Red Hot Obsessions (22 page)

With furrowed brows, I say, “Well I like it.”

He starts twirling my bracelet like it’s some kind of toy. I risk a chance and reach for it, but he pulls back again. Goddammit.

“I don’t have time for games …” I say, sighing.

“Oh … I’m not playing games, Leafy.”

“Leafy?” I say, scowling.

He points at my hair and immediately reminds me of the embarrassing scene outside. Now I have to fight off the heat rushing to my cheeks.

“Here,” he says, and he tosses me the bracelet. “Name’s Hunter Bane,” he says.

I barely manage to catch the bracelet before he saunters off again. Frowning, I watch him walk off.

“See ya, Leafy.”

“My name isn’t Leafy, it’s Autumn!” I yell after him, but he only waves as he walks into his room.

Which is only five feet away from mine.

Chapter 2
The First Day

Glaring at myself in the mirror, I brush my fingers through the frizzy mess that is my hair. My brown curls don’t bend to my will, nor that of my brush. It’s like a bomb exploded on my head. I swear, sometimes I think I’d rather not sleep at all than wake up with this hair.

I get dressed and wake up Evie, because we’ll be late if she doesn’t get up soon. She swings her hands in the air, trying to shoo me away, thinking I’m her mother. It makes me laugh when she starts growling at me. As she snores, I open the window and pull the blanket off her. She squirms from the cold rush of wind on her bare legs.

After she’s dressed, we get a quick breakfast at the cafeteria. Evie and I make our way to our first classes of the first trimester. We have completely different schedules. I’m studying English lit and she’s studying linguistics. We both have a love for language, but I like my books close to home and she prefers to learn more about other cultures. I’m glad she found what she likes to do, but it’s unfortunate that we have only a few classes we both follow.

I’m going to miss having her close by. I’m not used to being on my own and not having my friend around to support me. Walking through these massive halls makes me feel like an ant. A tiny, miserable little ant that could be squashed underneath big feet at any moment.

I’m never comfortable around a lot of people. It’s something that stuck with me after that hellhole they call high school.

Right now, I don’t have my best friend to back me up, and Brody’s already in his political science class, so I have no choice but to venture through the campus alone. Still, it surprises me I’ve not yet bumped into someone. That nobody has called me any names yet.

As I find my way to the classroom I’m supposed to be in, I sit down on the nearest empty bench seat I can find. I don’t want to have to walk all the way down the steps, knowing people are going to look at me. I don’t like being watched. Maybe I’m too insecure, but when the focus lies on me, I get the creeps.

I unpack my books, pens, and paper and put my bag under my seat, while someone sits down next to me.

As I look up to see who it is, I almost jump up from my seat.

Just seeing his big gray eyes makes me want to run.

“What are you doing here?” I say, perplexed.

“Following this class,” Hunter retorts. “What else?”

Pursing my lips, I gather my pencils and line them up neatly like I always do when I’m nervous as hell. “I uh …”

“And what are you doing here?” he asks playfully, putting up a curious face like it’s the most serious question in the world.

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

“Well, do you want to be here?”

I arch one eyebrow and he does, too, mimicking my expression, as if he’s making fun of me. “Of course I do,” I say.

He chuckles. “Figured. You seem like the nerdy type.”

I gasp. “I am
not
a nerd.”

“No?” Hunter reaches over to my books and opens the first one he can find. “Looks like it to me.” He points at all the notes I’ve made. “I don’t know anybody who writes this much before class has even started.”

I snatch the book from his hand and shut it. “I just like to be prepared.”

“For what? The apocalypse? It’s just college.”

I sigh. “Whatever.”

“Or are you just afraid you might have to deal with stuff you’re not prepared for?” He inches a little closer. When his leg briefly touches mine, I squeeze my thighs together and shudder. He’s too close for comfort. I’ve never had a guy come this near.

“You’re scared, aren’t you, Leafy?” he says. His low voice is soft, and I can feel his breath near my ear. Shocks course through my body, and it’s unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. I feel completely naked.

“Can I borrow this?” he suddenly says, and grabs one of my pens from my neatly lined stash. I look at him in astonishment, and he stiffens for a second. “I promise I’ll give it back,” he says with a cutesy voice, and then he flashes me a smile. “Thanks.”

He scoots back in place and glares at me from a distance. I don’t need to see his eyes to know that he’s watching me; I can feel his eyes piercing my side.

I close my eyes for a second to regain my composure. Since I sat down in class I haven’t caught anything of what the teacher is saying. I don’t even remember the man starting his class. All I know is that Hunter is toying with me, and I don’t know why. Am I funny or something?

