by J. L. Beck
“Don’t fucking talk to me, don’t wave at me, don’t even breathe in my direction and definitely don’t call me Remmy! My name’s Remington. No one calls me Remmy anymore, especially not you,” he barks, exhaling a ragged breath, his gaze darkening.
“Just stay the fuck out of my way, and away from me. I want nothing to do with you.”
His dig about me not being his friend snaps me back to reality, and suddenly I’m angry too, more than angry. “You can’t possibly still be mad about something that happened three years ago,” I huff, bitter laughter on the tip of my tongue.
He takes a step forward, his body looming over me, his eyes are dark, so dark they almost appear black. I’ve never been afraid of him, never in my entire life, but right now, there is something so unnerving, so intimidating about him that I almost want to make a run for the door.
“Oh, believe me…I’m not angry. I never even cared about you. I was glad you moved away, that I was finally rid of your whiny ass. I only ever hung out with you because of Jackson,” he sneers, grinning down at me and I don’t think he even knows how badly his words hurt me, he couldn’t, he doesn’t know what happened to my brother.
The reminder of my brother is more than I can handle at this moment, the wounds of his loss still fresh, still raw. I can’t do this with him, not without having a mental break down. I shove past him and pull the door open, thanking God he doesn’t try and grab me.
I can barely see where I’m going as I speed walk down the hall, running into several people on my way out. I have to get outside…I need some fresh air. I feel like I’m suffocating, my lungs deprived of air, no matter how many times I inhale and exhale.
Once outside, I force air into my lungs, breathing in and out a couple of times to stop the panic attack that was on the fringe of coming.
Hugging him was a bad idea, talking to him probably even worse of an idea. I was wrong to think that he wouldn’t hold a grudge from that day. I was hurt, torn up over losing him, over the things he said, but I never would’ve treated him the way he just treated me.
Pressing a hand to my chest, I push away the thoughts of my brother and father. Losing them was hard, and the only reason I’m here now. Never in my wildest dreams would I have suspected Remington would be here too. I thought he’d get as far away from his family as he could, and yet he stayed right under their noses.
Pulling my phone from my pocket, I check the time. Shit! My little conversation with Remington put me behind and now I’m going to be late for yet another class. I shove my phone back into my skinny jeans and start running across campus. My next class isn’t nearly as far away and by the grace of God, I somehow make it to the classroom only a smidge late. The teacher is already talking when I walk in and of course, just like in the last class, all the other students are quietly sitting in their chairs.
All eyes are on me as I try to sneak into the room and find a seat. My cheeks heat at all the eyes scanning over my body…It’s the middle of the semester, so anyone who is new is going to draw attention, at least that’s what I tell myself so I don’t spend the entire day feeling self-conscious.
I sit down in the first free seat I find, trying to gather my thoughts enough to at least listen to what the professor is saying. I pull out a pen, and notebook, and ready myself to learn.
“Tough day, huh?” someone whispers beside me. Turning my head, I lock eyes with the guy next to me. Do I really look that exhausted? I eye him curiously. He’s attractive in that all-American boy way, definitely nothing like Remington, that’s for sure. I push that thought away. I shouldn’t be comparing anyone to that asshole.
“Yeah, you could say that,” I answer, giving him a small smile before turning my gaze back to the front of the room where the professor starts to draw a diagram on the board.
“I’m assuming you’re new here since I’m sure I would remember seeing such a pretty face in this class.”
“Thank you, and yes, I am new. Is it that obvious?” I wipe a strand of hair from my forehead and watch as the guy scans my face.
“Not really, but like I said, I’m sure I would have noticed someone as attractive as you walking into class.”
I give him another little smile, not wanting to be rude, even though I don’t care for his compliments an awful lot, especially not after the day I’ve had so far. I open my book and try to concentrate on the material in front of me, but I just keep replaying all the horrible things Remington said to me. It’s like my mind wants to torture me, making me relive that moment over and over again.
