by J. Nathan
“Yes. That’s why I’ve had security all my life.”
He nodded, realizing I did understand. “Will you be staying in tonight?”
“It’s not like I know anyone but you. So, yeah. I’m probably staying in.”
“Can I have your phone?” he asked.
I walked over to my desk and grabbed it. “You’re not already tracking it?”
“Yeah, we’re tracking it. But I need you to have our numbers.”
I unlocked my phone and handed it to him.
He punched the numbers into it. “Text or call me or Stone whenever you need to leave the room and one of us will accompany you.”
“The bathroom is two doors down. I’m capable of braving the walk alone.”
“Whenever you leave your room,” he ordered.
“You’re gonna get sick of my weak bladder.”
“I can handle it.”
I spent the rest of the evening organizing my clothes by colors since I had nothing better to do. At eight o’clock, there was a knock on my door. My eyes drifted to the camera in the corner of the room. Was I supposed to answer the door? Was I supposed to wait for Marco? I stalled, slowly moving to the door, assuming Marco would come out and check whoever was out there. But when I didn’t hear anything, I spoke. “Who is it?”
“Elodie,” a girl said. “Your RA.”
I opened the door to find a skinny girl with fair skin, dark hair, and glasses smiling at me. “You must be Kresley.”
“Hi.” My eyes moved behind her, half expecting Marco to be standing there, but I was only met with more rap music blaring down the hall and other students passing by as they moved into their rooms.
“Welcome to Remington,” Elodie said, pulling my attention back to her. “I hear you’re a transfer. Where’d you transfer from?”
“I’m from California but I transferred from Paris.”
Her eyes expanded behind her glasses, making her brown eyes even bigger in the lenses. “Sounds like a dream,” she said.
More like a nightmare. “Yeah. Well, I’ll be graduating from Remington at the end of the school year,” I said with a smile that likely didn’t reach my eyes. I prayed she didn’t ask any more questions. I’d been guarded since Paris. I wished I wasn’t, but my counselor assured me it was normal—as long as I gradually opened myself back up to people.
“You’re a senior?” Elodie asked.
I nodded.
“What’s your major?”
“Hospitality. I’d like to be an event planner.”
“Sounds cool,” she said, her eyes looking over my shoulder into my room. “Wow. It looks more like a beach resort in there than a dorm room. Nice job.”
I twisted to look inside. My light blue comforter with complementary throw pillows gave it a warm feel and matched the water in my posters. “Thanks.”
“Well, I just wanted to come say hi,” she said, as I turned back to her. “I’m at the end of the hall in 202. If you need anything at any time of day or night, that’s what I’m here for. But, I just met Marco. He said he’s your security?”
I nodded, knowing she was probably looking for answers I wasn’t ready to give. “Yeah, if we could keep that quiet, I’d be forever grateful.”
She zipped her fingers across her lips.
I smiled. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too.” She turned to go.
“Hey, Elodie?”
She stopped and twisted back to me.
“What does everyone do around here for fun?”
“Half the campus is Greek. So, frat parties.”
“Do people ever go off campus to bars or clubs?”
“Oh, sure. Noise is a great one. My roommate Alice and I are actually heading there later tonight if you’d like to come.”
I’d never been so happy for an invite in my entire life. I hadn’t been able to sleep well since Paris, so I’d been worried about my first night in a new place. But, dancing and drinking would definitely tire me out and help me with that. “I’d love to.”
“We’ll come by and get you around ten thirty.”
“Thanks, Elodie. I don’t know anyone here, so I really appreciate this.”
“Sure thing. It’ll be fun.” She smiled before turning away.
Even though attending Remington hadn’t been part of my original plan, maybe, just maybe, everything would turn out okay after all.
CHAPTER TWO
Kresley
I sat in the backseat of Marco’s Escalade behind tinted and bulletproof windows. Elodie and her roommate Alice sat on either side of me. They were both kind enough not to ask why I had a driver, more pumped to know that neither of them had to be the designated driver. I wore skinny jeans and a strapless green shirt with a necklace of three twisted strands of diamonds—a gift from my father for my sixteenth birthday. I wasn’t sure what kind of place it was, so I didn’t want to get too dressed up. But Elodie and Alice wore similar outfits, which made me feel better.
Alice turned to me, her long strawberry blonde hair falling over her shoulders as she did. She was Daphne to Elodie’s Velma. I wondered if anyone else had ever noticed their uncanny resemblance to the mystery solvers? “So, you were in school in Paris?” Alice asked.
“Yeah.”
“Was it tough to leave such a gorgeous place?” Elodie asked.
“Not really. I missed home.” It wasn’t a complete lie. I did miss home. But it clearly wasn’t the reason I needed to leave.
The bar must’ve been only a few miles off campus because before long, Marco pulled into a large parking lot with a ton of cars. Once he cut the engine, he jumped out of the driver’s seat and pulled open the back door.
“Why thank you, kind sir,” Alice said, sliding out first and giving him a little curtsy as she did.
I slipped out next. “Thanks, Marco.”
Elodie followed. “Thanks, big man.”
