Love & Ruin (The Love & Ruin Series Book 1)

by J. A. Owenby

  “Mac, you don’t ‘put up’ with friends,” I said, smiling shyly. Not once had she pried about my clothes, hat, or anything else. She’d simply accepted me for me. The least I could do was return the favor.

  The flare of a snare drum rang through the night as we approached the busy lawn. We edged our way through the crowd and settled somewhere in the middle. Everyone was standing, and the group gave an ear-splitting scream when several people stepped out onto the stage.

  I grimaced and shot Mac a look as she jumped up and down, clapping.

  “Can you see?” she asked.

  “Yeah!”

  She frowned at me, cupping her ear, so I nodded at her instead. She pointed toward the front of the large group.

  “Hello, Spokane!”

  The crowd went nuts. I’d never seen or been in the middle of anything like this before. My stomach clenched, and I inched closer to Mac. She smiled and looped her arm through mine. She knew. She realized I was already freaking out.

  “Could you be mine?” a raspy male voice asked.

  The girls went ballistic. You’d think we were watching Charlie Puth or something.

  “Did you see?” Mac asked, pointing again.

  I frowned and pushed up on my toes to get a better look over the sea of people. The moment the song started, my mouth dropped.

  Hendrix.

  What the hell? I shot Mac a wide-eyed look. His voice could melt butter! He totally lied to me in the library when he said he couldn't sing.

  “Right? He’s so amazing. Oh, my God, I could listen to him twenty-four hours a day—”

  Although I was angry with him for not being honest with me, Mac was right. I’d happily listen to him all day long.

  Regardless of the fact I tried to fight it, my toe tapped, and I held onto Mac’s arm and lost myself in the music. I’d never attended a concert before, much less something like this. I fought the part of myself that told me to run and hide. Instead, I stood straighter, my attention trained on Hendrix, my arm looped with Mac’s.

  It was okay.

  I was okay.

  And for the first time in years, I allowed myself to have a little bit of fun.

  Hendrix talked to the crowd and introduced the band members before the keyboard began again, and he slipped into Citizen Shade’s “Forfeit Tomorrow.” My heart almost stopped. This song was on both of our Spotify lists. I knew what it meant to me. Did it mean something to him? Or was it just hauntingly beautiful music?

  Another hour flew by as I listened to every word that slipped from his lips. He’d catch shit from me the next time I saw him. Sort of sing? This dude needed to step away from the pot brownies. He was one of the best singers I’d ever heard.

  I felt a little guilty for biting his head off earlier today. But a moment later, suspicion and anger took over. There was no way someone like him wanted to get to know someone like me. Shit didn’t go down that way.

  “Thanks, everyone! Have a great night!” Hendrix waved to the crowd as he slid his mic into place and strolled off the stage.

  People went wild, pushing and pulling in every direction. What was going on? Were the girls trying to get to him? What was happening? Panic shot through me as Mac and I were pulled in opposite directions. She opened her mouth, but all I could understand were the words spray and eagle.

  My eyes widened as I was wedged between other students and Mac disappeared from sight. Bodies were tightly squeezed together, my arms pinned to my side, and I was unable to reach my phone or the pepper spray in the front pocket of my jeans. Anxiety fought to take over as I thought about Mac. She was so petite, was she okay?

  The strength of the crowd lessened a bit, then the yelling started.

  “Fuck you, bitch. Keep your snatch away from my man!” The shorter blond-haired girl yelled, jabbing her finger in the air toward the athletically built girl.

  “Your man? I’ve been fucking him the entire six months you’ve been dating. Don’t think I’d call him your man.”

  Holy hell. Seriously? All this over a guy? What was wrong with people?

  “Break it up!” Someone yelled over the anxious, angry crowd. “This is campus police!”

  Everyone stepped back, allowing them a path to the fight. From the chatter around me, I gathered the girls were throwing drunken punches, and the shouting continued.