I thought maybe, just maybe he would be happy to see me, whenever we saw each other again but I thought wrong. Still, even if he didn’t want to see me, I didn’t expect him to treat me so shitty. I’m so engrossed in thinking about Remmy that I almost don't notice the guy beside me staring. Why is he staring at me? Is there something on my face?
Tapping my pen on my notepad impatiently, I wait for the class to be let out. I try to ignore the feeling of his eyes on me and focus on the board for a few more minutes. The professor says something about an assignment he’ll be sending to our emails, and then everyone starts moving, shuffling out of the classroom. I blink, slowly realizing I just daydreamed through an entire class.
“It’s Cole, by the way,” the guy who has been staring at me for at least the last ten minutes finally says. He holds out his hand right as I stand and like the people pleaser I am, I take it, shaking it. I know it’s a strange thing to do, but I’m old-school like that. He oozes confidence that’s almost contagious.
“Jules,” I tell him as he holds on to my hand a moment longer than necessary, bringing it to his lips as if he’s some Romeo. He plants a soft kiss to the very top of it, and I shiver a moment before he releases me.
“Jules. Mmmm, that's a beautiful name.” He smiles, showing me his perfectly straight, white teeth. “Would you like to come to a party tonight, Jules?”
I clutch my notebook to my chest and consider his question.
Would I like to go to a party? It probably wouldn’t be a bad idea for me to go, to get out and socialize but after the day I’ve had, I think I’ll pass.
“Oh, no, thank you. I just moved here. I haven't even unpacked yet and I need to catch up on the classes I’ve missed. Homework doesn’t do itself.” A bubble of laughter slips past my lips and I realize just how dumb I sound. This day has gone to shit, and truthfully, I just need to go back to my room, lay down and read a book. There’s nothing that a good book can’t cure.
“Sounds like coming to a party is exactly what you need if you ask me. You look stressed and like you might need to relax for a few hours. Find something to distract you from all the craziness.” He pauses briefly, his green eyes moving to my lips. “You know, forget about your problems?”
Relax? Find a distraction?
Maybe he is right, maybe I need to do something to distract me.
“I’ll think about it.”
“Cool. Let me give you my number. You can text me if you decide to come. I’ll send you the address.” I chew on my bottom lip for a moment, a nervous habit of mine. Do I really want to give this guy my number?
In the back of my mind I know I should do it…I’m young, and new here, how the hell am I going to make friends or enjoy college if all I do is stay in my room? If I don’t give my number out, or hang out with anyone? What do I have to worry about? Deciding against the paranoia, I decide to give him my number.
“Sure.” I smile, and pull my phone out, watching as his eyes light up. A warm feeling tingles through me as he rattles off the number and I type it into my phone. Then I send him a quick text with a smiling emoji so he knows it’s me.
“Thanks, Jules, and seriously, consider coming out tonight. I’ll introduce you to everyone, show you the ropes.” He winks, and I find myself grinning.
It’s so strange to smile and laugh when I feel like I shouldn’t be.
“Alright, Cole.” I bat my eyelashes at him, and we walk out of class
together. It almost feels normal to be talking to a guy. Up until today, I never really took notice of men.
Not that I didn’t notice them, but more like I kept them at arm’s length. Losing Remington killed me and pushed me to focus on nothing more than my grades. Love, boys, relationships, totally out of the question. At least until now.
“Where are you headed?” Cole questions as we walk down the sidewalk.
“I’m just going back to my room for a couple of hours. My next class is at two,” I divulge. The sound of laughter ahead catches my attention and I lift my gaze, my eyes landing on a group of guys, four of them to be exact, one of them being Remington. My feet feel like cinder blocks and I stop dead in my tracks, while Cole continues walking forward until he realizes that I’m no longer beside him.
“Jules?” He says my name like he’s been saying it his whole life. His eyes move between me, and where I’m looking. Remington’s gaze is fire and fury, and I can feel it penetrating my skin, looking right through me even from this distance.
“Uhh yeah, what’s up?” I force my gaze back to him, avoiding Remington’s stare at all costs. Cole continues looking at the group of guys, and it feels like he’s piecing something together in his mind, then he blinks, and looks back down at me, a smile on his lips.
