He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. On purpose, I uncrossed my arms and let my hands slide down my waist in a seductive manner. I had chosen this outfit with him in mind. He better look at it.
His eyes followed my hands, but he didn’t stop at my waist. Slowly, his gaze ran down my legs and back. His eyes found mine and he swallowed hard. Seeing he was losing the battle, I took another step toward him, leaving two inches between us.
“I don’t care about what others think.” I tilted my chin up, angling my mouth to his. “Kiss me,” I said, my voice low and throaty.
He groaned. “Fuck it, Bia.” He clasped his hand around my neck and pulled my mouth to his.
His lips were soft and he tasted of mint, as if he had just chewed gum. However, there was where the subtlety ended. He kissed me with hunger and desperation. His fingers knotted in my hair, and his other hand splayed on my lower back, pulling me against him. I felt his erection coming to life and fought against a moan.
He slid his lips to my neck and inhaled deeply, as if savoring my scent. I wasn’t done ravishing his mouth though. I tilted my face to capture his mouth with mine, but he stilled and pushed me back.
“What the—?”
“I told you, Bia.” He glanced over my shoulder before meeting my eyes again. Pain flickered through his hard expression. “I’m not interested.”
A pang ran through my entire body, from my head to my toes and back to my stomach, where it gutted me.
With his head low, Garrett marched around me and exited the hallway.
“But …” I started, following him out until I bumped into Audrey.
Oh, puta merda.
She stared at me with her mouth hanging open, and her eyes wide but full of wonder, as if she had been given the best gift in the world.
She sneered. “I see you’re not attacking only my man. You’re after his brother too. Isn’t one man enough for you?”
I shook my head. “Go to hell.”
“Oh, mad someone turned you down?” Her smile fell. “Wait. Why did he turn you down? He’s in it. He wouldn’t turn you down.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“There you are!” Phoebe said, smacking into me. “I was looking for you, hon.” Her words slurred and she swayed. How many beers had she had after I left her? “You know Ben, Kevin’s friend. He said he’s in love with you!” She squealed, and the amused expression returned to Audrey’s face. “Isn’t that so freaking adorable?” She grasped my hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to him.” She started to turn and saw Audrey. “Oh, hey, it’s the bitch we hate.”
Audrey glowered, and I matched her stare until we were out of sight. I let Phoebe take me, mostly because I had no idea what to do, what to think, what to feel. On instinct, I looked for Garrett, but couldn’t find him anywhere. It didn’t mean he wasn’t here though. He could be seated around the table with his friends, or at the bar.
A lump rose in my throat. I had been considering changing my plans again, so I could be here next semester, so I could be with him. However, he had just told me he didn’t want to be seen with me, and he had pushed me away in front of Audrey. My chest hurt; my head spun.
Phoebe turned me around to face Ben. “Here she is,” she said. “Now you can profess your love for her.”
He looked at me with a smile. “Hey, um, I was wondering if you want to get out of here.” He ran a finger over my arm and leaned into me. “You know, go to a place more private, where we can—”
“Excuse me?” I stepped back.
“Why not? You’re Brazilian, right? That’s not what they do—”
Something in me snapped, probably the rage mixed with frustration and disappointment, and I slapped him hard, cutting his words.
His face jerked to the side.
Phoebe gasped. “Bia!”
Kevin shouted, “What the fuck?”
His other friends looked at me as if I was crazy, and the rest of the people around us stared.
Ben turned his eyes to me, glowing with anger. “Why you little—”
Phoebe pulled me back. “Hey, don’t talk to her like that.”
Kevin turned to her. “Why not? The chick just hit him.”
“She’ll pay for it,” Ben spat.
My head spun and my heart raced. This was getting out of control. I took Phoebe’s hand and leaned closer. “I’m sorry about this mess,” I whispered in her ear. I squeezed her hand and let go, stepping away.
“Bia, where you going?” I heard her calling me.
Keeping my head low so I didn’t have to see all the disgust, the outrage, or the curiosity on everyone’s faces, I all but ran from the bar.
Chapter Thirty-Two
I almost didn’t get up the next day. However, finals were calling me. I didn’t want to go, but I knew that I would regret it later, so I kicked myself in the butt and got up. Since I barely studied, I wouldn’t get an A, or even a B, but getting a C or a D was better than failing the class.
For the first time since I arrived here, I had to put on makeup in the morning to hide the dark circles around my eyes.
After I left the bar last night, I ran across campus, trying to hold the tears until I was safely in my dorm room. I almost made it, but I broke down in front of the building. Graças a Deus, there weren’t many people around and I was able to drag myself inside almost unseen.
I kept glancing at my phone or my door, expecting Garrett to come and explain to me what the hell happened, but the only messages and calls I got were from Phoebe. I messaged back, saying I was fine—what a lie—and that I would talk to her soon.
I fought hard, but the tears won and I cried until I fell asleep.
In the morning, I calculated the time so I didn’t spend one extra second outside. I arrived in the classroom right when the professor handed out the exams, left as soon as I finished, and then dragged myself to my dorm again.
