by Anne Mercier
"Did you really need to say that out loud like that?" I ask, knowing I'm blushing.
"Yep, sure did."
"Jerk," I tease and he grins. "It's just—Cameron Stone of all people."
"I hear ya. I'm not real pleased with this turn of events either. I was hoping I'd be the one to get in your pants."
"Sebastian…" I scold.
He shrugs. "I'll find a way to cope. Maybe find a young unsuspecting coed and finger bang the hell out of her in her kitchen."
I gasp.
"What? If it worked for Stone…"
"God," I groan. "You know it wasn't like that."
"I know. And now that you're finally realizing it and accepting it, you can stop torturing yourself."
"Maybe."
"Just remember, Three. There's a fine line between love and hate."
"What does that mean?" I ask, a bit afraid of that comment.
"You'll figure it out before too long and hopefully I won't have to murder Prospect University's star wide receiver before the year's over."
"There'll be no murder necessary," I joke with a grin.
"You say that now," he teases. "Let me know in a couple months if you still feel the same way."
"Whatever, Sebastian. I'm not falling for Cameron Stone."
He kisses the top of my head. "Fall for me instead."
I laugh. "I just said…"
"I'll forgive you the lie. You don't realize what you're saying yet."
"You're so weird," I tease and hug him.
There's a clearing of a throat at the door and I look up over Sebastian's shoulder. Alexa stands there, eyes wide. "I hate to interrupt…"
"You're not."
"Unfortunately," Sebastian adds.
"Since tomorrow's our first day of classes, did you want to see if we've got any of the same?" Alexa asks.
"Oh, you've dug your schedule out finally?" I look at Sebastian. "I wanted to compare the other day but she said she wasn't pulling the schedule out until the cinderblocks were securely fastened to her feet."
He grins. "Lex, how did you end up with such a fuckwad for a brother?"
She sits on the bed. "Your guess is as good as mine. The only reason I admit he's my brother is so I can get in to the parties."
"At least he's good for something," Sebastian murmurs. "Although, I could get you in to those same parties."
"True, but I wouldn't want to cramp your style. Besides, rumors would get started if we showed up together at parties together, even if we went our own ways after we walked through the door," Lex reasons.
"It might be worth it just to piss off that caveman of a brother of yours," he replies.
"Pretty girls who want to party…" she coaxes.
"Yep, you're right. Not worth it," he answers.
"Let's go grab something to eat," Alexa suggests.
"I'm not changing," I tell her, giving her a glare.
Sebastian coughs. "Why the hell would you? You change those pants and I'll cry."
I laugh. "Yoga pants. I'll add that to the male weakness list."
"Make it number two," he instructs.
"What's number one?" Alexa asks.
"Push-up bras."
I groan. "Underwire had to have been invented by a man."
Seb scoffs. "Of course it was, right along with high heels and yoga pants."
"Let's go before Sebastian needs a self-love session," Alexa taunts.
I hurry to put my shoes on and we're out the door in less than five minutes. When we're walking down the hall, Sebastian's pouting.
"Get over it," Alexa tells him.
"It's just…"
"Seriously, it's not something I want to see. Would you want to watch that?" I ask, without thinking.
"Fuck yes, I would," he perks up. "Now I'm really going to need to rub one out."
He announces this as we're walking out the front of the dorm, more than a few heads turning our way and murmurs of, "Smith".
"That's one way to make our presence known," I laugh.
"With me around, they'll always see you coming."
I cut my eyes over to him and he's grinning.
Alexa shudders. "God, I hope not."
"I think I need different friends. You two are perverts," I state, walking in front of them.
"Just look at that ass," Alexa starts and Sebastian wolf whistles. I can't hide my laugh.
Maybe, just maybe, this year won't be as bad as I thought it would.