We all headed into the bar. Marco followed, staying a few feet behind us.
The bar was loud and crowded, and I knew instantly that crowded places were a bitch to stake out. Inwardly, I cringed, knowing my last-minute plans likely had Marco scrambling.
I followed the girls to a table on the far side of the bar. A waitress approached us before we even sat, shouting over the music to get our order.
We made small talk as we waited for our drinks and watched the people on the dance floor moving to the music. Alice and Elodie were seniors too. They’d been best friends since elementary school and decided to go to Remington together. They had the uncanny ability to speak at the same time and say the exact same thing which I found hysterical. I wished I had a friend like that, but growing up and attending school with other wealthy kids left little room to forge lasting authentic relationships. It was a lot of one-upping which I despised. It was probably why I had very few friends.
Our drinks arrived, and, ironically, we toasted to new friends.
“Selfie time,” Alice said, holding up her phone so she could get us all into a picture.
“I’m sorry.” I winced. “I can’t take photos.”
They exchanged a look, likely questioning their decision to invite the new girl. Because, at this point, everything about me screamed run the other way and avoid.
“It’s not that I can’t be in a picture,” I explained. “I just can’t have it posted online.”
Since I was supposed to be in school in New York—as far as anyone following me on social media was concerned, I needed to keep a low profile. Staying off social media was condition number one if I wanted to finish school at Remington. And, truthfully, it wasn’t really a hardship since I didn’t stay connected with too many people.
“Are you in the witness protection program or something?” Alice blurted, probably finally fed up with all the mystery surrounding me.
Elodie shot her daggers
“Something like that,” I offered, completely understanding her curiosity. I too would’ve had questions if one of them had transf
erred from Paris accompanied by her own bodyguards and drivers, and couldn’t have her photo posted online.
“So, if I promise not to post this anywhere, you can be in it?” she asked.
I nodded.
“Deal.”
We all squeezed together and Alice snapped the selfie. And as much as I appreciated her assurance that she wouldn’t post it, it was just a matter of time before I needed to tell them the truth—especially if I wanted to hang out with them again.
We ordered a couple more drinks before Elodie and Alice were dragging me out onto the dance floor. And since I wasn’t a big drinker, the alcohol had gone straight to my head. As I moved to the music, I glanced around, spotting Marco in the corner of the room—sticking out like a sore thumb in his dark clothes and obvious aversion to the club music pumping through the room.
Regardless, his presence still made me feel safe.
The girls and I danced to three or four more songs. And even though I was getting hot and sweaty, I was having so much fun. Once another song ended, I yelled to Alice and Elodie, “I’ve gotta pee.”
Elodie pointed in the direction of the bathrooms.
“Thanks!” I made my way through the crowded dance floor to the hallway in the back corner of the bar and stepped into the back of the long bathroom line. I twisted around, spotting Marco standing where he could still see me. My leg began to bounce as I impatiently waited. The line was so long and I really needed to pee.
The door to the men’s room opened. The hell with it. I stepped out of the ladies’ line and rushed to the men’s room where there was no one waiting. I stopped short, unintentionally blocking the guy inside from leaving. He moved to the side at the same time I did. I laughed. We tried again, moving to the other side. I laughed again and my head tipped back. My gaze collided with the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. They were teal—the color of beautiful Caribbean waters. But their owner wasn’t laughing. He didn’t even look amused.
He grabbed my arms to keep me still and moved around me. “This is the men’s room,” he said, his deep gravelly voice sending an unexpected surge of electricity through me.
“I know,” I said, spinning to face him while trying to ignore my reaction to him. “I need to pee.”
“It’s disgusting in there,” he assured me as he ran his hands through his dirty blond hair.
My eyes moved over his dark shirt and jeans that told me he wasn’t trying too hard to look good…he just did. “Do I look like a high maintenance kind of girl to you?” I teased, hoping to get some kind of smile from him.
“High maintenance?” he asked as his eyes raked over my body, trying to decide.
His look elicited a heated path across my skin and I released a silent breath, unnerved by my unexpected reaction to him. That hadn’t happened to me since…well, ever. The guys I’d spent time with were sons of my father’s clients. Not guys who made me feel…anything.
His eyes landed on my necklace, narrowing coldly. “Oh, you’re definitely high maintenance,” he said with a chill to his voice.
“I am?”
“Not to mention completely desperate.”
My eyes widened, our conversation taking a complete one-eighty.
“If picking up guys in bars is your thing, try playing it a little subtler. Because the way you’re gawking at me is really freaking me out.”
I sucked in a sharp breath as any remaining electricity fizzled out completely. What an asshole.
He said nothing more, just turned away from me and headed back through the crowd.
My insides twisted, a knot forming in my stomach as I walked into the men’s room, locking the door behind me. Did that really just happen?
I left the men’s room a couple minutes later, still unable to believe the nerve of that guy. I’d only been in Paris for two and a half years, but was that what meeting guys in the US was like now?
