#Hater (Hashtag #2)

by Cambria Hebert

  #Hater

  The Hashtag Series #2

  It started with unspoken animosity. The bitter bite of jealousy. And now it’s full-blown hate.

  It was during my first football game that I felt the first chill of hate. I looked it right in the eyes and felt its sticky tentacles reach out for me. I’d never experienced something so cold and empty before.

  The effect of that look lingered, like an unspoken promise, long after it was gone.

  Becoming a couple—becoming the other half of a campus celebrity—wasn’t easy. I let down walls guarding my heart and he looked past my glasses and accident-prone tendencies. Romeo and I are an unlikely match, a #nerd and a jock. But we made it.

  And we’re happy.

  Zach doesn’t want us to be happy. He wants Romeo to pay for getting him kicked out of Omega and for the night he spent in jail. He’s going to use anything and everything he can to get his revenge. Including me.

  As the weather on campus grows cold and the days become dark, revenge becomes the center of someone’s life, and the happiness Romeo and I worked so hard for is threatened.

  I can’t help but worry that our love is going to be overshadowed by hate.

  #HATER

  The Hashtag Series #2

  by Cambria Hebert

  #HATER Copyright © 2014 CAMBRIA HEBERT

  All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book, or portions thereof, in any form without written permission except for the use of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  Published by: Cambria Hebert Books, LLC

  http://www.cambriahebert.com

  Interior design and typesetting by Sharon Kay

  Cover design by MAE I DESIGN

  Edited by Cassie McCown

  Copyright 2014 by Cambria Hebert

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  eBook ISBN: 978-1-938857-65-2

  Table of Contents

  Contents:

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  #HATER

  Chapter One

  Rimmel

  The white-knuckled grip I punished the armrests with did not loosen until the plane came to an absolute stop.

  Even then, my fingers only loosened as the loud sounds of the tunnel thing passengers walked through to enter into the airport terminal was rolled over and attached to the plane. The air was stuffy in here. Not really stale, but not fresh either. Everyone around me was restless. The flight had been full of turbulence, and the crying baby in the back did nothing to soothe everyone’s frazzled nerves.

  I hated flying.

  But God, I was so glad to be back. I never thought I’d miss Maryland and its cold seasons this much.

  ‘Course, it wasn’t really the place I missed.

  It was a person.

  Everyone started to file toward the door, crowding each other in their attempt to get the hell out of this flying deathtrap. I stood and waited for my turn, hefting my purse over my shoulder, and turned my cell phone back on.

  The second it lit up and I was able, I shot out a text.

  LANDED. GETTING OFF NOW.

  Romeo’s response was instant, and I smiled.

  I’M WAITING.

  I glanced out the tiny window behind me as if I would see him standing out there on the tarmac. I knew he wasn’t, but I couldn’t stop my eyes from scanning the open space. Butterflies somersaulted beneath my ribcage as a man passing by my row stopped and motioned for me to go ahead.

  I shot him a grateful smile and slid past him into the aisle. The flight attendant smiled and wished everyone well as we all stepped off the plane and onto the walkway that led to the terminal. I moved quickly, beyond anxious for my first glimpse of Romeo.

  I’d been in Florida almost two weeks, but it felt like a freaking eternity. As I went, I bumped into someone laden with a bulky piece of carry-on luggage and another bag, but I didn’t stop. I muttered an apology and kept right on going.

  When I burst into the terminal, my eyes swept around, bouncing from person to person in the crowded, bustling space. My stomach fell a little when I didn’t see him, but I knew he probably couldn’t come this far. He was probably at baggage claim.

  I looked around for a sign to point me in the right direction and finally saw one labeled Baggage Claim with an arrow pointing off to the left.

  But I didn’t follow the arrow.

  My eyes fixed on someone standing beneath the sign.

  His hands were jammed into the pockets of his well-worn slouchy jeans. The relaxed action pulled the waistband low, highlighting his flat, narrow waist his Henley tee molded to. As usual, he was wearing his varsity jacket and his blond hair was a mess.

  My gaze locked on his sapphire-blue eyes and didn’t let go. His eyes, ohmigod, his eyes. The blue was so intense it served as an emergency brake on everything in my life. The second I looked at him, everything else came to a screeching halt. I no longer noticed the huge crowd rushing around.

  The anxiety-causing flight was just a distant memory, and the two weeks I spent longing for his touch became something I would live through ten times over just to be in this moment with him again.

  His lips pulled into a smile and the charm that oozed from every pore in his body made me almost lightheaded. Romeo pulled his hands out of his pockets and straightened, motioning for me.

  I rushed across the space separating us, my bag slapping against my side as I, for once, gracefully maneuvered around the people in my path.

