#Hater (Hashtag #2)

by Cambria Hebert

  She frowned at the sight of him on the surface but didn’t tell him to get down. He sat next to her and waited patiently, all the while purring like a small engine.

  “He’s very loud,” she remarked and placed the snack in her palm and held it out. Murphy leaned down and sniffed the treat before gently taking it out of her hand to chew it.

  “What happened to his eye?” Mom asked, watching him.

  “Not sure. He came to the shelter like that. No one wanted him and he lived there for a year. Rimmel took a special liking to him and they bonded.”

  “And so you adopted him.”

  “She couldn’t. Not in the dorm. Besides, he’s a pretty cool cat.” I reached out and scratched Murphy behind the ears. After a few minutes, he hopped down and sauntered from the room.

  “Did she ask you to?” she asked me.

  “No, Mom. Rimmel’s never asked me for anything. I did it because I knew it would make her happy. She didn’t even know until she came over and saw him here.” I still remembered the look on her face when she saw him. The joy. I’d adopt him all over again if I could, just for that reason.

  “You love her, don’t you?” It wasn’t an accusation; it was more of a statement.

  “Yes. I do.”

  Mom went silent a moment and picked up her mug. The tag fluttered against the porcelain side. “I’d like to get to know her.”

  That surprised me. I felt my eyebrows shoot halfway up my forehead. “So you can insult her again like the last time you cornered her in the driveway.”

  “I did not corner her,” she said with a disapproving tone. “When you have a child of your own, you will understand why I did what I did.”

  I wasn’t sure if I agreed. The idea of me having a child seemed so far away it didn’t even matter. “I doubt Rim’s gonna want to talk to you.”

  “Is she that sensitive, then?” she asked, sipping at her drink.

  I bristled even though I knew that’s what she wanted. “No. But I am. I’ll not have you hurting her. She’s been through enough.”

  She tilted her head. “With her mother’s death, you mean?”

  I shrugged noncommittally. That was part of it.

  But my mother knew how to read people; she wasn’t a stupid woman. “I can’t imagine her essentially snagging the most eligible bachelor on campus was very easy.” She sipped her tea, then added, “Especially for someone like her.”

  I lifted a brow. “Someone like her?”

  Mom rolled her eyes. “Please, Roman. You and I both know she isn’t in the same social circle as you.”

  “Does it matter?” I asked bluntly.

  She lowered the mug and looked me right in the eyes. “If you she loves you, then no.”

  My shoulders relaxed. I knew Rimmel loved me. I wouldn’t even have to try and prove it. “I’ll see if she wants to meet you and Dad.”

  Mom nodded. “We’ll have dinner next week.”

  “I’ll let you know,” I said, not agreeing to anything.

  “I’ll have it catered in,” she called over her shoulder as she carried her cup to the front door. “See you then.”

  Apparently, she took my maybe as a yes.

  I pulled out my phone and texted Rimmel.

  PARENTS WANT TO MEET YOU.

  I THINK IT’S TIME WE BREAK UP.

  I laughed out loud.

  UR NOT GETTING OUT OF IT THAT EASY.

  When she didn’t reply right away, I knew her joke was just a way to cover up how nervous my mother made her.

  MOM GAVE MURPHY A TREAT.

  A mere second ticked by when my phone vibrated. I smiled.

  DID HE EAT IT?

  YEP.

  OK. WHEN AND WHERE?

  DINNER. NEXT WEEK.

  I’LL BE ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR.

  She signed off with a hashtag and then a heart. For a girl who said she never paid attention to the BuzzBoss, I knew that was where she got that little tag.

  I slid my phone into my pocket as I thought about next week’s dinner. I wasn’t worried how Rimmel would behave, but my mother… that was a different story.

  Chapter Seven

  Rimmel

  YOU GONNA WEAR IT TODAY?

  GOOD MORNING TO YOU TOO.

   GOOD MORNING, BEAUTIFUL.