“Autumn?”

My head shoots up from dreamland and I look around. The teacher and almost every student in class is looking at me.

“Autumn Blakewood?”

“Yes?” I stammer, ducking between my own shoulders, because I feel scrutinized.

“I asked a question.”

“Sorry, I didn’t hear it.”

A few muffled laughs are audible throughout the auditorium, and I can feel the heat rush to my cheeks. Shit, I’m totally making a fool out of myself.

“Can you name the primary source for Shakespeare’s famous plays?” the teacher says.

“I … uh …” Crap, I don’t know the answer. I haven’t been listening at all.

“Holinshed’s Chronicles,” Hunter whispers as he leans forward.

“The Holinshed’s Chronicles!” I shout.

The teacher squints and waits a second. “All right.”

Then he continues his lesson, and I let out a huge breath, falling back into my chair. God, I can’t believe Hunter helped me. Him, out of all people.

Turning my head, I see Hunter smiling cheekily at me. I’m dumbstruck with his sudden helpful answer.

“What?” he says, as I gape at him.

“Nothing. I just didn’t expect that.”

“There’s a lot more you can’t expect from people.”

I chortle and shake my head. “Well, thanks anyway.”

“Yeah, I pretty much saved your ass there.”

My eyebrows draw closer together. “Hey, don’t get cocky.”

Hunter wriggles his eyebrows, and it makes me laugh. “Comes with the jacket.”

His eyes drift off to the teacher, and he starts penning down notes. I’m surprised by the mere fact that he even seems remotely interested in learning something today.

As I start some pre-work on today’s assignment, I notice his face turning my way every couple of seconds. I glance sideways and see him studying my notes.

“Hey!” I exclaim.

He’s seriously peeking at my notes? First he helps me find the right answer to the teacher’s question, and now he’s cheating? I don’t get this at all.

“Shhh,” he whispers, shushing me.

“You’re cheating.”

“Who cares?”

“I do,” I say, slamming my notebook shut.

He frowns and gazes at me. “Aren’t you uptight.”

I smile pretentiously. “Comes with the skirt.”

He laughs. It’s a deep sound, a manly laugh, one that makes my heart flip over in my chest. Then he licks his lips in a way that makes my toes curl. Watching his tongue come out and flick along those thick lips makes me zoom in on them. It’s the first time I notice how sexy those lips look. It’s also the first time I feel like I want to lick them, too.

“Good one,” he says and winks, making my heart stop.

The teacher clears his throat, and I notice he’s doing it because he wants us to shut up. I crawl back into my shell, drawing back, and hide my reddened cheeks by leaning on my hands. I focus on my textbook just to avoid seeing the class stare at me. Just to avoid seeing
his
narrow eyes watching me.

As the class comes to an end, Hunter says “See ya, Leafy,” and he throws me my pen.

“It’s Autumn.”

He shrugs and gets up. My gaze follows him as he walks out of the classroom, and then I spot Evie standing behind the huge windowpane. Her eyes are widened, and it looks as though her face is glued to the glass. Just as Hunter leaves the room her eyes zoom in and follow him, as if she’s tracking him.

Then she gazes at me and tips her head, nodding, beckoning me to come.

I hurry to grab my stuff and run down the steps toward her.

“What the hell was that all about?”

“What are you talking about,” I say, as we start walking through the halls.

“You. And that guy sitting next to you. I saw you guys talking, you know.”

“He just asked me for my pen. No biggie.”

She laughs. “Yeah right! You guys were talking. A lot. I could see everything,” she scolds.

“Were you watching us or something?” I say, laughing with my mouth open.

“No. I was waiting for you. Then I noticed who was sitting next to you. Hunter Bane. Jesus.”

“You know him?”

“Brody told me about him,” she says as we head toward our joint class. “Supposedly he’s got a reputation here, and I don’t mean the good kind.”

“Hmm …” I start mulling over what that means. I don’t really know the guy at all, but he doesn’t seem that bad. Besides, having a bad rep could mean loads of things. Actually, now that I think about it, only loads of bad things.

“I wonder why he sat down next to you,” Evie continues. “I mean, he could’ve picked any pretty girl in the room and buttered her up, but he chose to sit next to you instead. What does he want with you?”

“I don’t know,” I say. Now I’m also wondering why the hell he sat down next to me. The more I think about it, the more it creeps me out.

“To peek at my notes is the most likely answer,” I say eventually.

“Well I sure hope so. I also hope that’s the only thing he wants from you.”

Frowning, I bump my shoulder against hers. “Evie! Are you jealous or something?”

