My eyes slipped to Brax’s. He gave me one last long stare, and then his head turned in Kelsy’s direction. Kelsy must have sensed it because he looked over. Then he quickly turned away.
All during lecture, I felt Brax’s eyes on me. It made concentration more than difficult, which meant I’d have to go back over the notes I furiously scribbled for the entire class, and more than once. I’d already studied Homer’s Iliad in high school, but Professor Sentinel warned us his lecture would be very different. Despite that knowledge, my brain kept returning to the fact that the guy who had humiliated me in more ways than one was sitting across the class from me; the guy who had suddenly entered my life and felt like an inked knight in shining armor—or wolf in sheep’s clothing—was sitting protectively beside me. All I wanted to do was escape the past year, start my new college life and begin the shift to my career in studying the stars. How did it end up being all about Kelsy Evans? God, why couldn’t he have chosen a different school?
By the time Professor Sentinel wrapped up lecture, I’d started feeling cagey and wanted to escape. When he excused the class, I couldn’t help but notice how Kelsy grabbed his pack and darted for the door, which made me feel somewhat better. Maybe the challenging looks Brax threw him had paid off. Maybe Kelsy would give up and leave me alone. So what if he thought Brax and I were together? That could only be a plus, right? That’s all I wanted. Just to be left alone. I gathered my curriculum and textbook, stuffed them in my pack, and stood.
“Where are you headed next?” Brax said.
“Conner Hall.” I looked at him, at the strange color of his eyes, and the scars that marred his skin. “U.S. and Texas government.”
“I’ll walk you.”
As we stood facing each other, and relatively close, I realized how much of Braxton Jenkins there really was. He seemed to surround me. I put my hand on his inked arm and noticed for the first time that a rugged Celtic cross was one of the melded pieces of art tattooed into the myriad of objects. “I can walk myself, Brax. Honestly, I’m fine.”
Brax’s gaze drifted down to my hand, then he looked at me. Fury, like I’d seen at the restaurant when his friend Kenny had touched my hair, lit those blue eyes on fire. “I don’t like that guy, Gracie.”
I forced a smile, and shook my head. I was grateful for his concern, but I didn’t want it to become an issue between us. To be an issue would draw attention to the real thing, the real hidden issue, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. As Brax followed me out of the classroom, I threw him a goofy smirk over my shoulder. “I’m not helpless, you know. As a matter of fact,” we stopped outside the classroom, “I’m probably the least helpless female you’ll ever encounter. Besides,” I said, and lightly elbowed Brax in the ribs. “Kelsy is an arrogant idiot, but he’s not dangerous.” I lifted a brow. “You’re sure protective over a girl you barely know.”
“Brax, my man!” A guy wearing a Silverbacks ball cap shouldered into him. “Is this the Betty, bro?”
Brax’s eyes were still trained on me, even as he ignored his friend, who shrugged and walked off. Betty? I could tell by the way Brax’s jaw clenched he was completely ignoring his teammate and still a hundred percent focused on me, deciding whether to believe me or not. In the depths of his eyes I could almost see wheels turning as he thought things over. “I know you all right, Gracie. In case you missed it, I hate shady pricks.” He inclined his head. “But I’m still headed that way, so let’s go.”
“Not until you get that horrible mean frown off your face,” I said, and tugged my mouth up. “You’re scaring people.”
Brax’s face softened then, ever so slight of a shift that I was pretty sure only I could detect. “You’re so smart, aren’t ya, Sunshine?” A ghost of a smile pulled at his lips. “Come on, then.” Smaht.
We stepped out into the early morning Texas sun and blended with the other Winston students as we made our way across the dewy lawn. The air wasn’t sweltering, which was a good thing. At least every other person spoke to Brax. Some he acknowledged, others he didn’t. For some reason I couldn’t explain, his full attention was still on me. We were nearly to Conner Hall when we stopped, and he faced me.
“So you work tonight,” he said. “Wanna grab a bite after?”
“There you are!” a tinny voice said behind me, before I could answer.
Tessa rounded on me, giving Brax one of the evilest dirty eyes I’d ever seen in my entire life—and I’d seen plenty of them. “How was class?” she asked me.
