by J. Nathan
The song switched to a slow one, and I was all too happy to break eye contact with Tristan. I turned to face Chris, noting how dark his eyes were in such close proximity. The complete opposite of Tristan’s. “One more song?” I asked.
Chris smiled as I draped my arms over his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around my hips and rested his hands above my ass. “I’ve never seen you before,” he said, his eyes staring into mine. “Are you new here?”
I nodded. “I just transferred.”
“Lucky me,” he said.
I laughed as we moved to the slow tempo of the music.
“What year are you?” he asked.
“Senior. You?”
“Do you have a problem with younger guys?” he asked.
“Not at all.”
“Thank God.” He exaggerated a sigh of relief. “I’m a junior.”
I laughed, loving the easy flow of our conversation.
The song eventually ended and a fast one began.
“Let me get you another drink,” Chris said before leading me to the bar—the opposite end from where Tristan still stood. The bartender saw Chris and handed over two beers.
“Do you live in the frat?” I asked as we drank our beers away from the crowded dance floor.
“Yeah. You wanna see my room? I got the huge corner room.”
“Um…” A cold sweat swept over me. It was a harmless question. Why was I getting so nervous about the idea of being alone with him?
“It’s okay,” he said, sensing my hesitation. “Maybe another time.”
I nodded, appreciating that he wasn’t pushing me. “Yeah. Another time.”
He ticked his head toward the dance floor. “I see your friends. Let’s go show them how it’s done.”
We joined Elodie and Alice back on the dance floor.
The party began to thin out after one. Elodie motioned toward the stairs. “You ready?”
“Yeah.” I was exhausted and drunk. I couldn’t wait to slip under my covers because I was going to sleep so well.
“Let me get your number,” Chris said.
I rattled it off as he punched it into his phone, then he walked us upstairs and toward the front door. For the first time, he noticed Tristan following us.
“Hey man? Who you here with?” Chris asked him.
“I’m with them,” Tristan said, though his eyes were on mine.
Chris looked to me, his brows knit together. “Is he?”
“He’s Alice’s older brother,” I lied.
Alice gasped.
“He’s very overprotective and insists on following us everywhere,” I explained.
Chris looked to Tristan who didn’t seem amused by my explanation.
“Well…” I paused awkwardly by the open front door. This was usually where the guy went in for the kiss. But Chris and I had three sets of eyes on us. The girls knew enough to hang back and pretend not to be staring, but Tristan kept walking, brushing between us on his way outside so Chris and I needed to step away from each other. “It was fun hanging out tonight,” I said to Chris, trying to ignore Tristan’s rude behavior.
“Yeah, it was,” Chris agreed.
“See you around,” I said before stepping outside with the girls following.
“Marco dropped off the SUV,” Tristan informed us as soon as we were away from the front door. “It’s behind the house.”
Alice and Elodie eagerly followed him. I trailed behind, not wanting to seem too desperate to give in to his wishes to drive us. But, I was walking sideways, so out of necessity, it was safer to take the ride.
The girls slipped into the backseat first. I used my hip to push Alice into the middle of the backseat.
“You should’ve kissed him,” Alice said.
“Totally,” Elodie agreed.
“I wasn’t feeling the audience,” I explained as Tristan floored it in reverse out of the parking spot, sending the three of us tipping sideways—purposely, no doubt. It didn’t matter, we broke into drunken laughter anyway as we righted ourselves.
Elodie looked past Alice to me. “Are you gonna see Chris again?”
“Maybe.”
“He was in my chem class last year,” Elodie explained. “He’s a really good guy.”
Tristan made a low, choked sound in the front seat.
“Was that a scoff?” I asked Tristan.
“Just a tickle in my throat, ma’am,” he said.
Ma’am? Son of a bitch.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I asked him. “Because by the looks of it, you were having a ball holding up that bar.”
“Oh, yeah. Like totally fun,” he deadpanned.
“Did you get any phone numbers?” I asked.
“Tons,” he lied. At least, I assumed he lied.
“Too bad,” I said.
His eyes met mine in the rearview mirror.
“Once you open your mouth, they’ll realize how mean you are,” I explained.
He scoffed.
“That was definitely a scoff,” I said.
“Definitely,” Alice and Elodie agreed.
“Can you all just focus on not throwing up in the car?” he said, dismissing us with his tone of voice.
“I’m not feeling sick. How about you girls?” I said looking between Elodie and Alice.
“Nope,” Alice said.
“Not me,” Elodie agreed.
“See?” I met his eyes in the mirror again. “Nothing to worry about back here, sir.”
Tristan eventually pulled to a stop in front of our dorm and killed the engine.
The three of us tumbled out of the backseat giggling. We unsteadily climbed the stairs to the second floor then said goodbye in the hallway. The two of them fell into their room and burst into laughter. “Night, Kresley!”
“Night,” I called as I made my way to my room.
Tristan brushed by me, unlocking my door, and checking my room. He stepped back into the hallway.
