shoes and sit cross-legged on my duvet, clutching my coffee. “Clara, are you sure it wasn’t…well…maybe he gave youtoomuch?” I tread gently, knowing her drug use is a sensitive subject for her. I run my fingers along the ridges of the coffee cup.
She looks up and blinks for several seconds before teasing the rim of her own cup with her fingernail. Her face goes slack. “I know my limits, V. It wasn’t the drugs. Trust me,” her voice softens to a low whisper. Her drug use is something I will never be able to understand. Our worlds are entirely different; Clara didn’t come from money the way I did. Her family grew up poor. She worked her ass off for this scholarship. Sometimes, I forget how different we both are. I love her just the same though.
I set my coffee down and move over to her bed to cozy up beside her. My arms drift over her shoulders. “Hey, I never meant it like that,”
She picks at the label on the coffee. “No, I know,” she assures me with a forced smile.
I nod solemnly.
She has her own demons she’s working out. Most of the time she’s happy and full of fire, but when sensitive subjects are brought up, she shuts down, closes herself off from the world.She quickly regains her bubbly personality. “Soooo, last night I may have been out of it, but I was coherent enough to see that hottie you were talking to. Tall, dark, and handsome.” She wags her eyebrows and swivels to face me. “You forgot dangerous and deranged,” I start ticking off more unredeeming qualities on my fingers.
She slaps my arm. “Stop looking for reasons not to be interested. There was totally something there with that dark, brooding alpha male energy. I saw the way you looked at him.”
I wave her off and fly off the bed so I can pace around the room. “I’m not interested in dating.” I wave flippantly.
Her sharp eyes zero in on me. “You’re too much of a good girl,” she quips.
She’s right. My parents kept a tight rein on me. It wasn’t until college these last few months that I realized just how tight. Anyone else in my position would be eager to fly; to be free and go wild. Me on the other hand, I’m content in the life I’ve been given. Or at least…I think I am. I chug down the rest of my coffee; it burns my esophagus. Normally I take my time finishing it, but I really need the caffeine buzz to push through the rest of my studying. I guess there goes my power nap.
The next class comes up way quicker than expected. Clara is finally feeling good enough to make one of her classes, so we hightail it to the other side of campus. I know we are a few minutes late, but lucky for us Professor Brown doesn’t mind it. He’s one of the lax ones.
The hallways empty of students in record time, and soon we’re the only ones rushing around like chickens with our heads cut off. We giggle and chat about the upcoming Thanksgiving break as we shuffle towards the classroom. When we push through the double doors, all the air leaves my lungs, and my feet stay rooted in place as I instantly zero in on the back corner of the room.
It’s him.
Even without the dark, sinister makeup Iknowit’s him. He’s hiding behind an oversize sweatshirt with the hood up, but it’s definitely him. He seemingly sucks all the air from the room, greedily taking it like he owns it. I adjust my backpack on my shoulder and compose myself, or at least try to.
It isn’t often I show up to class. Isn’t my thing. Knowing I’ll pass regardless doesn’t give me much reason to give a fuck. Of course, when I saw my classes this semester and noticed we didn’t share any of the same ones, I had to rectify that. So, when I strolled into the dean’s office, his eyes almost bugged out of his head when I told him I would actually be attending my classes this semester. He must think I finally give a shit and will make something of myself, but I won’t. Never will. Easy enough to pretend though. He hadn’t even batted an eye when he found out I was requesting a class I don’t even fuckin’ need. All just to be closer to her this semester. My little songbird.
With the wheels in motion, I need to stay on track. The moment she steps into the classroom, her eyes find mine, and she looks like a deer in headlights. Doesn’t help that the rest of the class keeps staring and whispering.
Look at Insane Zain.The spectacle. The crazy fuck who finally shows his face in class.
At least they’re right. Everyone avoids me like the plague. Just the way I like it.
Kieran’s legs are sprawled out on the desk in front of him. His boots thud to the floor as he leans forward in his seat, motioning for the girls to sit with us with a wild glint in his eye.
Perfect.
Vesper’s eyes shift to the only empty seats in the classroom; the ones next to us.
Funny how shit works out. A slow smirk forms over my face, but I doubt she can see it with my face shadowed. “Please take a seat, ladies.” The professor motions towards the empty seats with an annoyed tone. She and her friend exchange glances before slinking over, and though she tries to avoid my gaze, I keep my eyes locked on her. Even though she can’t see me, she knows my eyes are glued to her. She’s covered today. Her black leggings shape her little round ass perfectly. She’s hiding those tits with an oversize white Calvin Klein T-shirt. Good thing too. Dirty thoughts of her are already running rampant through my twisted mind. Her friend takes a seat beside her, directly in front of Kieran. His lips curl into a smirk, and he leans forward in his seat. “What a surprise.”
Vesper looks skeptical. Don’t blame her after Kieran drugged her friend to the point she couldn’t fuckin’ walk. Now she’s on the defensive. Not to say she shouldn’t be. Now, I have to really play my cards right due to his stupidity.
“Vesper,” I draw out, trying her name on my tongue. She turns sharply in her seat to face me. Her heart-shaped face reminds me of a scared baby deer. Vulnerable. Her dark strands frame her face.
“Zain,” she says curtly. My name on her lips rushes blood straight to my dick. I let my eyes lazily track up and down her body. She gives me a quick once-over, snaps back around, and starts unpacking her bag. I lean forward out of my seat, elbows resting on the desk, the sweet scent of her shampoo fills my nostrils, and I inhale greedily. It’s a fucking shame such a beautiful creature will fall to rock bottom.
“You comin’ out tonight, songbird?” I whisper.
