by J. L. Beck
“Please take a seat, Miss,” The professor scolds, annoyance lacing his words.
With my head bowed in defeat, I slump down next to Banks and open my text book.
“Can I join your harem, Harlow?” Banks asks, and I know he’s just being a dick, rubbing the rumor in my face. Using my elbow I hit him in the side, and smile when he lets out a low grunt, letting me know that he didn’t see that one coming. Caroline gives me a bewildered expression, and I wonder if she believes me or the rumors being spread?
Banks’ jaw tightens, and his eyes narrow as he leans down to whisper in my ear.
“Elbow me again and I’ll make a mockery out of you in front of everyone.” His warning makes me shiver and I can’t help but turn slightly, my gaze colliding with his. The need to ask him what he would do is almost too much. My mind imagining all kinds of things, all of which are wrong in every way.
There’s a hurricane of emotions swirling in those blue depths and I want to crack him open, spill all his secrets. Sullivan might have had my first kiss, but something tells me Banks will have my second.
A flurry of whispers fill the room and I realize people are looking at us, smiling, laughing and just like that I’ve made a mistake. I’ve fed right into the rumors being spread. The grin that spreads across Banks’ smug face tells me that was his point all along and suddenly I’m back to hating him and his brothers all over again.
Chapter Four
The first week of classes passes without another incident. Other than dirty looks and whispering everywhere I go nothing else has happened and, thank god for that. I have enough to deal with as it is.
I hate to admit it, but classes are harder than I thought. I had always had good grades in high school without even trying too much and I just now realize that it might have had something to do with my dad being a huge donor to school funding.
“How are you holding up?” Shelby asks, while I’m getting ready for a shower. I shrug. Really not sure what the hell I should tell her. Do I tell her about the brothers following me around? About the rumors? I’m sure she has already heard them.
“Everything is okay, I guess, I just imagined college would be different,” I admit. “I thought it would be the two of us having fun, spending our days doing whatever we wanted,” Shelby is studying art, while I’m majoring in social psychology. I knew we wouldn’t have a lot of classes together, but I didn’t expect to see her so little.
“I know the guys are getting on your nerves.”
“That’s the understatement of the year,” I scoff. “They just won't let up. I don’t know where they get the energy to be so annoying.”
“Oh man, that sounds bad.” She shakes her head. “I can’t believe I used to have a crush on Sullivan.”
“You did?” I can’t believe I didn't know that.
“Yeah, sixth grade, Miss Holli’s class.”
I shrug. “Well, don’t feel bad, everybody had a crush on him in middle school.”
“Yeah, I guess. Hey, listen, I’m sorry we’re not spending much time together, and I’m even more sorry for what I’m about to tell you.”
“Oh god, what is it? Is something wrong? Is your dad making you move back?” I don’t think I can take anything else right now. We might not see each other very much but knowing she is here, with me, it makes me feel better, not so alone.
“No, no, it’s not that. It’s just…” She seems to skirt around it, and the knot of anxiety in my gut starts to build. “It’s just… I got a paid internship at the local art gallery.” She finally mutters, head hanging low, as if she’s ashamed.
“Oh my god, Shelby! That’s great! I’m so proud of you,” I screech, lunging towards her and throwing my arms around her neck. “Wait. Why do you sound so sad about it?” She should be excited, jumping up and down, but instead she looks like one of those dogs in the animal shelter.
“Because it means that I’ll be gone even more. We will hardly see each other, and I know you need me right now. I’m being a bad friend. I should just decline the offer. I’m only a freshman and I don’t really need the money either.”
I start to shake my head, blonde strands of hair cling to my face.
“Oh, hell no. You will absolutely not! You will go and rock their world and show them how amazing you are.”
No way will I allow her to give something like this up, she deserves to have freedom too. I’ll survive, one way or another. She’s not going to sacrifice her happiness to be a human shield for me.
“Are you sure? I came here for you, and I don’t want to be that friend that skips out.”