  “A little more excitement than I’d counted on,” a girl next to me muttered as she rubbed her arm.

  “Me too,” I replied, eyeing her. She stood about five-seven, long brown hair with blond highlights. Worry lines creased her forehead.

  “Things should calm down, now. You okay?” she asked, nodding toward me.

  “Other than being scared shitless, I’m okay. You?”

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Your cheek, though. You have blood on it.” She pointed to the right side of my face.

  Frowning, I raised my hand and touched it. Red streaked my fingers.

  “It’s not too bad. You probably got scratched when everyone got a little crazy. Just clean it up and make sure it doesn’t get infected,” she said.

  “Thank you,” I responded.

  “Nursing. I mean, I’m attending college for nursing.”

  “Oh, okay. Thank you. I appreciate it,” I said, readjusting my hat.

  Pushing up on my tiptoes, I tried to see over the top of everyone and identify the direction of the statue. The noise had calmed some, and I was finally able to talk at an almost normal volume.

  “Where’s the eagle statue? I’m lost,” I said.

  “Over there,” she replied, pointing toward the side of the crowd. “Be careful getting out of here.” She gave me a small wave and worked her way through the people in the opposite direction.

  “You too,” I said to her back, and began to politely move through them myself. All I wanted was to find Mac and go back to the dorm.

  The angry events had stripped away all the fun from the evening, which pissed me off since I couldn’t remember the last time I’d relaxed a little and enjoyed myself.

  Finally, I slipped my hand into my pocket and grabbed the pepper spray like Mac had told me to. A small amount of comfort swelled inside of me while my fingers wrapped around it tightly. Grabbing my phone from my other pocket, I checked for missed calls. There weren’t any. My pulse quickened as I wondered if Mac was okay.

  Chapter 6

  Nearly twenty minutes later, I reached the statue located near the stage. I frantically searched for Mac, but she wasn’t anywhere to be seen. Not wanting to get caught up in the crowd again, I took a few steps back and leaned against the safety of the building.

  I searched the group one more time and tried to call her. Nothing. A tremble traveled through me as I called her again. She had to be okay. At least the mass of people had thinned out and calmed down some. Where was she, though? She specifically told me to meet her here if we got separated.

  The loud clang of the drum set’s cymbal startled me, and I yelped while I peered up at the stage. A part of me had hoped I’d see Hendrix, so I could wait for Mac with him. He was better than standing alone in the middle of the night.

  The crowd had cleared to make way for the campus cops, who were escorting the handcuffed girls away. I stepped forward after they passed, scanning the remaining people for Mac.

  “There she is!” a male voice boomed.

  My head snapped toward the sound.

  “Are you Gemma Thompson?” A tall, heavy-set officer sauntered toward me.

  “Yes?” I took in the scene in front of me. Brandon and his minions were standing to the side of the officer. Panic rose in my chest.

  What in the hell was going on?

  “This young man said you started the fight,” he said, pointing toward Brandon.

  “What?” I gasped. “No, I was pushed around in the crowd with everyone else. How would I even have started a fight?”

  “She’s lying,” Brandon said and stepped forward. “She pushed the girl in the red shirt. See the s
cratch on her cheek? I’m telling you, she started all of this crap tonight.”

  “No! I didn’t!” My pitch climbed a notch as the officer took my arm.

  “Miss, come with us so we can clear all of this up. Instigation of a fight is grounds for dismissal from the university.”

  Wide-eyed, I shook my head. There was no way they could possibly believe this shit. It didn’t make sense.

  Was Brandon trying to get back at me for Hendrix standing up to him on my behalf?

  As the officers escorted me across the lawn of the school, I caught a glimpse of Brandon laughing. The bastard thought this was funny.

  “Gemma!”

  I turned around. “Mac! They think I started the fight. Help me.”

  “Seriously?” She hauled ass across the freshly mowed lawn and caught up to us. “What the hell?” she asked, gasping for breath.