  HI 

  I WANT YOU TO WEAR IT.

  I stared down at the phone, equal parts charmed and frustrated. Romeo just had to have his name on me. It was early, the first day of classes this semester, and he wanted to be sure I was going to “represent” him on campus today.

  I MISSED YOU NEXT 2 ME LAST NIGHT.

  Even though it was way too early in the morning, I melted. I’d missed him too. I woke up more than once and reached for him. It was entirely too easy to get used to his large, warm body beside me, and when it was gone, it felt like something was missing.

  ME TOO.

  Ivy walked in carrying her little bathroom tote and rolled her eyes at me sitting on the bed with my phone clutched in my hand.

  “It is far too early for that,” she grumped and set her tote on the end of her bed.

  “I made you a coffee,” I said and gestured toward the Keurig and her cup of brew.

  “You’re a saint!” she said and lunged for the cup. After three sips and two grateful sighs, she regarded me over the rim.

  “Aren’t you going to do your hair?” she asked, eyeing me.

  “What’s wrong with it?” I asked. I’d pulled it up in a bun.

  Okay, so I hadn’t used a brush.

  Or a mirror.

  My phone vibrated in my hand and I forgot about my hair.

  WELL?

  I was already dressed in a pair of navy-colored leggings and a button-up flannel. It was plaid, navy, red, and white. Grandma said these shirts were back in style. I couldn’t care less. I was just happy she’d been trying to convince me to buy something warm, baggy, and that could be worn with leggings.

  Snow was still blowing around outside, and I knew I would likely be a human Popsicle by lunch. Adding another layer over my T-shirt and flannel wouldn’t be a bad idea.

  IS THAT A YES?

  I smiled.

  YES.

  HELLS YEAH.

  “Seriously,” Ivy said and took the phone from my hand and tossed it on my pillow. “You don’t have time for that right now. You have a hair emergency.”

  “Can’t I just wear a hat?”

  “Not on the first day back!”

  I didn’t hear a no. What I heard was wearing a hat was sometimes fashionable. I needed to get a hat.

  She took another sip of coffee and then attacked my hair. When she was done, I carefully pulled Romeo’s hoodie over my head and looked in the mirror. It was still pulled up in a loose bun on the top of my head. But there was a side braid that started at the front and went all the way around my head to stop above the opposite ear. She finished it off by pulling out a few wispy pieces around my ears and neck.

  It looked a lot better than however I’d planned to wear it.

  “You should be a hairstylist,” I told her.

  She grinned. “Now that sounds like a fun career.”

  I realized I had no idea what she was majoring in, so I asked.

  She made a face and took another drink of coffee like she was trying to fortify herself. “I don’t know.”

  Horrified was exactly how I felt. She didn’t know! How could she not know what she was even here for!

  “I’ve changed my mind like three times. There’s too much to pick from.”

  “Well, I guess you could just be a college student forever,” I said and grinned.

  She wagged her eyebrows like it was actually her devious secret plan.

  I glanced at the clock and sighed. “Guess I better get to class.”

  “Wanna meet for lunch at the food court later?” she asked.

  “Sure. I’ll see you there.”

  We both had the same time open for lunch, and I wondered if that would bec
ome a regular thing. I kind of hoped so.

  My course load this semester was full, and I knew it was going to be a lot of work to keep up with it all, but I was committed. On top of doing my full schedule, I was still volunteering at the shelter and I was going to be tutoring Romeo.

  Part of me wished I could get a part-time job, but I just didn’t have time. My scholarship paid for all my books, my dorm, and my tuition fees. There was a little money left over at the end of each semester that I was able to use for meals and extra things I needed. Honestly, I didn’t need much money. I wasn’t the kind of girl who went out on the weekends or spent a lot of time at the mall. My dad sent me money every month, and occasionally my grandparents did too, but I never asked for anything unless it was something I really needed.