I made my way back to the dance floor, joining Elodie and Alice who were still dancing in the center of the crowd. I immersed myself in the music, dancing until sweat dripped down my hairline. I would sleep tonight if it was the last thing I did.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of the guy from the men’s room staring at me from the bar. He stood with his arms crossed and his eyes locked on mine. A pretty brunette leaned into him, speaking into his ear. He reacted to her words by nodding or shaking his head, but his eyes never left mine.
I’ll show you high maintenance and desperate.
I turned my attention back to the dance floor, never again looking back at him. He may have had the prettiest eyes I’d ever seen, but I had no time for judgmental pricks.
The girls and I danced until the lights turned on at closing time. We headed to the exit, following the flow of sweaty bodies. I glanced over my shoulder and Marco followed us out. As we walked to the SUV, my eyes shifted left and right, always on guard.
Marco hit the button and the doors unlocked. He pulled open the back door, and the three of us shuffled into the backseat.
“That was so much fun,” I said once we were safely in the car and back on the road.
Elodie and Alice both turned to face me, both just as sweaty and their hair just as disheveled as mine must’ve been.
“We’re so glad you came,” they said at the same time.
We all broke into laughter.
“So, is this a good time to ask about…?” Alice lifted her chin toward Marco in the front seat.
“It’s totally fine if you don’t want to say anything,” Elodie added, shooting Alice a look.
“No, it’s okay,” I assured her. “I just ran into some trouble at my last school. Some people tried to kidnap me.”
Alice gasped.
“They shot my bodyguard and would’ve taken me if the police hadn’t shown up when they did. They took off and still haven’t been found.”
“Oh my God,” Elodie said.
“Still want to hang out with me?” I asked lightheartedly.
“That was not what I was expecting,” Alice said.
“I was hoping you were some Hollywood actress in disguise or something,” Elodie said.
I shook my head. “Nothing that exciting. Just some sick people wanting to use me to get money from my dad,” I said.
Elodie’s face showed concern. “Do you think you’re still in danger?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Having security here is just a precaution.”
“Do you carry a gun?” Alice asked.
“God, no. I’d hurt myself. But don’t worry. I took self-defense classes and know how to kick a guy in the balls.”
They laughed, and their laughter dissolved the heaviness in the car that the subject created.
A country song began to play on the radio. “I love this song!” Alice declared.
“Turn it up!” Elodie called to Marco who begrudgingly complied.
And just like that, it was as if the conversation never happened. We sang along to the music all the way back to the dorm, much to Marco’s dismay.
Once we were back inside and had said our good nights, Marco checked my room. When he stepped back out into the hallway, I said, “Thanks, Marco. For everything.”
He nodded, and I hoped, despite the work he had to put in to getting things ready for my night out, he realized how much I needed to find friends. He walked to his room to the left of mine. “Close the door,” he ordered before stepping into his room.
I closed and locked my door, leaning my back against it and exhaling. I’d tried so hard to let loose and forget everything that happened to me. I lived in the moment, like my counselor had encouraged me to do at our last session. And, I laughed—like really laughed—for the first time in a long time.
But now I was alone.
My first night alone since Paris.
And I hoped to God I was as strong as I thought I was.
***
“Le fou de fortune…This isn’t over…”
I jolted up, my body drenched in sweat
and my heart racing. My eyes jumped around my dorm room expecting to see the masked Frenchman looming over me. But, the soft glow of the tiny lights around my ceiling confirmed that no one was in my room. My eyes shot to my door. It was still closed and locked.
Despite the rational side of my brain telling me it was just a nightmare, I still listened for Marco’s footsteps.
But I didn’t hear his footsteps. All I heard was the distant sound of salsa music drifting up from the room beneath mine.
A giant breath whooshed out of me, knowing I was safe. Knowing it was only a nightmare. Knowing I got this.
I climbed out of bed and stripped out of my sweat-drenched clothes. I grabbed a new T-shirt and shorts and pulled them on. And though I climbed back into bed, I knew the disappointing truth. The Frenchman was in my head. And sleep wouldn’t come.
CHAPTER THREE
Kresley
I joined Elodie and Alice for breakfast the next morning. I glanced over at Marco, standing against a nearby wall in the dining hall with his arms crossed. It was glaringly obvious that he wasn’t going to be able to blend in on campus. Sure, older people took classes. But they didn’t live in the dorms. Go to dining halls. Stand in the back of classrooms. People would start asking questions. Especially once classes began tomorrow.
“I think I’m just gonna stay in for the rest of the day,” I told Marco, once we returned to the dorm.
He nodded and walked to his door. He peeked over to be sure I’d gone into my room. I hadn’t. “Get in your room and close the door,” he ordered.
“So bossy,” I said as I stepped inside. I could’ve sworn I heard him chuckle as I closed my door.
I spent the day watching movies, texting my parents, and napping. It was so much easier to sleep with sunlight casting through my window. It gave me a false sense of security that my brain needed in order to allow me to sleep.
“She’s staying in for the day,” Marco said to someone in the hallway. “But have your phone handy in case she changes her mind. Or needs the bathroom.”
I climbed off my bed and moved to the door, pressing my ear to it to hear who he was talking to.