“No, I just don’t like it when you hang with bad boys.”

“Hey, don’t worry.” I hook my arm around hers. “I’m not hanging with anyone, and I have no interest in him.”

She smiles, and I smile back, but my stomach churns. What I just said doesn’t ring true. I know it should be, but somehow his presence has two totally different effects on me. One part is freaked out and wants to run, and the other part is curious as hell.

We walk to one of the few classes we share and find two spots in the middle, but before the class can start a loud scream draws my attention. I turn around in my seat and see Hunter.

He’s yelling words into his phone, but I don’t know what. He’s outside, pacing up and down the hallway. I can’t hear anything he’s saying, since there’s a glass wall in between us, but his face predicts thunder.

I wonder what’s going on. He looks pissed, and just seeing him like this scares me.

When the conversation is over, he smashes the phone on the floor.

I spring up from my seat, and a bunch of other students who see it also gasp and point at him. Hunter kicks the wall, and with each thump my body jolts up and down. Then he straightens his jacket and stares at his fists.

Suddenly he turns around and gazes at me.

I freeze in place. With his piercing gray eyes on me I feel like a brick wall. Unmoving, but breakable just from his glare.

His eyes scan my face, and I can see the anger and pain. It’s flowing out of him like a seething, bubbling volcano. He continues to stare at me, and I feel like I’m the only one in this classroom. This moment in time feels like an eternity.

Then he turns around and storms out of the building.

Chapter 3
Bitter Changes

A few days later…

It’s been days since I last saw Hunter. He hasn’t been to class, and I haven’t seen him walking around the dorm either. Something tells me he hasn’t even slept in his own room. I wonder what’s going on with him. I wonder what that phone call was all about. What made him so angry?

I don’t even know why I care so much.

Why do I care?

I barely know him, and yet I can’t stop thinking about what’s wrong. That scene of him kicking the wall, furious as hell, keeps replaying in my mind over and over again. His flaring eyes follow me wherever I go, even when he’s not around.

I’ve never had this before, but it’s almost as if I’m desperate to find out what happened to him that made him so upset. He seemed so aloof and carefree in class before. I didn’t expect him to explode like that. At least, not because of a phone call.

I really wonder what’s going on …

Sighing, I read the same sentence I’ve been reading for the last couple of seconds. I’m trying to study, but it’s really going nowhere like this.

“Hey, Autumn.”

I look up and see Brody enter our room. There’s a girl with wavy blonde hair standing behind him with her hands on her hips, and she’s gazing at us with a smirk on her face. She’s shaped like an hourglass, and her brown skin looks like she tans at least once a week. In her short pink dress she reminds me of the Barbie dolls I used to play with when I was little.

“What’s up?” Evie says. When she sees the girl she scowls. “Who’s that?”

Brody clears his throat. “This,” he grabs the girl’s hand, “is Scarlet.”

“Hi!” the girl says with a perky voice. “I’m Scarlet Fox.”

“Pleasure,” Evie says, and she stares at the girl’s feet as she steps into our room. I can see from the grim look on her face she doesn’t like it. Sometimes she gets a little territorial. It’s weird, but I like weird.

“I’m Autumn Blakewood,” I say. “And this is Evie Carder.”

Scarlet smiles gently, but seems confused when she sees Evie’s unwelcome, snarly face.

“I’m going out with some friends. Catch up a bit. Wanna join me?” Brody says.

“No thanks,” I say, and I shut my book.

“Why not?”

“Because I need to study and get all my homework done.”

Brody chuckles. “It’s only been a few days since the first trimester started. There can’t be that much work. Besides, you have the rest of the year to study. C’mon.”

“No, I really need to get this done,” I say, frowning.

“We’d love it if you’d come,” Scarlet suddenly says, as if she has a say in the matter.

“Brody …” Evie says, glaring at him.

I know she means she wants him to put a leash on her, and it makes me chuckle a bit. I know Evie hates dolls. Especially when they wear dresses. They’re her pet peeve.

“Don’t you want to enjoy college life?” Brody says.

“We do. In our own way. Without make-up, and dresses, and parties,” Evie says.

Brody squints at her. “By locking yourselves up in your room?”

“I just want to keep up so I don’t fall behind later. Nothing wrong with that,” I say.

“You did that in high school, too, and look what happened to you then.”

“Hey, don’t put that on her. It was not her fault she got teased!” Evie says. Teased is the understatement of the year. Bullied is more like it.

“No, neither was it my fault; I tried to protect her.”

“Guys … don’t fight, please,” I say, sighing.