  “Brandon. He lied to them and now they won’t listen. What am I going to do?”

  Mac bent over, resting her hands on her knees briefly. A moment later she straightened, her expression solemn.

  “I’ll meet you there,” she yelled.

  My brows shot up while she took off running again in the opposite direction.

  Shit. Where was she going?

  My shoulders slumped in defeat as I walked with the officers toward the building. Were the girls from the fight there already? Maybe they’d clear my name. Neither of them would even recognize me, so it should help swing things in my favor.

  We entered the building, and they ushered me to a desk and chair. I scanned the room for the other girls and noticed they were talking with another person in the department.

  “Ask them,” I said and nodded toward the girl in the red shirt. “Ask if they have seen me before and if I started the fight.”

  “Gemma, we have an eyewitness already.”

  “Brandon? He’s been harassing me. I should be here filing a restraining order on him!” I squeaked out.

  “Actually, he filed a complaint against you, and there’s a restraining order as well. You’re not allowed to be within three-hundred feet of him. If you break this order, you’ll be arrested.”

  My mouth hit the floor. Were they kidding me? Was someone going to hop out from another desk and tell me I was on Candid Camera or some other reality TV show, and all this nonsense was one big joke?

  “Gemma!”

  I turned to see Mac hurrying across the room toward me, and I groaned. Could the night get any worse? She’d brought Hendrix with her. Why in the hell would she do that? Just one more person to watch my sideshow of humiliation?

  “Hey,” Hendrix said as he stepped up to the desk.

  Mac bent over and whispered in my ear. “It’s going to be okay. Be quiet and listen.”

  “Officer, there’s been a misunderstanding,” Hendrix stated.

  “I doubt it but go ahead.” The officer leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his bulging stomach.

  “She wasn’t even in the crowd. She was side stage. I could see her the entire time and so could my band members.”

  “And what was she doing there?” he asked impatiently.

  “Waiting for me. I invited her tonight and said she could hang out until the show was over. She was never even in the crowd.”

  This time I had the sense not to allow my mouth to gape open at the lie. Was everyone immune to telling the truth around here?

  Mac gently squeezed my shoulder as we listened to Hendrix give every detail of my whereabouts tonight. I played along. What choice did I really have? I mean Brandon had already talked the cops into a restraining order. I bit my lower lip. How in the hell could this be happening?

  “Anyone else in the band willing to vouch for her?” The cop’s expression grew stern while he looked Hendrix up and down.

  “Yup. Everyone will tell you the same thing.”

  My shoulders tensed. How could they? And, okay, it was one thing to lie for a friend, but I’d never even met his band. No way would they tell security I was there.

  “Fine, we’ll call them tonight. If they tell me the same thing you did, we’ll drop the charges against Gemma for starting the fight. However, the restraining order sticks.”

  “What restraining order?” Hendrix asked, his jaw clenching as he waited for an explanation.

  “Brandon Montgomery. She’s been harassing him, and he filed against her tonight.”

  “You’re screwing with me, right?” Hendrix ran a hand through his hair and attempted to remain calm.

  “Wouldn’t do that, son. We’re done here so if you all want to leave then go on. Otherwise I’ll find another reason to keep your friend.”

  “Nope, we’re good,” Mac said, grabbing me by the arm and hauling me out as fast as she could.

  “Dammit!” I yelled the moment we stepped outside again. “Mac, what just happened? How did this night turn to total shit?” I squealed and pulled on the sides of my hat with both hands.

  The sound of the front door opening pulled my attention away from her.

  “Thank you,” I muttered as Hendrix approached.

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “For what? You didn’t do anything other than invade my library space. And you’ve actually been nice to me,” I mumbled shyly.

  “If I’d been there sooner, Brandon wouldn’t have gotten away with the restraining order. Do you know why they believed him?”

  “Not. One. Damned. Clue.” My focus bounced between Mac and Hendrix, waiting for a response.