  His chuckle brushed over me when I was just steps away, and I threw myself at him with a little sigh of relief. My legs wrapped around his waist and his arms locked around my back. I burrowed my head into his shoulder and inhaled deep, taking in his distinctive scent.

  “Rim,” he murmured, his voice low. I pulled back and his lips were on mine instantly.

  The moment our lips touched, he stilled, his body and mouth pausing against mine. Before I could wonder why, he muttered a garbled curse against my mouth and then his lips began to move. He kissed me softly but fiercely. There was so much possession in the way he kissed me, in the way his arms locked around me that my heart stuttered.

  I parted my lips so his tongue could sweep inside, and when my tongue met his, desire, hot and heavy, unfurled within me.

  Someone chuckled as they walked by, and Romeo retreated slightly, still letting his mouth linger on mine before completely pulling away.

  He rested his forehead against mine and he smiled. “I real
ly fucking missed you.”

  “Me too,” I whispered.

  He dropped another quick kiss on my lips and then stood me back on my feet. I swayed a little, and he chuckled. “C’mon, let’s get your suitcase so we can go. I want to be alone with you.”

  My stomach dipped and something inside me loosened.

  We held hands through the large terminal. He didn’t even let go when he snagged my stuff off the baggage claim belt.

  Since I’d come from Florida, I was wearing only a short-sleeved T-shirt over a pair of loose sweatpants, so before we went outside into the cold Maryland air, I dug into my suitcase and pulled out the hoodie he gave me the night of our first kiss. I wore it all the time. After I pulled it on, I glanced over at him, smiling.

  “What?” I asked.

  “You took that to Florida?”

  “Of course,” I said. “The evenings can get chilly this time of year.”

  “And what did your dad have to say about you wearing some guy’s sweatshirt around?”

  “You aren’t some guy. You’re my boyfriend,” I replied and reached for his hand.

  “And you finally told your dad about us?” he pressed.

  “Yes, I did.” Even though we’d been dating a couple months now, I’d just told my dad over winter break. I wasn’t sure what he would say when I told him I was dating. He took it better than I thought, even went as far as to say he was happy for me.

  “And?”

  “He took it a lot better than I thought he would.”

  The surprise in my voice was evident, and Romeo glanced at me. “You really thought he’d be upset?”

  Yeah, I had. I mean, didn’t all dads get upset when their little girls started dating? I shrugged, feeling silly. “I guess I wasn’t sure how he’d take it.”

  When he asked me about the name on the back and I explained it was a nickname, a look of doubt crossed his face, and he said he wasn’t sure how he felt about his daughter dating some guy who earned the name of a player.

  I braced myself then for an argument, but none came. He seemed to cut off whatever lecture he was about to launch into and said as long as I was happy, that was all that mattered.

  “He must know I’m good for you.” Romeo kissed the side of my head as we walked outside. The wintry air took my breath, and I snuggled into the hoodie. “I parked as close as I could,” he said, noticing the way I grimaced against the cold.

  We hurried toward the lot where the Hellcat was parked in the short-term section. He opened the passenger door and ushered me inside, then tossed my stuff into the trunk. I leaned into the leather of the seat, marveling at how familiar this car was to me now.

  It was a one-hour drive from the airport to campus. We didn’t really talk much, despite having plenty to talk about. Every time I thought to say anything, his thumb would gently stroke the inside of my palm where our hands joined and my skin would break out in goose bumps.

  The tension inside the car grew the longer we drove. I wanted him so badly I could barely think or see. For someone who’d gone almost her entire life without sex, the last two weeks shouldn’t have been a problem, but oh, they were. I ached for him.

  Just holding his hand made my skin tingle with anticipation.

  When we finally got off the interstate, Romeo turned abruptly onto some empty back road with trees on each side. “Where are you going?” I asked as he pulled over onto the side of the road and let the car idle.

  “I can’t take it anymore, Rim.”

  He reached for me, practically lifting me out of the seat and pulling me across the center toward him. I was all too willing as I climbed into his lap to straddle him.

  He reached up into the messy bun on my head and pulled out the hair tie. The heavy mess that was my hair tumbled down over my shoulders and back as he carefully removed my glasses before burying his hands in and pulling me close.

  The kiss was all-consuming. It wasn’t like at the airport where he kept his desire in check. Instead, it surged out around me, and I rocked into his already rigid length and moaned low in my throat.

  My fingers slipped into his hair and massaged his scalp, and he worked his mouth over mine. I began to move atop him. I rocked back and forth, rotating my hips and pressing myself into the hardness beneath his jeans.

  He murmured my name and his hands left my hair to grip my hips, urging me to move even faster.