I could sense him looking at me, so I shifted my gaze to meet his. “What?”
He shook his head, as if he had nothing to say in that judgmental brain of his. But I knew he did.
“It’s okay for me to have fun,” I said. “You don’t have to try to make me feel guilty for it.”
He buried his hands in his pockets. “Not what I’m doing.”
“And just because a guy wanted to spend the night dancing with me doesn’t make me desperate.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I hate that stupid condescending look you give me. Like you think you’re so much better than me. It sucks.”
He didn’t say anything. He just stared at me.
“And I just thought you should know.” I walked inside my room and slammed the door behind me, hating how riled up he made me. Why did I care what he thought?
I pulled off my clothes and slipped into bed in my underwear and bra without brushing my teeth or washing up. I could feel sleep near, and no judgmental bodyguard with a chip on his shoulder was going to keep me from it.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Tristan
I dropped down onto the edge of my bed and dragged my fingers through my hair. What a fucking night. Was this the sort of thing this job would entail? Watching the client meet guys and get drunk? Really?
And, did she have to be so damn stubborn all the time? She wouldn’t let me drive them to the party when I knew how exhausted she had to be. She was burning the candle at both fucking ends. But instead of taking my generosity for what it was, she had to go accuse me of giving her orders. Why was she hell-bent on proving she was tough? It was infuriating.
My eyes drifted to the monitor on the desk. Both the entrances, stairwells, hallway, and basement camera feeds were on. I swore I wouldn’t check her room feed again. But the damn vision of her pacing around her room—and the knowledge that I was the only one who knew—clawed away at my insides.
Fuuuuuuuck.
I pushed myself to my feet and moved to the mo
nitor. I stared at the dark square for a long time, begging myself not to do it. But my curiosity won out. I switched it on, breathing a sigh of relief when I found her sound asleep in bed. My finger lingered over the off button, but instead, I zoomed in on her face. Her eyelashes touched the tips of her cheeks. Her lips were puckered. She looked so innocent and fragile while she slept—the complete opposite of the fierce, feisty girl I had to deal with.
I wondered which was the real Kresley Hastings. And, if I’d ever really find out.
***
A text pinged on my phone, pulling me from a sound sleep. I cracked my eyes open, noting the sunlight filtering into my room as I reached over and grabbed my phone off the desk. I checked the screen. Bathroom.
I climbed out of bed and opened the door. Kresley stood against the hallway wall across from me. Her eyes widened before darting away from me. I glanced down. I was only in my boxers. Ah, well. I walked into the hallway and knocked on the bathroom door.
“Hold on!” a girl called.
Kresley and I stood awkwardly in the hallway, me in my boxers and her avoiding me like the plague.
“All set,” the girl said as she slipped out of the bathroom. She drank in my bare chest before darting into a nearby room.
Kresley scoffed low in her throat, and it took everything in me not to give her shit for questioning my scoff the previous night. Instead, I entered the bathroom, did a quick sweep, and walked back out.
Kresley moved around me and slipped inside, stepping back out a short time later and dodging my eyes. “I’m grabbing breakfast with the girls in ten minutes.”
“Marco’s on today.”
“Please let him know.” With that she hurried back to her room and disappeared inside before I could even check it.
What happened to the drunk princess from the previous night? Did she regret the way she’d spoken to me or did she not even remember?
Kresley
I stood with my back pressed against my closed door, my heart racing a mile a minute. Holy mother of all things sacred. Why in the world did he need to be shirtless? And, why did he have to be all jacked underneath his clothes? Holy six-pack, Batman. It was like the moment I first saw him all over again. My brain became all frazzled by his presence. His eyes. That voice. The same hum of electricity coasted over my skin.
There was a knock on my door and I jumped.
“Kresley?” Elodie called. “You ready?”
My entire body deflated, betraying me on so many levels. What was wrong with me? I didn’t want it to be my moody bodyguard. I couldn’t stand him. I pulled myself together and opened the door.
Alice and Elodie stood there with toothy grins on their faces.
“What’s up with you two?”
“You tell us,” Elodie said.
They pushed past me into my room. I shut the door and turned to face them now both sitting on my bed, anticipation lighting up their eyes.
“What happened after we left you two alone last night?” Elodie asked.
“What do you mean what happened?”
“Did he walk you inside your room?” Alice asked.
“No.”
“Did he try to kiss you?” Elodie asked.
“No.”
“Then what happened?” they asked at the same time.
“First of all, it’s like you two share a brain. And second, nothing happened. I told him he sucked. Then I went to bed.”
“It’s gonna happen,” Alice said.
“What?”
“You and him,” Elodie explained.
“Why would you say that?” I asked, now curious since I’d had another “reaction” to him.
“He’s not fair game anymore,” Alice said. “I’m bowing out gracefully.”
“What? You’re crazy.”
She shook her head. “There’s so much sexual tension between the two of you, you can almost feel it.”
“I just can’t wait to see who caves first,” Elodie added.