“Text me, okay?” he asks and I nod, watching him walk over to the group of guys.
For a moment I just stand there staring, my eyes bleeding into Remington’s. Eyes that I remember being filled with so much happiness and excitement…eyes that belong to someone that I thought would be my best friend forever, and maybe lover?
Shaking my head, I tell myself to let it go, before releasing a sigh. Then I turn around, deciding to take the long way around campus, and back to the house I share with the two other girls that go to school here, two girls that would probably die if someone like Cole looked at them. Two girls that aren’t me.
I thought going to a new college would be rough.
I never expected Remington to be here though.
3
Remington
Seeing her with Cole Robson shouldn’t have bothered me, not really. So why the fuck did it feel like someone was stabbing me in the heart over and over again with a fucking fork? I tried to ignore the pain, but it was far too noticeable, and that only annoyed me more.
Knowing she’s here, at North Woods, at my fucking school, irritates me beyond belief. I want to tell her to leave, to turn the fuck around and go back to wherever she came from, but I won’t. Instead, I’m going to do the next best thing and make her life a living hell.
The odds of me getting her to leave town on her own is slim to none, but if I push her, force her out of this town with tear-stained cheeks I doubt she’ll return ever again.
The music from the party downstairs vibrates through the walls and the floor. Fuck, the frat house is packed tonight. Alan sure spread the word about tonight. The first huge party of the semester and we were going to do our legendary bet tonight.
“Heard you fucked Layla again?” Thomas nudges my arm. Fucking the same woman twice wasn’t really my thing. I rarely ever had sex with the same woman, however, there weren’t a lot of women as good at blow jobs as she was. Still, I hadn’t had sex with her more than once. If she referred to blow jobs as sex, then that was all her doing.
“I didn’t fuck her. She sucked my dick, there’s a difference,” I chide, taking a long pull from the bottle of beer in my hands. After finding out Jules was here...I’m going to need a lot more beer and a lot more pussy.
“Alright boys, you got your picks ready?” Cole questions with excitement handing out a stack of square pieces of paper and pens after setting the NWU hat in the center of the table.
“You know the rules. The girls must be present at the party,” I announce, giving Thomas a knowing look. He’s notorious for dropping names of girls into the hat that don’t even show up at parties, making it ten times harder to win. Not that winning gets you much of anything other than bragging rights, it sucks when you don’t get any pussy for six weeks though. I take another pull from my beer bottle, letting the cold liquid cool my heated insides.
“Shut up, Rem!” He rolls his eyes, taking a chug from his glass. I chuckle and write the first three girls’ names down that came up and talked to me, then I toss them into the hat. Kia, Thomas, Cole, and Alan do the same, and soon the hat is full of unsuspecting partygoers names. Names of women that won’t even realize how much their lives are going to be changing in the next six weeks.
“So remember, if she’s a virgin, you get more points. Anything other than sex isn’t fulfilling the bet. Winner takes bragging rights and doesn’t have to do any house party cleaning for the next six months. At the six week point, you have to break it off with her and let her know it was nothing more than a bet. If you can’t do it, or you fail to do it, then you forfeit your bet and lose.”
“Thank you for explaining the rules, Captain Obvious.” Though a refresher on said rules never hurt anyone.
Alan gives the hat a good shake, almost losing some pieces of paper in the process. A nervous kind of energy runs through me. Why the fuck do I feel so nervous? I have no reason to be...I’ve done this many times. Plus, it’s just fucking. Completely harmless, all fun.
One by one we each pluck a single piece of paper from the hat. I unfold mine in my hands, not caring for any dramatic splendors and stare at the name.
Fuck no! Not even fuck no. No way in hell. That can’t be right. She’s not even here, is she? I look up and around the group, thinking this must be a joke, but no one in this room knows about my connection to her so there is no way one of these assholes did this to be a dick. No, this is fate, karma kicking me in the balls.