“Well, why won’t you try something new? I don’t want you to have to live through that again. If you can socialize with the crowd this time, maybe you can enjoy college life a little more.”

“I’m already enjoying it,” I say with a smile, hoping he’ll stop asking me to do things I don’t want to do.

“What’s it to you anyway? Why are you so intent on getting her to go with you?” Evie says, frowning.

“Look, I just want to help out, all right? But whatever. Scarlet and I will just go together then. We’ve got plenty of other friends to hang with.”

“Yeah, you go have fun with the popular crowd,” Evie scoffs.

“Evie,” I say with furrowed brows, and she rolls her eyes.

“Thanks, Brody. I appreciate the offer, but Evie and I really want to study.”

“Okay … Well, see ya then.”

“Bye!” Scarlet says, chirpy, and I smile at her because I don’t know what else to do in an uncomfortable situation such as this.

We wave at each other, and Brody wraps his arm around Scarlet. My eyes widen. As they leave, I notice his hand is on her ass.

Evie throws her pillow across the room and lets out an annoyed moan.

“Oh. My. God. Was that his girlfriend?” I stammer.

“Seems like it. I can’t believe he wants someone like that.” Evie closes her eyes and lets out another groan.

“Hmm … maybe she isn’t that bad. I mean, we don’t know her, really.”

“True …” Evie mumbles. “Still, I don’t get why you still hang out with that guy.”

“Brody? Why not?”

“He’s turned into a total ass.”

“No, he hasn’t.”

Evie points at the door. “Well, what do you call that then?” She rolls onto her back and stares at me from her bed. “He thinks he’s all that now that he’s part of the popular group. And he’s trying to pull you with him.”

“It’s not that bad. He just wants to help.”

“By making you remember your shitty time at high school?”

“He’s just trying to convince me, that’s all.”

“Don’t make excuses for him,” she says, sitting up. “I’m trying to help you, too, and I’m telling you that he’s changed.”

“Maybe …” I say, opening my textbook again.

“I don’t like those people he’s hanging with. Ever since we’ve been here, he’s done nothing but ‘socialize,’” she says, making quotation marks with her fingers. “I don’t think he’s studied at all.”

“Well, that’s his problem.”

She sighs. “I know.”

It’s quiet for some time, and I go back to reading the same page as last time, just to make sure I read it well enough to remember.

“Look, I’m sorry. I know he’s your friend, and that you’ve known each other for God knows how long … I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

She looks up at me and smiles.

“Don’t worry. I know Brody and he knows me. He wouldn’t do that.”

“I hope you’re right,” Evie says, and she props up her pillow. Then she starts to laugh. “Did you see the look on her face when she saw me? Priceless.”

I chuckle. “You looked like a hibernating bear who got disturbed in her cave. Not a pretty sight.”

“Awesome!” she says, smiling widely.

“You really like scaring people off, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah …”

Shaking my head while laughing, I turn the page of my textbook and try to read the next sentence, but I can’t get Brody and that girl out of my head. I want to believe my own words and think everything will be all right, but some part of me also believes Evie. I know he’s changed. And it’ll probably only get worse. Can I deal with it?

*

Evie and I have been studying at the library all day. After Brody came by, I told her I really couldn’t concentrate and that I needed to be somewhere where we couldn’t be disturbed. Or be distracted by weird thoughts. I have been having those a lot, lately. Especially about Hunter.

She went to our room earlier, because she was tired, but I stayed so I could do some homework ahead of time. I like being prepared.

After I jot down the last notes about Hamlet, I pack my stuff and make my way through the halls. It’s already late at night, and it’s dark outside. I hurry to my dorm and try not to make a noise as I walk up the stairs. Shuffling through the hall, I freeze when I turn a corner.

There’s a guy in the shadows.

He’s leaning with his head against a door only a few feet away from my room.

I straighten my glasses to make sure I’m not imagining things, but it’s real. Swallowing, I stay put and stare at the guy, who’s just slumped forward, barely moving. Who is he? What’s he doing here? Should I leave?

My heart races in my chest, and my muscles are tense. I know my body is preparing for flight or fight. My instincts tell me to make a run for it, but I know that’s absurd. He could just as well be a student, someone who’s drunk or had a rough night. Maybe I’m exaggerating.

Besides, I want to go to bed, and my room is just up ahead. It can’t be too difficult to pass him, can it?

Shuffling, I press my body against the wall and start to walk. I slowly step forward, trying not to make too much noise. I don’t want him to turn around. Actually, I’m hoping he won’t notice me at all.

But it’s too late now.