“Yes, I’m sure. If you don’t go, I will make you.” I give her my best evil look which only makes me smile. She examines my face like she doesn’t believe me, and I narrow my gaze, seriousness overtaking my features.
“Okay! I’ll go,” she murmurs into my hair as she leans forward. I hold onto her a little longer before pulling away, missing the hug as soon as it ends. “They’re asking me to come in today so they can show me around, after classes I’ll head over there, and be back later tonight. Maybe we can get a later dinner together or something?”
“Yes, that would be great. And just so you know, I’m so proud of you. You deserve this. Now go and have fun. I have to take a shower anyway. In case you haven’t noticed, I stink,” I exclaim, fake smelling my armpit as I grab my shower bag.
Shelby pulls back completely, pinching her nose. “That’s what that smell is.”
“Hey, now!” I complain, giggling.
“Get out of here and get rid of that smell.” She teases. Slipping from the room feeling lighthearted and happy I head down the hall to the showers. That’s one of the many crappy things about living in dorms, the bathrooms are shared, and so are the showers.
I walk into the bathroom and find two other girls inside glancing at me like they are unhappy to see me. I’m not even in the shower yet and I can hear two girls whispering in the corner. I don’t know if they just don’t care or if they are making it obvious on purpose but it’s annoying as hell. All the rumors, and whispers are soul-sucking. I thought it would die down after a couple of days, but it seems the more I ignore it the louder the whispers get. The fact that one of the brothers is with me at all times just adds to the rumor mill.
Trying my best to ignore them I strip out of my clothes and set them down on the bench in front of the showers.
The sound of a door opening and closing meets my ears right before I slip out of my underwear and get into the shower stall, pulling the curtain closed behind me. Hopefully that was them leaving, as the last thing I want to do is deal with catty bitches after a shower. Fiddling with the water I wait till it turns hot and let the steamy water soothe my stiff neck muscles. As I wash my hair the silence inside the large room becomes too much and I start humming to myself.
Lost in the shower and the song inside my head, I don’t hear someone come into the room.
“What song is that, Princess?” A male voice echoes around me. I’m so startled I drop my soap and almost slip and land on my ass in the process. Thankfully I’m able to grab onto the shower curtain and steady myself before I do. With my heart racing out of my chest, and my eyes wide I stand there, shocked, and confused.
Fisting the flimsy plastic in my hand, I pull the curtain to the side just enough to stick my head out and find Banks standing right in front of my shower stall with a smug grin, and a mischievous glint in his eyes. Even though I’m annoyed, I can’t help the warm flush that works its way through me at the sight of him. He’s wearing a tight fitted T-shirt, and a pair of ripped jeans that hug his toned legs. He looks like he belongs on a magazine cover.
“What the hell are you doing?” I bark.
“Just checking up on you. Making sure you’re cleaning all the important spots.” His eyes roam over my curtain covered body and even though I know he can’t see through the blue plastic, I feel like he can. In the presence of the Bishop Brothers it’s like being under a microscope an
d right now I feel naked and exposed and the worst part is that I’m not embarrassed or appalled by it, not at all.
In fact, I’m curious, excited, and a little turned on.
Bad, Harlow. Bad. I internally scold myself.
“You want me to join?” he asks, a thick brown brow raised. His question making me gulp. Yes. Yes, I do. Wait… no… no I don’t. When I don’t answer him right away, he takes a step towards me.
“N-No… Please leave, you’re not supposed to be in here. This is a girls’ only bathroom.” I state the obvious, trying very hard not to imagine Banks stripping out of his clothes and stepping into the shower with me. Briefly I wonder which of the brothers looks better without their shirts on, who has the bigger…
“Whatever.” He shrugs, the blazing fire in his eyes turning to ice in an instant. “Your loss.”
“Get out, Banks, or I’m going to report you to the RA.”
“Oooo, I’m so scared,” he taunts.