***
Being here is so much worse than I could have ever imagined. Hard as I try, I can't avoid Cameron. He's even in three of my classes. How does that happen? I considered dropping them, but I didn't take college credits in high school to end up taking classes I don't want or need. I took the prerequisite courses so I could take some of the meatier classes for my psych degree. My Psych 101 course and the Intro to Statistics are the two that had me the most excited, until…
First class of the day, Written Communication. A breeze and some really great students in my class, smart students. They'll challenge me and since my education is all I'm going to be focusing on this year, this is definitely a good thing.
Second class promptly begins at ten-thirty-five a.m. I don't get the five, but whatever. Maybe, being as this is Psych 101, they'll delve into the reasoning behind the "five".
I pull out my books and set them on my desk. I'm thumbing through the syllabus again as students file in, and when I hear his laugh I close my eyes, praying to someone, anyone that this isn't happening. When I open them, he's standing in the doorway, talking to a couple guys about their practice this morning, and when he spots me, his brows go up, then his eyes narrow.
As if, buddy. Is he thinking that I took this class because somehow I magically knew he'd be in it? Get a grip. If I'd known, I'd have taken it at a different time.
I roll my eyes and his mouth quirks up in a grin. Asshole.
The professor enters and everyone takes their seat, and guess who sits behind me with Brax? Yep. Mr. Wide Receiver.
I try my best to ignore them, but who can ignore Brax when he's tapping on your shoulder?
I turn and meet his chocolaty gaze, his hair cropped close to his scalp, and his skin the same color as my moccachino. Oh boy. He's sexy. Full lips, straight teeth, and a smile that could light up the Eifel Tower in a power outage. Damn.
"Hey Olivia," he greets.
"Hi Brax." I stare at him, wondering what this is about.
"You remember my friend here, right? Cameron Stone?" he prompts.
I sneer. "Oh, you mean God's gift to women? Mr. Wide Receiver who enjoys screwing around with more than one person in one night? My bully?"
Brax's eyes widen, his mouth hanging open a bit in shock. "Uh, yeah, that'd be him."
From the corner of my eye I see Cam's hands clench into fists. He really needs to get over himself. I already got past what happened with him. It didn't take much really, just me finding out that after he left me a mess in my kitchen that night, he went back to his frat and hooked up with the blonde bimbo who'd been hanging on him at the party the night before.
Not only did that help me let go of the guilt and confusion of what happened, it also helped me see what a slut he is.
I nod at Brax. "You can keep him." I turn in my chair, reach into my bag and put my glasses on, ignoring the whispers behind me.
Class moves at a crawl. I answer the questions appropriately when called upon and even volunteer once. This is a huge step for me. I've never been confident in my intelligence, but I know I prepared myself well. Besides, I want to be known as the nerd girl or the brainiac instead of someone who parties or is any fun at all. I don't want to be that girl. I want to just focus and be who I am, and that's someone who's here to learn and try her damnedest to move on.
When class ends, I'm putting my books into my backpack when Cameron leans forward. "I don't know what you heard—"
I raise a hand, closing my bag. I look up to meet his gaze, mine flat an
d devoid of emotion. "It doesn't matter what I heard. I don't care. I don't want to hear anymore."
I toss my bag over my shoulder and walk out of the class but before I get to the door I hear Brax whistle.
"Damn, dude. What did you do to that girl?"
And Cam, always the eloquent one replies with, "Fuck off, Brax."
When I hear them behind me, talking football again, I'm tempted to turn around and ask them if they don't have somewhere else to be rather than following me. I mean, really?
Third period is Intro to Statistics, a class I know I’m going to loathe if the syllabus and our first reading assignment is any indication—and I'm going to hate it even more because, once again, Cam and Brax sit behind me.
I rest my forehead on my hands and rub it. You have got to be kidding me.
Thankfully, Sebastian is in this class with me and I can't hide my relief when he takes the desk next to mine.
He sits down, sliding down a bit and leaning toward me. "Well this is interesting."
I sigh. "You don't know the half of it."
"Why don't you tell me?"