I tried not to laugh at Tessa’s ferociousness. “Class was fine. Tessa, this is Brax Jenkins. Brax, Tessa’s my roommate.”
Brax turned that ghostly blue gaze on Tessa, and amusement made his lips turn at the corners. I stared at his side profile, watched the muscles pull in his jaw. “I play ball with your brother.” Brotha.
Tessa’s brows folded. “I know that. So Livvy,” she said, and dismissed Brax immediately. She half-turned, facing me and giving Brax the back of her shoulder. Behind her, he shook his head and smiled. “You’re coming with me and Marcie and Kelly tonight, right?” When I gave her a confused look, she lifted both brows. “Remember? You said you would?”
I’d said no such thing and Tessa knew it. When my eyes lifted to Brax’s, he cocked one brow and grinned. “I’ll pick you up after work, Gracie. See ya later.”
Before I could answer, he’d turned and began to swagger through the crowd, heading to his next class. He’d shut Tessa’s negotiations right on down.
“Gracie? What the hell’s he calling you that for?” Tessa asked. When I met her gaze, and gave her a little shrug, her brows knitted into a disapproving frown. “Seriously, Liv? You’re going out with that beast again?”
I shifted my backpack and gave my roommate an uncomfortable glance. “He’s been nothing but respectful to me so far, Tessa.” I glanced over my shoulder, then back to my roomie. “I’m not getting a sketchy vibe from him. Do you think he’s that good of an actor? Or possibly the rumors are wrong?”
Tessa’s frown deepened, and she shifted her weight. “I don’t know but the fact is you’d better watch it, Liv. Sincerely. People are already starting to notice Brax is all up in your biz. You’ll be the talk of Winston before you know it. Is that something you want?” She started walking, then looked back at me. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
I stared after my roommate for a few frustrated seconds, considering her words. While I tried to convince myself Tessa was over-analyzing the situation, I wondered if she was right. About everything. About nothing. Did I want to become the talk of Winston? Of course not. I wanted to go as unnoticed as possible. I highly doubted that would happen by going on friendly dinner dates with Brax Jenkins. So what to do? With a sigh, I jogged up the steps and found my next class.
U.S. and Texas Government was a breeze—especially since my grandpa Jillian had once been a Texas Ranger before he’d retired to busting horses for a living. He loved the law and had shared enough with me and my brothers that I’d actually liked the subject. Class was interesting to me, and the time flew by quickly.
As did the rest of the day. Intro Astronomy was a little repetitive for me but still perfect, and Noah Hicks had greeted me at the door with a wide, easy smile. Steven was there, too, and I grabbed a seat beside him. We basically went over the syllabus for lecture and lab, introductions, and since most of us would be taking a lab together, we chose partners; Steven and I signed up for that, too. Dr. Atwood started his first lecture with Basic Coordinates and Seasons. Steven had rolled his eyes at me and mouthed the words basic coordinates, and I’d stifled a laugh. Nerds, all of us.
Before I knew it, my classes were finished for the day and I was hurrying back to the dorm to trade my backpack for my telescope and camera. Noah had told me we could bring our own and take it to the platform after the observatory closed, which was something I’d been wanting to do since before arriving at Winston. In my room, I slung my scope bag over my shoulder, grabbed my truck keys and headed out. As I crossed the common room, a girl I hadn’t seen before stopped me. Long brown hair, wide brown eyes accentuated with heavy make-up. She was pretty. She grabbed my arm and smiled. Three other girls clustered around her.
“Hey,” she said. “Are you and Brax Jenkins together?”
My eyes flittered to all of them standing there, staring at me. “Uh, no,” I answered. “Just friends.”
Her smile broadened, and she looked relieved. “Okay. Just checking.”
She immediately turned and began a private chatter session with her girls, and I eased toward the door. What an awkward moment. That thought plagued me all the way across the parking lot, at how bizarre some people could be. Just as I unlocked the door and set my scope bag across the seat, a hand slipped over my hip, and I jumped.
“I’d almost forgotten what a sweet ass you have, Liv.”
My body jerked and I spun around to stare Kelsy Evans in the eye. His slow smile made my insides clinch. I took a breath in, and steadied myself. “Get your hands off me, Kelsy.”