  Still, it would be nice to be able to save some money so when I graduated I could buy myself a car. I still had my scooter, but really, it was useless in this wintry weather.

  Of course, there would be plenty of time to save for a car later. I was going to be in school a long time. Becoming a veterinarian was a long commitment. After four years of undergraduate study (I was earning my bachelor’s in Science in Veterinary Technology), I would have to apply to a vet school. Once I was accepted, I would have another four years of studying before I would actually finish my degree.

  I planned to take summer courses, which would help speed things along, but since I was only a sophomore, I still had quite a ways to go.

  I tried not to think about how much I had left. Instead, I tried to take it one semester at a time.

  With two lecture/labs this semester, an animal behavior class, and precalculus on my schedule, it was probably a smart plan.

  I snuggled down into the hoodie as I walked and blinked against the harsh wind and blowing snow. When my building finally came into view, I almost cheered. My face was numb, my fingers were stiff, and I was beginning to wonder if I’d ever feel my ears again.

  I rushed ahead, anticipating the warm rush of heat that would greet me at the door. I kept my head down so my face wouldn’t be battered by the wind any more than it had to be.

  I should have known better.

  The glass door to the building opened and that first rush of heat mingled with the cold and beckoned me closer. I quickened my step and collided with someone in the doorway. I bounced off them. Automatically, my hands came up to steady myself.

  I grabbed the closest thing in reach.

  My stiff fingers dug into the scratchy wool of a coat, and I looked up, surprised.

  “Sorry!” I said, flustered.

  And then I realized who it was.

  Familiar eyes watched me, turning calculating in an instant.

  “Zach.” I gasped like I was out of breath. Really, it was just the bad taste in my mouth that he seemed to bring on.

  “Well, look who it is,” he said, a smile curving his mouth.

  I scowled and his smile turned into a full-blown grin. “I see you’re having a hard time letting go.”

  I glanced down.

  My hands were still clutching the front of his preppy coat. I let go immediately, falling back a few steps. People rushed around us to get in the building, and I looked after them longingly.

  I started to step around Zach, to go inside, but he blocked my path.

  “Fancy meeting you here.”

  “We aren’t meeting.”

  “Where’s your bodyguard?”

  “You mean my boyfriend?” I corrected.

  “Could’ve fooled me. He acts more like you’re something he owns.”

  He was a jackass, and I didn’t have time for this. I pushed past him and went inside. My class was on the second floor, so I headed for the set of stairs near the wall off to my right.

  Zach fell into step beside me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye. “Weren’t you on your way out?”

  “I just realized I also have class in this building.”

  Did that mean he’d purposely run into me? He was already inside. The only reason he would be walking out, if not to leave, would be because he saw me.

  “I’m going to be late.” I quickened my steps up the stairs, ignoring the weight of my bag and pushing myself faster.

  I wanted away from him. There was something about Zach that was just so creepy. Even if we didn’t have some kind of history that proved he wasn’t to be trusted, I would still be creeped out by him.

  It was a sixth sense, like the kind animals used to know when someone had bad intentions. I felt that now with him keeping pace beside me. He made my skin crawl. There was just something off about him.

  “You know…” He began, and inwardly I cringed. Was he not done talking to me yet? “You never really struck me as the type of girl to be fooled by a charming smile. I thought a girl like you was smarter than that.”

  My steps faltered a little. “Excuse me?” I asked coolly.

  “I get why all the girls on this campus are so hot for Romeo. He’s popular and good-looking and he has money. It just surprises me those things pulled you in too.”

  The door to my class came into view and I was never gladder to arrive at an early morning class than I was in that minute. Before going inside, I stopped and turned to fully face Zach. He had a scarf draped around his neck and his eyes were keen as he tried to bait me.

  What the hell he was baiting me for, I had no idea.

  “I couldn’t care less about Romeo’s money and social status,” I said. I didn’t have to explain myself to him, but in that moment, it sort of felt like I did. It was an insult to Romeo that Zach implied he had nothing else to offer a person besides superficial things. “He’s more than that.”