I point at my schedule. "You know how I was looking forward to this?" I ask, pointing at my Psych 101 class.
He nods and smirks. "Yeah, how can I forget. I swear you read that chapter ten times."
I point behind me and mouth, "In the class."
Seb's mouth kicks up in a smirk. "Well, damn."
"Yeah, I didn't put it so kindly."
"I bet not."
I sigh.
"I'll buy you a moccachino and a burger after class. That should help," he consoles.
"Only if it comes with a slice of chocolate cake, too," I coax.
He laughs. "With extra whipped cream, but only because you’ve been traumatized."
"You just can't know."
***
After lunch I have one class left, thankfully unless Cameron Stone is a psych major, I can't imagine him taking this class along with the other two we have together.
Alexa and I walk into Sociology and take our seats.
"Oh, Liv, I have something I need to tell you," she begins, but it's too late.
"This can't be happening," I whisper. Three classes. Three.
"I found out this morning. I sent you a text, but I know you never check your phone," she scolds.
"He's a psych major, isn't he?" I ask her. She bites her lower lip and nods sheepishly. "Fuck my life."
Alexa giggles. "It's not that bad."
"According to you." I look at Alexa and before Cam and Brax even walk into the room, I tell her, "They're going to sit behind me, just like the last two classes."
"You can't know that."
"Oh, can't I?" I ask, watching the two hulking athletes make their way to the row behind us.
Cam gives Alexa's hair a tug and she looks at me with sympathy.
I just shake my head and put my glasses back on. "It's a damn good thing I don't play the lottery because my luck sucks ass."
CHAPTER 8
"There's always that one stupid mistake that changes everything."
- Unknown
Cameron
If there was any question about how Olivia Brennan feels about me, it's answered with one hundred percent certainty now.
How the hell did she find out about me hooking up with Brittany? I know Lex didn't say anything—especially knowing what happened and Liv's reaction. It was a dick move, and one I regret, but damn. The sting of rejection, hearing her say it was a mistake—I get it. I do. Danny was her guy and the only one she's ever been with, so the guilt wasn't a surprise. Truth is, I might have had a twinge or two of it myself.
But to see her destroyed because I touched her and brought her pleasure, and then to tell me it was a big mistake and never should have happened? A guy's ego can only take so much before he snaps. I did the right thing, pissing her off before I left.
I was so fucking hard, even after the slap because Olivia Brennan has some serious fire under that Miss Priss exterior. I couldn't stop thinking about her… even after six beers and two shots with the guys I kept seeing her eyes glaze over as she came around my fingers. I could still smell her. I called it an early night and went to my room. My first mistake was not locking my door. The second was not noticing Brit watching me.
I stripped off my jeans, grabbed my lube, and went to rub one out. I was really getting into it when my door opened. Without pretense, Brittany knelt before me and sucked me off. I told her no, even though her mouth felt like fucking heaven. I knew it wasn't who I wanted blowing me. It wasn't Olivia. But Brit was on a mission or something, told me there'd be no strings attached, to just relax and she'd get me off as a kind of payback for the multiples I'd given her in the past.
Wrong or not, I let her. I was fucking horny as hell and when I closed my eyes, I imagined Olivia, smelled her on my hand, it didn't take long for me to blow my load. Thing about it was, it left me feeling unsatisfied and… dirty. When the fuck did I turn into a pussy? Some chick gives me head and I'm a puss about it? What the fuck?
So, I did what any guy would do, I told her to get the fuck out which earned some hardcore swears from Brittany. Then, I grabbed my bottle of Jack and drank myself stupid.
I paid the price the next day at practice. Each hit I took, I took for Olivia. It didn't solve anything or make her feel better—and at that point Alexa had called and told me what was up, so I felt like a fucking prick—but I did it anyway, wishing it would somehow matter.
It didn't.
I give Alexa's hair a tug before Brax and I walk out of the class. I take one last look at Liv and she's looking back, her nerdy glasses sitting sexy-as-fuck on her nose, her eyes piercing into mine.