“Leave me alone.” The voice is gruff and croaky, full of unspoken emotion. It sounds familiar.

Inching closer, my eyebrows tighten together as I try to see who it is. If I can reach my room safely. If he’s dangerous or not.

It surprises me when I hear him sniff and take in short breaths. Is he crying?

“Stay away,” the voice repeats, and the more I hear it, the more I recognize it.

My jaw drops open, and I stare in confusion. “Hunter?”

His head lifts up from the wall and one look at his shiny gray eyes tells me it’s him.

“Leafy?” he says, his lips parted in a way that make me focus on them.

His hand drops to his side, and he turns around to face me, still hiding in the shadows of the light. But I don’t need any light to see the redness that clouds his eye. The patch of skin underneath is swollen, and the rest of his face is white. Too white.

“What’s wrong?” I say, gazing at him. He looks sick, and I’m immediately worried about him. Even though I know he’s been an annoying jerk to me in the past, I want to help him.

“Please just go,” he groans, and he points at my door.

“Are you okay?” I say, and I bend my head so I can look into his eyes, but he turns his head away so I can’t see. Is he trying to hide something?

“Don’t come closer.” His voice is getting thicker by the second, as if it’s hard for him to talk.

When I look into his beautiful eyes, all I see is hurt. He looks broken. Beaten. As if he’s been to a funeral or something. His face is dark and dreary, full of grief. But not the type of grief that comes with death. I just can’t place it.

I wonder if anyone’s ever seen him like this. It’s like he’s been crying all day and has been trying to hide it from the world. Like he’s been hiding himself.

“Wait here,” I say, and I walk past him and sneak into my room. Tiptoeing across the floor, I try not to wake Evie from her snoring sleep. We have a little fridge standing in the corner, and I grab a bottle of water from it. I hurry back to Hunter and open the cap.

“Here. Drink some.”

I hold up the bottle, and he just stares at me with a bewildered look on his face.

“You look like you could use some help,” I say.

He turns around and faces me. Then he starts walking toward me with slow, heavy steps.

I inch away until my back is against the wall, but he keeps coming closer. He towers above me, and only now do I realize how much larger he is. How much bigger, stronger, more muscular. His black tee can barely hide the straining muscles underneath.

He places both hands on the wall beside me and lowers his head to meet my eyes. I cower underneath him, shuddering from being so near to him.

“I don’t need anyone,” he growls, his lips barely parting.

I can feel his breath on my skin, and it makes me gasp. He’s so close now, I could touch him if I reached for him. If he stepped forward a little more, he’d be on top of me.

It scares me to death.

My heart is thumping in my throat, and I can barely breathe. Lifting my head, I gaze into his glaring eyes. Those vivid gray irises that amaze me. There is something in there that sparks my interest, secrets and hidden emotions he keeps far away from the world. Things I want to know.

His chest heaves, and one of his hands drop. I swallow as he steps back again and stares at the ground. I wonder what is going on inside his head.

His hand reaches for mine, and for a second I’m almost convinced I’m going to pull back if he touches me.

But I don’t. He grasps for the bottle, and our fingers briefly graze. I shudder from his touch as he takes the bottle from my hand and puts it to his lips. I watch him gulp it down with eagerness. Rivulets of water stream down his chin and end up on his shirt, making him look even rawer and more intense than before.

The way he drinks makes me swallow, too. As if there’s some kind of lump in my throat. His lips suck the opening of the bottle, and it looks … My God … Too hot to handle.

For a brief moment I imagine jerking the bottle away and pressing my own lips on his.

It strikes me that I’m having these weird fantasies about him. I haven’t seen him like this before. Somehow he looks sexy. And I like it.

As he lowers the bottle again, he gazes at me with a fierce look that makes me want to step back a little. He seems angry, but I know it’s not because of me. I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Thanks,” he says in a gruff tone.

It doesn’t sound thankful, but mostly because I know he’s pissed at something else. The something that made him cry.

Hunter Bane, of all people, is standing outside his room, crying.

I didn’t expect to witness something like this.

“No problem,” I say, and I turn the cap back onto the bottle.

“Please don’t tell anyone you saw me,” he says, glancing sideways at his dorm room, avoiding my eyes.

My breath hitches. Why would he ask me that? Is he afraid or something?

“Good night,” Hunter says, and he puts his hand on the door handle.

“Sure … good night,” I say, and I turn around as well.

Biting my lip, I walk toward my room, every step feeling like a mile. Before entering my room, I turn my head to watch him walk into his room and close the door.

Sighing, I enter mine, too, and close the door behind me.