CHAPTER NINE
Kresley
I slipped on jeans and a T-shirt, twisted my hair into a high ponytail, and slipped on my shoes, ready for another Monday. My phone rang as soon as I opened my door. Tristan stood waiting. I stopped in the doorway and answered the call. “Hey, Mom,” I said, having seen her name on the screen. “I’m just on my way out to class.”
“Did you order something and have it sent to the house?” she asked with urgency in her tone.
“What?”
“Did you order something and have it sent here?” she demanded.
I thought for a second, but knew I hadn’t. “No. Why?”
“A package just arrived and it’s addressed to you,” she explained.
“Where’s it from?”
“There’s no return address,” she said.
I could hear voices in the background. “Stand back, Mrs. Hastings.”
My heartbeat sped up. “Mom?”
Silence.
“Mom, are you there?” I nearly cried as Tristan pushed off the wall with concern on his face.
“Put it on speaker,” he said urging me into my room.
I switched it on speaker as I stepped back in my room and sat on the edge of my bed, listening for confirmation that she was okay.
“Yes,” my mother finally said. “I’m here. I’m just staying back while security checks it.”
“What is it?” I asked, fearing it was an explosive.
“Hold on,” she whispered.
“Just stay back, Mom,” I said as tears glazed my eyes and fear grabbed hold of me. I stared at Tristan, watching for his reaction.
“Oh, my God,” she said, her breath leaving her in a relieved sigh.
“What?”
“It’s a bottle of perfume,” she explained, almost laughing.
“I didn’t order perfume,” I said.
“What kind is it?” she asked her security.
“It’s French,” one of them said.
My mother gasped.
My stomach dropped.
“Mrs. Hastings, this is Tristan. Is there a note?”
“There’s no note,” she said.
My pulse began to drum in my ears and my hands began to tremble.
“You need to come home,” my mother said.
A million thoughts whirled through my brain. They knew where I lived. This wasn’t over. It was just a matter of time before they found me. “Mom, whoever sent the perfume sent it to our home. They clearly don’t know where I am. I think for the time being I’m safer here.”
“Have the police been called?” Tristan asked.
“They’re already on their way,” my mother explained.
“Good,” Tristan said. “Have security get that package out of your house.”
“Take that outside,” she ordered them.
“The police will need to check that package for bugs, tracking devices, and explosives.”
She sighed.
“Don’t worry, Mrs. Hastings. We’ve got things covered here. But your security needs to be on high alert.”
“Please keep my baby safe,” my mother said, as if I wasn’t right there.
He locked eyes with me. “You have my word.”
Tristan and I may have had our differences, but there was something about his assurance to my mother that made me believe he would protect me.
Tristan
I paced the hallway outside Kresley’s afternoon class, checking the stairwell and monitoring her social media newsfeed—the one that made it appear as if she transferred to school in New York. She’d been right when she told her mother she was safer here. She was. Marco and I wouldn’t let anything happen to her, especially now that the threat level had moved from potential to imminent.
The classroom door swung open at three on the dot. The professor stepped into the hallway and hurried toward the building exit like he always did, in a rush to get to his next class across campus. The students filed out next. I watched each of them leave, walking
down the hallway to the exit—some talking to classmates, some with their eyes on their phones, and others with their earpods in.
My eyes shifted from side to side.
Alarm bells wailed in my head.
Where’s Kresley?
I rushed to the open classroom door, freezing as I stepped inside.
Kresley’s head was down on her desk, her left cheek resting on her arms and her blonde waves spread out all over the desk.
She was asleep.
Just like on the monitor, her eyelashes brushed the tips of her pink cheeks. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she looked so damn peaceful. Had the news of the package wiped her out? Had she felt safer sleeping in a room full of strangers than sleeping in a room by herself?
I glanced to the desk beside hers, contemplating if I should sit. Instead, I switched off the bright classroom lights and grabbed the door knob, closing the door quietly.
In the empty hallway, I sat down on the floor against the wall. She needed the sleep, and no one seemed to need the classroom. I wondered what Marco would say if he found out I let her sleep. Would he give me shit for ignoring protocol? Would he question my motives? If it were the other way around, there was no doubt in my mind that I’d question his.
Kresley
I jerked awake, my head springing up off the desk. The desk? My eyes shot around the dark empty classroom. How long had I been asleep? I snatched my belongings off the floor and stood, rushing to the classroom door. I threw it open and stepped into the hallway, nearly tripping over someone sitting on the floor outside. “Oh my God.”
Tristan looked up at me, his eyes softer than normal.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my voice echoing in the deserted hallway.
“Waiting for you.”
“Why didn’t you wake me? How long have I been asleep? What time is it?”
He pushed himself to his feet. Since he was a foot taller than me, I had to tip my head back to meet those teal eyes. “You clearly needed to sleep. It’s almost six.”
My eyes widened. “Six? Why’d you let me sleep that long?”
Indecision flashed across his eyes as they riveted between mine.
“What?” I asked.
He shook his head, clearly keeping something from me.