9. Unwanted Attention
Inside, I was shaking. But fury gripped my muscles as I stared hard at Kelsy. “Now.”
He did let my h*ps go then, and held his hands up, palms facing me. “Chill, wildcat, chill.” His lazy smile settled on my eyes and he shoved his hands into his pockets. Then he let out a big, exaggerated sigh. “Come on, Liv. We got too much history to be like this. Quit acting all Ice Queen on me, now.” He ducked his blond head, to catch my averted gaze. “Talk to me.”
That cagey feeling returned, and I hated it. I hated the way Kelsy made me feel dirty, like I’d done something wrong and was being an ice queen. Was he that oblivious to what he’d done to me? Or had a year dimmed his reality? I forced my breath to even out, so I wouldn’t seem as scared as I really was. I looked at him, tilted my chin up. “There’s nothing to talk about, Kelsy. You have a whole college full of girls to talk to.” I put my hand on the door handle, and he stilled my movement with his hand over mine.
“Don’t you run, Olivia,” he warned. His face had reddened, and his brows were now knitted together into a frown that transformed his golden boy athlete looks into a monster. In my eyes, anyway. “Don’t you be some ice queen chickenshit runner like you were our senior year. Talk to me, goddamit! I don’t want to talk to other girls.” His head drew closer. “Just you.”
His raised voice sent my hackles up, and I snatched my hand away from his. Several people crossing the parking lot noticed, too, and stared in our direction. “This conversation is over, and I’m leaving now. I ignored you during our senior year for a reason. Go away, Kelsy.” I hopped up into my pick-up and glared at him. “I mean it. Don’t bother me again.” Memories of that last year in high school flashed before me like a bolt of lightning with pictures. Kelsy had secretly hounded me, begged me to take him back. But in public? In front of his peers, others? He’d treated me like dirt. Like I had done something wrong to him. God, Jesus, I’d thought it was all over.
Kelsy’s face darkened, then he barked out a harsh laugh. “You’re letting him f**k your brains out, aren’t you, Liv?” A small grin curled his lips. “That tattooed loud mouth thinks he’s a badass prick in our class. That’s why he’s panting around after you, huh, like some f**king hound dog?” He slammed my door, and I jumped in my seat, but he drew his face close to the glass. “He doesn’t know you like I do. What that dumbass ring really means. What a f**king ice bitch you can be, does he, Liv?” Kelsy laughed as I turned the engine over. He pounded my window with his fist. “He will. Soon.” Then, he cursed, kicked at the ground, and looked at me. Just that fast, his mood shifted. No longer angry, his features sagged, as though saddened. He’d done the same thing in high school, when no one was around. It was as if he had a split personality, and it was scary as hell. “No, wait. Olivia, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, you make me f**king crazy is all. Liv, turn off the goddamn truck. Olivia!”
Without another look I threw the truck into drive and Kelsy punched my fender as I sped off. My heart slammed against my ribs, and my breath came in harsh puffs as I hurried out of Oliver Hall’s parking lot. I didn’t glance behind me, not once. I knew Kelsy stood there, staring in my direction. I had every single line on his face permanently etched into my brain, going from fury to forlorn, and no matter how hard I tried to purge both, his image wouldn’t fade. Wouldn’t go away.
Neither would the memories.
A sob crept up in my throat, and God, I wanted to let it out. Scream. Cry. Dirty swear to the top of my lungs. But I didn’t. I felt trapped, foolish, running away from Kelsy Evans yet again. Like a coward. I couldn’t escape him. I’d thought big, bad ass thoughts when he wasn’t directly in front of me. I became strong, brave, untouchable, when alone, or with my family. But now Kelsy Evans was here, I was alone, and he was poking around in my brand new life. Touching me. Cornering me. Threatening to let my secrets out. Then every ounce of bravery I thought I possessed flowed out of me like a bloodletting. Kelsy wasn’t a serial killer. But he was definitely unbalanced. What did he want with me? Why me? He’d always had a temper but his behavior seemed crazy and uneven. This was my life, my college career. My scholarship. The first day of class. What the hell was I doing? I couldn’t continue to allow Kelsy to rattle me so badly. I needed to get a grip. And I needed to get it fast.