  Zach grinned. “Yes. I supposed he is.”

  I blinked. He was agreeing with me? I expected some quick-witted and irritating comeback.

  Zach stepped forward and leaned in like he was divulging some big secret. “He’s also a liar.”

  I spun away from him and into the doorway of class, but I didn’t make it very far. Zach caught me by the wrist and yanked me back around, his hand squeezing my arm just a little too tight.

  I tried to twist free of his grasp, but he only tightened his hold. “Let go,” I growled.

  He ignored my request and squeezed harder.

  “You’re hurting me,” I ground out, trying once more to twist away.

  “Why don’t you ask him why I’m not Omega president anymore.”

  “Everyone knows why,” I snapped, still struggling. Someone walking by glanced at us and the way I was being restrained. His eyes snapped up to Zach and then back to me. “Because you got arrested.” I ground out.

  He jerked me closer. I stumbled and would have fallen if I hadn’t hit his chest.

  “Hey,” the guy watching us intoned. He took a step toward me as I pulled away from Zach.

  “Ask your bodyguard why I got arrested,” Zach said low in my ear.

  He released me then and strode away. I rubbed at the soreness in my throbbing wrist as I watched him disappear into a nearby classroom.

  “Are you okay?” the guy asked.

  I glanced at him and smiled weakly. “Yeah. I’m fine.” I pushed up the too-long sleeve of the hoodie and glanced down at my wrist. It was red and blotchy.

  I caught the stranger gazing down at it as well (did he look familiar?) and hurried to cover it back up with the sleeve.

  “What was that all about?” He gazed off in the direction Zach disappeared.

  “Nothing,” I answered. “He was just being a jerk.”

  He looked like he wanted to argue or ask more questions, so I cut him off with a small smile. “Thanks for stepping in like that. You didn’t have to.”

  His eyes widened and a look of horror crossed his face. “I’m not gonna stand around and watch a woman get manhandled.” Then under his breath, he muttered, “Especially you.”

  “What?” I asked, wondering if I’d heard him right.

  “You’re gonna be late.” He gestured
to the class behind me.

  I straightened. Crap! I’d forgotten about class! I rushed into the room and slipped into a seat near the front.

  As the professor started lecture, introducing himself and the objectives for this semester, my eyes and my mind wandered back to the open doorway.

  No one was there. Not anymore.

  But my wrist was still burning and sore and I couldn’t help but wonder about what Zach had said.

  Chapter Eight

  Romeo

  I wasn’t a book kind of guy.

  Sitting in class and listening to professors drone on and on… and on was frankly not my idea of a good time. Half the time, I spaced out and didn’t hear what they were saying anyway.

  Okay, fine. Not half the time.

  All the time.

  I was a physical kind of guy. I wanted to be on the move. To be outside. To be doing something that required action.

  Needless to say, my morning classes crawled by. I had a thirty-minute lapse between the class I’d just escaped and my final class of the day. Once that was over, I was going to grab some food and then hit the field for some training before practice started. The championship was coming, and I wanted to be as ready as I could get.

  The wind was still blowing around, but the sun was out and it felt a little warmer than this morning. I wondered how Rimmel was doing in the cold and if my hoodie was keeping her warm.

  I was glad she was wearing it. I caught some of the surprised looks we got yesterday. People thought I would have discarded her by now. I didn’t like it.

  If she had a hard time when we got together, it would be worse if everyone thought I dropped her. They would taunt her about being used and tossed aside. The thought of that made my hands ball into fists. She was too good for that. Too gentle and naive.

  My lips curved into a smile because if she knew I thought of her that way, she’d try to kick my ass. She wouldn’t want to be viewed that way, because she was strong. Rimmel had been through a lot in her life and made it through, but that’s why I felt so protective of her. She was still gentle and naïve despite all those things. And she was so small. Wanting to shield her was a natural instinct for me.