We both know it wouldn't matter if I reported him. It's already obvious the Bishops are royalty at Bayshore. I wonder what kind of donation their parents gave the school, god knows new students, freshman at that, wouldn’t hold sway like they do.
Pulling the curtain shut all the way, making sure that there isn’t even an inch of space at the sides for him to peek in I finish washing my body, keeping my eyes on the shower curtain at all times. Eventually, I hear his heavy footfalls walking away from me, my heart beats a little more, but only when I hear the door open and shut does it steady to a normal rhythm.
I finish showering, shaving my legs, and washing my hair, before stepping out of the shower. I freeze when I look down on the bench where I deposited all of my stuff. Gone. My clothes are gone. My towel is gone. That asshole took everything.
I’m standing completely naked and alone in the center of the room, staring at the bench waiting for my stuff to reappear. Moments pass, water droplets still dripping down my body. When I am completely certain that this is reality and I’m not just stuck in a bad dream, I start going through the lockers, hoping, and praying that there is something to cover myself with. At least so I can get to my room.
When I get to the twentieth locker I finally find a towel. It’s small, old, and smells horrendous, but it’s better than nothing. I don’t dry my hair. I just wrap the nasty towel around my body and head back to my room. The scratchy thing is so small it barely covers all my lady parts.
By some kind of freaking miracle no one is in the hallway and I make it to my room without incident. I get to my door and halt for a split second. I don’t have my key either, it was in my bag that Banks took, and I don’t remember if I locked the door or not. I turn the knob, saying a silent prayer and thanking the universe when the door opens.
Quickly I rush inside, closing my eyes I lean against the door and sigh loudly.
Thank goodness.
“Lose something?” A deep gravelly voice calls. oh, no, he didn’t! He couldn’t, right?
Wide-eyed I spin around clutching the barely there towel to my chest. I'm pretty sure my ass cheeks are showing but it's better than my tits or vagina. I can’t believe Banks has the nerve to be here after what he just did. Asshole.
“You.” My bottom lip curls with anger when I see him lounging on my bed, a shit eating grin spread across his face.
“Me?” He huffs out a laugh, “What about me? I’ve been sitting here the whole time waiting for you. It seems you forgot to take your things with you? How is that my fault?” The smile, the fact that he’s sitting there looking handsome, and put together while I’m barely hanging on by a thread enrages me.
“Listen, I can deal with you following me around like lost puppies and even the rumors that I know you and your brothers are spreading about me, but this shit, this little stunt goes too far! You need to stay out of my room and out of the showers.” I’m so angry, my hands are shaking. How dare he? I should have known they would step up their game. That they would do more than just spread rumors and follow me around. This is the last place I have left, my oasis. The only place I can go to get away from them. I can handle a lot of things but this... this invasion of privacy. It’s the last straw.
“You crossed the line, Banks!” I yell, feeling my skin heat at the outburst.
“I...I crossed the line?” Banks is suddenly on his feet, and across the room before I can even blink, stopping only inches away from me. The air between us grows thick, making it hard to breath. With his thick finger pointed right at my chest he continues, “You would know all about crossing the line, wouldn’t you? About making up lies, and ruining someone’s future, their life?” I hadn’t ruined Sullivan’s life, had I?
“Looks like you’re all living a great life, so it couldn't have been that bad…”
“Wasn’t that bad, huh?” he mutters to himself in disbelief, “Do you have any idea what you’ve done to our family? How devastated Sullivan was that he was kicked from the team. People…” He doesn’t finish what he says and I’m not sure I want him to. I don’t need to hear anything else. I know what I did was wrong, hell, I knew it was wrong before I did it.
When he looks up at me his features are menacing, and I know I should probably be scared right now, but I’m not. Him being this close to me and me being so exposed has my body vibrating with foreign excitement. His heady scent invades my nostrils and all I can think of is him. I forget his anger, forget my guilt, and shame. Everything falls away, leaving just us.
Releasing my hold on the towel I let my arms fall to the sides of my body. Cool air washes over my bare skin, and my nipples harden to tight peaks.