Of course, I noticed some students looking my way. The new lies from Audrey must have spread with the wind. Although, this time, I knew they weren’t lies. Whatever she told the others, there was probably truth in them.
She probably told them I threw myself at Garrett, I begged him to take me, but he brushed me aside as if I were a cheap whore, one who he couldn’t get away from fast enough. Where was the lie in that?
Phoebe called in the afternoon, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I sent her a message, saying I wasn’t ready to talk yet. Truth was, I was counting the hours until Friday, when I would leave right after finishing the last exam, and I wouldn’t come back.
Good riddance.
At night, knowing everyone was at a party in the main courtyard, I took advantage of the almost empty building to start loading my car. The more I did now, the less I would have to do on Friday and the earlier I could leave.
I opened the trunk of my car and placed a box with books inside it. I turned to pick up another box when I saw someone approaching.
My heart stopped for a second.
His head low and hands inside the pockets of his jeans, Garrett walked toward me. I rushed to shove all the boxes in the trunk and close it before he got near. Shaking with nervousness and hurt, I dropped one of the boxes and books scattered on the dirty pavement.
“Puta merda,” I cursed, placing a hand over my eyes. Luck really wasn’t on my side lately.
“I like it when you speak in Portuguese, even if it’s cursing.” Garrett’s voice came loud and clear.
I spun around to find him right there, standing four feet from me.
I shook my head and crouched down to pick up the books. “Go away, Garrett.”
He knelt beside me and started helping me. “We need to talk.”
Hadn’t I heard that before? And what good did it do?
I glared at him and took the books from his hands. “I don’t think so.” I threw the books in the trunk. I would organize them later. Right now, my mission was to pick them up so I could get away from here.
He reached out, but stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed another book from the ground. “I need to apologize for the way I acted last night, and I need to try to explain what happened.”
“Try? Try to explain?” I shook my head. “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it.”
“Please, Bia.”
I stared at him. “Once you told me you didn’t believe the lies, but last night, you helped start a new mill of them. First, you tell me you don’t want to be seen with me, and then you turned me down in front of Audrey. Audrey! Of all people in the world, you know she is the worst. You humiliated me, Garrett.”
Frustration crossed his face. “I’m so sorry for that. I wish we could go back in time. I wouldn’t have gone to the bar. But I thought you weren’t coming. You said you had to study. If I had known you would be there, I wouldn’t have gone.”
I gaped. “Meu Deus, can’t you see you’re making it worse? You just said that if you had known I was there, you wouldn’t have gone. Why Garrett? Because you just wanted to fuck me in the dark. Is that it?”
His eyes flared and he leaned over me. “What we did was more than a simple fuck, and you know that. You were there; you felt it too.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “What is it, then? Why didn’t you want me there, and why did you humiliate me?”
He flinched. “I swear it was never my intention to cause you pain. I never meant to hurt you.”
I heard a succession of footfalls and turned to where I thought it was coming from. It was the end of the parking lot, and there was nothing there, not even a car, except for shrubs and a couple of trees.
To my left, a girl strolled from one dorm building to another. I must have heard her steps and, so confused, thought it was on the other side. My head was so messed up.
I picked up the last book, threw it in the trunk, and closed the door. “You’re not making any sense.”
Garrett pressed his mouth tightly. Finally, he said, “I can’t really explain right now, and we can’t be seen together.”
“Again with that? Go to hell, Garrett. I’m not a call girl. I won’t just be around whenever you want release.”
I started walking away, but he grasped my upper arm and pulled me back, against my car. He leaned into me. “I just said it was more than that, didn’t I?”
“But you also said you can’t be seen with me.”
He dropped his head on my shoulder, and his scent filled my lungs, twisting my belly and weakening my knees.
He lifted his head again, and I could see the frustration in his eyes. “Please, believe me, there’s more to it, but I can’t explain right now. You have no idea how much it pains me to say this, but we have to pretend nothing is going on until you’re back from the holidays.”
“I’m not coming back,” I told him. Surprisingly, my voice was even.
His eyes widened, gleaming with shock. “What? What do you mean?”
“I’m moving back to California.”
“When did you decide this?”
“When I came back from Thanksgiving.”
“But … that was before we slept together. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We weren’t exactly on speaking terms back then.”
“Why are you leaving?”
I snorted. “As if you didn’t know. Audrey and her lies. The many weirdoes who hit on me every single day. Your creepy brother included.” The fact that his jaw clenched when I mentioned the guys hitting on me didn’t escape me. “You tell me you can’t be seen with me, then humiliate me in front of my worst enemy. Shall I go on?”
“So, basically you’re giving up.”
“Right now, coming to this university was a mistake. I should have done what my father wanted from the beginning. Apply to a college there and stay close to home.”
He frowned. “Are you saying I was a mistake?”
I sighed. I could lie, say it was, or be quiet and let him assume he was, but for some reason, I thought he deserved the truth from me, even if he didn’t do the same for me.
“No.” I reached over and cupped his face with my hand. “You were the best thing out of this whole experience.” He turned his face into my hand and placed a soft kiss on my palm. I shivered, fighting to stay strong. “Well, you and Midnight.”