  Mac snickered, and I shot her a look. She held her hands up in surrender and muttered something about ADHD causing her to have untimely outbursts. No shit. I’d lived with her for over a month now and had already figured that out.

  “He’s the dean’s son, Gemma. He’s very well connected and has a lot of pull with important people. That’s the only reason he got away with the restraining order.” Hendrix’s jaw tightened again.

  For the second time in the same night, my mouth hit the ground.

  Stunned, I slapped my hands over my face, only managing to smash my glasses into my nose. My hands dropped to my sides, defeat nudging at me with the new information.

  “What? No! This is why he gets away with tormenting people? Oh my God. I didn’t harass him or follow him or whatever else he said. It’s the opposite. You know that, right? You were there,” I gushed.

  “Yeah, I know,” Hendrix said, running his hand over his hair.

  From what I’d seen, Brandon and Hendrix had a severe dislike for each other. Maybe I’d work up the nerve to ask about it sometime, but for now I had to figure out how to get out of this mess. Not to mention this was the most I’d ever said to Hendrix.

  My pulse sped up, and I tried to wrap my addled brain around the night’s events.

  “Come on, I’m walking you two back to your dorm,” Hendrix said.

  Mac wiggled her eyebrows at me as he moved forward, and we fell into step next to him. I mustered up the best nasty glare I had in me and shot it at her. She giggled, and I tossed my hands up in mock surrender.

  “Talk to him,” she mouthed, motioning wildly with her hand.

  I frowned and crossed my arms over my chest, trying to steady my nerves.

  “You lied to me,” I said softly. “Like, not a tiny white lie, but a big fucking fat one.”

  “I did?” he asked, looking perplexed and shoving his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

  “Mm-hmm. You said you couldn’t sing.”

  “Aww,” he said, his chin tilting up toward the night sky and grinning. “I didn’t lie.”

  “Yes, you did. You looked right at me and said you couldn’t sing.”

  “Technically I didn’t. I said I was a singer-songwriter and then you asked if I could sing, and I responded with 'if you could call it that.'”

  “Seriously? You’re throwing a technicality at me? Are you pre-law or something?”

  A soft chuckle escaped him. “No, I’m majoring in music. However,
my dad is an attorney. He’s just not practicing right now.”

  “Retired?” Suddenly, I was super curious about his background.

  “Something like that,” he said, tucking his hair behind his ear and glancing at me. Even in the darkness, his blue eyes were captivating. There was no question why the girls screamed over him. He was dangerous in a sexy, panty dropping way. No matter what he looked like or what he sounded like though, my panties and everything inside them were off limits. I mentally chided myself as I realized what I was thinking. There was no way he’d ever want in them anyway.

  “You okay?” he asked, pulling a hairband from his pocket.

  “Yeah,” I responded while I watched him gather his hair and pull it into a low ponytail. “No. No, actually I’m not. I’m a small-town girl. I don’t do drama, I’ve been homeschooled most of my life, and all of a sudden I have a restraining order against me. I’ve never even toilet papered someone’s house, much less harassed anyone. All I want is to attend college, mind my own business, and graduate. Is that too much to ask?”

  “I’m not sure how yet, but we will get it taken care of. Give me some time.”

  I eyed him for any hint he was screwing with me. As far as I could tell, he seemed honestly legit.

  “Well we’re already in trouble since you told the police your band would confirm your story.” I huffed at the possibility they’d stand up for me.

  “Oh no, they will. The moment Mac told me what happened I told the band to confirm you were on the side of the stage. It was already taken care of before Mac and I even showed up. Right, Mac?”

  “Yup,” she said, two-stepping to catch up with us.

  “Thank you both,” I muttered. “I’m so sorry you’re involved.”

  “Don’t worry about it. Besides, I finally got your name,” Hendrix smirked.

  My lips pursed when I realized he was right. There had been no way around it. The second Mac involved him, he’d found out.