I don’t know who is more shocked by what I just did, me or him? I watch his eyes soften and darken at the same time. His pupils dilate as his gaze drops between us, his gaze wanders over my naked form. I watch his chest rise and fall at a faster pace than normal, matching my own erratic breathing.
Shit, I shouldn’t have done that.
When his gaze shoots back up and our eyes meet there is a spark there, and that spark ignites an entire fire inside me. Without thinking I take a step forward at the same time as he does. Our lips meet in a furious, almost punishing kiss. There is an urgency to this kiss, and it’s completely unlike the one I experienced with Sullivan. Its rage and anger, and I feel like if I don’t continue kissing him right now I might combust.
Snaking my arms around his neck I pull him closer. My nipples brush against the soft fabric of his shirt, and I damn near moan at the sensation. His hands easily find my hips and he pulls me closer, so close there isn’t a millimeter of space left between us. I can feel my core pulsing, my body melting into his. I know he wants me, the hardened bulge in his jeans telling me so. We continue to kiss, his lips pressing against mine, his hands holding onto me with a possessiveness that excites and terrifies me.
He nips at my bottom lip and I moan feeling the bite deep in my core. I want him, need him. Blood rushes in my ears, and then it ends. Like a cold bucket of water has been tipped over me. Banks pulls away pushing me backwards. I sway unsteadily on my legs. His lips are wet and swollen and all I want to do is run my fingers over them.
“No! You’re not going to pull that shit on me,” he growls, shaking his head in annoyance. “This might have worked on Sullivan, but you can’t use the same trick twice and expect no one to notice.”
“He told you?” I respond hoarsely, lust still clogging my throat. My lips swollen and my skin burning where he touched me.
Grinning, he says, “Of course he told us, we’re his brothers. Now keep your lips, and your body to yourself, because next time I won’t stop. Next time, I’ll take and take until there isn’t anything left.”
Without another look, he pushes me out of the way and exits the room. Bringing a hand to my lips I can still feel his kiss there, the heat of his body burning into mine and I know I’ll be thinking about him for a long while to come.
Chapter Five
Four days pass without Banks showing himself.
My little towel stunt must have had some type of impact on him because he no longer follows me around. That doesn’t mean I’m allowed to roam around on my own though. Sullivan and Oliver still escort me every place I go. By now, I’m getting used to it. I’m also getting used to the way people gawk at me and the snotty remarks that follow. Turns out college is just like high school, only with more people and less consequences.
“Where are you going?” Oliver asks, falling into step beside me. He’s the oldest of the Bishops, and I like to tell myself the smartest. When it comes to cracking them, Oliver will be the hardest nut. “This is not the way to your dorm.”
“Great observation skills, Sherlock. I’m going to the library,” I snap, hoping it will deter him enough that he will leave me alone. I can’t concentrate when one of them is close by and I really need to write this paper. It wouldn’t be a problem to do it at my dorm, but the professor is adamant about only using library sources so it’s either the library or a failing grade.
“I’ll help you study,” he snickers, and I already know he is going to do the opposite.
“Look, if you don’t let me do this…” I stop, because I don’t want to sound weak, or give them any more ammunition, but I also don’t really have anything to threaten him with nor do I want to. “I will fail this class if I don’t go to the library and then I’ll have to leave the school. How will you make my life a living nightmare if I’m not going to school here anymore? Huh?” I mock, the idea of dropping out wouldn’t be so bad if I didn’t have to face my father.
“We’ll just follow you wherever you go,” he says nonchalantly, as if he’s already thought the scenario through.
“Even back to my parents?”
Oliver’s gaze turns dark and he cuts me off mid-step, my body colliding with his, causing me to bounce back off of him. I can feel myself falling backwards when his arm circles my waist and he pulls me into his chest. “Oh, we won’t let you get away that easily. We’re done here when we say we’re done and not a moment sooner. Do you understand?”