  So desperate for release, I sucked his bottom lip into my mouth and pulled at it with my tongue and teeth. A sound—more like a plea—burst from my throat, and he swallowed it.

  I felt his smile against me and a strangled chuckle floated up. “Damn, Rimmel. I think you missed me as much as I missed you.”

  I was too far gone to talk. In response, I rocked against him again and shuddered at the urgency flooding my system. A frustrated sound bubbled up in my chest, and my hands slid down to either side of his neck.

  “I know what you want, baby,” he whispered as his hand slid into the waistband of my sweats.

  My body stilled even as I yearned for him. His fingers delved into my pants, past the waistband of my panties, and brushed against the smooth center just above my slit.

  “Romeo,” I groaned and sagged forward, my forehead on his shoulder.

  His free hand came up to grip the back of my neck as his fingers found the moist heat of my center and slid farther down.

  I shuddered and he groaned. “You’re already ready for me.”

  I couldn’t say anything. All I could do was gasp as his finger flicked over my swollen clit and teased me with more. I reached for the waistband of his jeans, not caring at all that were weren’t really in private. This car was private enough. I needed him so badly that I wasn’t going to stop.

  “Oh no you don’t,” he said, his voice strained. His words were a stark contrast to the way his hips tilted up, inviting my fingers. “There isn’t enough space in here for me to have you the way I want.”

  A broken sound escaped me, and he chuckled. “But I’m gonna take care of you. Right here. Right now.”

  I shivered at his lusty promise as the pressure of his fingers increased and he pressed down on my sensitive button. The friction he created in my center with just his hand had my fingers curling into the front of his shirt, and I rocked into his touch.

  My entire world blew apart as the orgasm quaked through my body. I shuddered and shook, coming apart in his lap as he continued to stroke me, using my own juices to further my pleasure. Even after his fingers slowed, I rocked against him. The aftereffects of the orgasm were almost as good as the real thing.

  Long moments passed, and he removed his hand from my center and cupped my face. My eyes felt heavy; my brain was foggy as he kissed me softly before putting me back into the seat and pulling the seatbelt across my chest.

  “What about you?” I murmured when the car started moving again.

  “Don’t you worry about me, baby. When we get to my place, I’ll get mine.”

  Even though he’d just released some of the tension in my body, I already needed more.

  “I hope you’re ready.” He glanced at me with a wicked grin.

  My pulse jumped.

  Oh, I was ready.

  Chapter Two

  Romeo

  Rimmel burrowed beneath the comforter on my bed and pressed her naked body farther against mine. Even though we’d already had sex three times since we got here, my body responded to her touch. Just the feel of her silky bare skin rubbing against me was enough to make me want her all over again.

  She groaned and tucked her fingers between my side and the mattress. “I don’t think I’m ever going to get used to the cold air here.”

  I chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Just wait ‘til it snows.”

  “Ugh,” she moaned.

  “I’ll turn the heat up,” I said and started to move from beneath her. She clutched me closer and made a sound of determination. I laughed. It thrilled the shit out of me that she liked having me so c
lose. “I thought you were cold,” I said affectionately.

  “But you’re warm.”

  “I’ll come right back.”

  “Kiss me,” she demanded. She was definitely a shy person, but the more time we spent together, the less shy she was with me when we were alone. I loved it. It was like getting a glimpse of the person no one else saw.

  I rolled and pinned her beneath me, wrapping my arms under her back and pressing her naked torso against mine. Her mouth was willing and eager as her tongue stroked expertly against mine. It was a lazy kiss, and it wasn’t short. I could explore the depths of her mouth for hours on end and still find new ways to make her groan.

  When the urge to plunge into her center became almost too much, I eased back. Her eyes were unfocused and her lips were swollen as she smiled up at me.

  I wanted her so fucking bad, just as badly as I had when I saw her searching through the airport crowd with anticipation in her eyes. Going through all the extra security just to be at the gate when she came through had been well worth the hassle. The way her face lit up when she saw me caused my chest to tighten.

  I was used to attention from the opposite sex. Getting a girl to like me was never really a challenge.

  But Rimmel was different.

  She didn’t bestow that look on just anyone. In fact, I’d never seen her look at anything or anyone the way she did me. Even the animals at the shelter, the ones she considered her friends.

  It wasn’t a small feat for someone to make me feel like I was special. It was almost something I’d grown used to. It wasn’t really anything I didn’t expect.

  But with Rimmel, it was almost like she loved me in spite of all that.

  “You’re driving me crazy,” I murmured, stroking her hair away from her face.

  Her hand slid across the back of my shoulder and trailed down to my lower back.

  I groaned. “You’re gonna be hurting tomorrow, Rim.”

  “I don’t care.”