His usual half-grin showed up on his kissable lips. “I’m losing to a horse.”
I withdrew my hand. “There’s no competition there. The horse wins.”
“Hey, now. Let me kiss you, and then you tell me that again.” He leaned into me.
I panicked, but didn’t move.
He brushed his lips against mine, probably making sure I wasn’t bolting. Well, I wasn’t bolting, and to show him, I wrapped my hands around his neck and parted my lips. Almost instantly, he closed his mouth on mine, and his tongue plunged inside my mouth. His hands tightened on my waist, and I wiggled my hips, adjusting them so I could feel more of him. He pressed his hips against mine, his hard rock erection brushing against my core, making me shiver. Meu Deus, I would miss this. I would miss him. I would miss the way he touched me, the way he was able to melt me, to turn me into mush.
I would enjoy it while it lasted, because I knew that, after this, after him, I would be lonely for a long while. I couldn’t imagine trying to kiss someone else, trying to be with someone else. Even if I did, I knew it wouldn’t be the same. Garrett and I connected in a way I had never connected with anyone.
I didn’t believe in soul mates. I believed there were a handful of people with whom an individual could be perfect with, but on a planet with seven billion people, a handful was rare to find. However, I had found one of mine and I didn’t want to go after any other. Still, I had to let him go. I had to go.
I broke the kiss, panting.
His breathing wasn’t much better than mine, and that made me a little less sad. Good. Maybe he’ll miss me too.
He pressed his forehead against mine. “Come to the cabin with me.”
A sob made its way through my throat, but I clamped my mouth and kept it in. Here it was again. Didn’t he see what he was doing to me? He just asked me to go fuck him, but be quiet about it. To be his obedient whore.
I took a deep breath, calming my nerves, and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Fighting against myself, I dropped my arms from him and pulled his from around me.
“Bia …”
Stepping aside, I flashed him a smile. A sad one. “Goodbye, Garrett.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Thursday was a repeat of Tuesday and Wednesday. I went from my dorm to my finals and back to my dorm. To make things worse, I was eating only snacks or frozen stuff so I didn’t have to go out for meals.
On the bright side, Molly wasn’t around much—probably partying with her bitchy sisters.
Friday, I woke up feeling a bit better. I had one final exam in the morning, and then I was done. I just needed to take the last of my things to my car and drive away, leaving the lies, the heartbreak, and everything else behind me.
I hadn’t told my family about moving back, but I was sure they wouldn’t be opposed to it. In fact, I believed they would love it. I hoped that I would be able to make amends with my father, and everything would be right again.
Except for my heart.
I finished my final exam in record time. I wasn’t doing too well, since I barely studied, but at least I would pass, and then I would study my butt off at the new university next semester to compensate.
I would be fine. I would be okay.
I exited the classroom and noticed several students laughing or gasping at something on their cell phones. What was so amusing? Justin Bieber got arrested again? Or he finally had been deported? Being a foreigner, I hated it when one toyed with his or her permission to be here.
I pulled out my cell phone and unmuted it. There were several missed calls and messages, from both Phoebe and Garrett. What the hell? The last one from Phoebe asked me if I had seen it yet. Seen what?
As I exited the
building, several students looked from their cell phones to me, and sneered or laughed or snorted. My heartbeat sped. Whatever this was, I knew I didn’t want to be a part of it.
I raced to my dorm, focusing on what I had to do: grab my bags, throw them inside my car, and go. However, I came to a complete stand still when I saw Audrey, Sarah, Molly, Jonah, Jeff, and some others in front of my dorm building.
“There you are,” Audrey said, loud and clear.
Students who came and went turned their heads to her. Apparently, she wanted everyone around us to hear her. Great.
I took two steps toward them. “Let me pass.”
“In a minute,” she said, smiling. “First, I would like for you to see when we deliver the prize.”
“What?”
My cell phone rang. It was Garrett. I pressed the ignore call button and faced Audrey. “Get out of my way before I break your nose again.”
She cringed, touching her nose. Recovering, she smiled and pointed to the phone in my hand. “I bet that was Garrett.” I frowned. She glanced behind me. “And here he comes.”
I turned around. Garrett was running toward us.
With flushed cheeks, he halted in front of me. “Don’t believe anything she’s saying.”
Meu Deus. “She hasn’t said anything.”
“She’s going to,” he continued. “Please, don’t believe her. Let me explain.”
My heart sank.
“No,” Audrey said, her tone harsh. “I’ll explain.”
“Bia—”
“Shut up, Garrett,” Jonah shouted.
Garrett clenched his hands and took a step forward, but I raised my hand and stopped him before he could jump on his half-brother. It seemed I wasn’t going to escape this. The faster it went—whatever it was—the faster I could leave.
I looked at Garrett. “Let her tell me.”
“No, Bia, pl—”
“You heard her,” Audrey started. “She wants to know, and I’m dying to tell her.”
I crossed my arms and faced her. “Then tell me.”
Her lips curled into a wicked smile. “There was a bet going on since your second or third week here. The guy who was able to take you to bed first would take the jackpot.”
Breaking Fences (The Breaking Series) Page 28