Brax elbows me and I give him a look.
"Fuck, she's seriously pissed off at me," I tell him, stating the obvious.
"Dude, that's an understatement. What the hell happened?" he asks.
"I told you."
"She's that bent because of that?" he asks.
I sigh. "That, and somehow she heard about me hooking up with Brit."
"Fuck, man. She only blew you. It's not like you banged her."
"Doesn't matter. Olivia Brennan's one of those good girls who sees black and white—there's no room for gray," I explain.
"Maybe it's time you start mixing her colors, man," Brax suggests.
"She's not interested. You saw it."
He shakes his head. "No, what I saw is someone pissed off, but there's more than anger there."
I shake my head in denial. And to prove it, I hold up outside the building, opening my umbrella.
"Let's just see," I say to Brax. He shrugs.
Olivia walks out of the building and I call out her name.
"Liv."
She pauses, looks at me like I'm something that slithered out from under a rock. When she doesn't answer, I just keep going.
"Want to share and umbrella? I'll walk you—"
She cuts me off with a snort, the rain falling steadily from the sky, already soaking her hair. She sneers at me. "Not even if it would save me from a long, torturous death from hypothermia."
Then, she tops it by flipping me off. I gotta admit, I'm a little turned on by her attitude.
"See what I'm talking about?" I ask Brax.
"Dude. Believe me or don't, I saw interest—even if she doesn't want to be."
I look at Brax who inclines his head and raises his brows.
"That changes things then, doesn't it?" I ask with a grin. What is it about this girl that I suddenly find so fucking appealing? Why her? Why now?
He nods and grins with me. "Tread lightly with this one and take it slow. Find a way 'in', spend time with her, let her see the real you—not the one she remembers from high school or the one she hears rumors about."
"An 'in', huh? Where the hell do I find that?"
"Dude," Brax chides, smacking me on my shoulder. "Your sister is her roommate. How much more of an 'in' do you need?"
&nbs
p; "Alexa's banned me from their room for a while," I admit.
He looks at me like I've grown a second head. "Since when do you listen to what your little sister tells you?"
"Yeah, fuckin' good question."
Brax winks. "Don't let me down."
I snort as I head to the frat to work on my plan.
***
It's been two months since I formulated what I call Operation Olivia. I'm not trying to get in her pants; I just don't want her to hate me. Four times it's rained and four times she's told me to fuck the fuck off when I offered her my umbrella. I get fucking hard when she gets all badass chick.
"Liv, let me walk you back. It's pouring out here and cold as fuck," I offer.
"When I get that hypothermia? They can shatter me into a million pieces with a hammer before I'd walk under that umbrella with you," she bites out.
"That's a little extreme, don’t you think?" I ask, more than a little shocked at her level of anger.
"So was what you did." With that, she walked away. After that, I just got the finger when I offered. I considered making some lewd comment, but I value my manhood.
The first time I showed up at their dorm room, Alexa wasn't there.
I knock and wait.
"Who is it?" Olivia yells out and I already now I'm fucked.
I brace my hands on the doorframe and rest my forehead against the door. "It's Cameron. Is Alexa around?"
"No, and go fuck yourself," she shouts at me through the door. I gotta admit, it's strange hearing her say "fuck" but, like her snide comments, it gets me hot. I had to adjust myself before walking away.
She's finding herself—herself without him, without all the prying eyes of Destiny.
The second time Lex was there and I made up some lame excuse about needing sugar or some shit. I'm pretty sure they knew I was full of shit, but it worked and I watched as Olivia slammed her bedroom door as I walked in.
The next few times were more of the same and I noticed that Olivia Brennan in those legging things she's always wearing is a fucking beautiful sight. Two weeks ago, she stopped leaving the room, but kept ignoring me. I didn't mind that so much. What had me grinding my teeth was when she'd be snuggled up to Sebastian Smith as they watched a movie. What the fuck is that anyway?