I look back down at the paper, my hand shaking, hoping that maybe the name has magically changed in the last few seconds, but even after I blink, I see it hasn’t.
Jules Peterson is still the name scribbled in blue ink. I feel sick to my stomach. Not only did she ruin me once before, but now she’s reappeared back in my life to do it again. The muscles in my jaw jump as I try to figure out what the fuck I’m going to do.
“Who did you get, Rem?” Cole asks, frowning at me.
Apparently, he didn't get the girl he wanted either.
I turn the paper around and hold it up so he can read it.
“Shit! That’s who I wanted,” he whines. Who he wanted? For a moment, I think about what I saw this afternoon. Them walking together, her smiling up at him, seemingly happy. I should’ve realized what was happening then. It was obvious Cole was chasing tail, claiming her as his next conquest.
“Here, you can have her.” I flick the piece of paper at him and snatch the piece he’s holding in his hand.
“Fuck yeah!” He almost jumps from excitement. “This is going to be so fucking great. She won’t even know what hit her,” he snickers. “She’s already given me her number, getting inside those virgin panties shouldn’t be too hard now.”
A lump forms in my throat at his words. Virgin. No fucking way is Jules still a virgin. She might act innocent and even come off as pure, but there’s no way her cherry is still dangling between her legs. No. I can’t think about Jules and sex in the same sentence. Let him break her heart. She deserves it.
Frustrated, I stomp out of the room without even hearing what names the other guys drew. I’m fed up already, and she’s only been here one fucking day. Thrusting my fingers through my hair in frustration, I clomp down the steps, stopping when I reach the bottom of the staircase. I tip my beer back, emptying its contents into my throat before scanning the crowd.
Weak. She makes me weak. My eyes immediately seek her out, like she’s a magnet that I’m drawn to or something. It doesn’t take me long. Three seconds tops to find her golden blonde curls calling out to me like a beacon in the room. She’s wearing makeup, not much, but enough to make her eyes pop, and the same pair of skinny jeans from earlier, the ones that show off her perfect ass.
&nb
sp; An ass I’d love to sink my teeth into…
Fuck, why does she have to be beautiful, and perfect, and… No! She’s nothing to me. Trash, garbage, scum beneath my feet, that’s what she is. I take a couple calming breaths reminding myself that she’s the reason we’re here. She’s the fucking reason I’m the way I am. Shaking my head, I read the new name in my hand.
Cally Brice. I try to rack my brain, connecting the name to a face. Redhead, I think. I look around the room once more until I spot the girl I think is Cally.
She’s standing in the opposite corner of the room, away from Jules. Thank God, I need to be as far away from her as I can get. Cally spots me as I start to walk over to her, her eyes light up. She’s pretty enough, big green eyes, looking at me all googly eyed. This is going to be a cakewalk...I’ll have the bet won by tonight.
“Hey, Cally, right?”
She blinks at me like she can’t believe I just said her name. “Umm, yes,” she stutters, and I grin.
“You look beautiful tonight.” I lay it on thick, knowing just what to say to charm her panties off. I’m so good at it, the boys once told me I could charm the panties off a nun if I tried. I didn’t, in case you were wondering.
She tucks a strand of red hair behind her ear. “Thank you...it’s nothing really, just a little makeup, and…” Out of the corner of my eye, I spot Cole walking up to Jules. She’s smiling, and laughing, still having not seen me yet.
I warned her, told her I’d ruin her if she didn’t leave me alone, stay out of my way, and still, she found her way to my house, to my party, into the lion’s den. She’s got a brain inside that head of hers and if she was smart, she would’ve tucked tail and ran the other way by now.
Cole stands close, too close, leaning in to whisper something into her ear. Her eyes widen and she nibbles on her plump bottom lip that is painted red this evening.
Those lips, her hair, that fucking body. In my mind, I can see her writhing beneath me, her tight little cunt swallowing my cock. I’ve always wondered what she would look like as she falls apart, as she squeezes my cock with her tightness. Jesus. There’s a pounding forming behind my eyes, warranting the onset of a fucking headache.
