Page 39 of Sticks and Stones (Shadow Valley U)
The guy to my left smirks, and it’s just as deadly as the guy on my right. “Always best to know the schedule of a girl as pretty as you.”
I puke in my mouth.
He pays no attention to the way my face scrunches, because he leans back in his seat, looking more arrogant than anyone I’ve met before—even Stone.
“I hear you live with the hockey players.”
“I heard that too.”
I peek behind me, and there’s athirdguy. I am beginning to wonder if they planned to place me in the middle of their little trio.Did they sit before or after me?I’ll admit, I’m on edge. My father’s phone call and the reappearing nightmares have me rethinking every glance or interaction I have with someone.
“Yeah, so?” I say.
“So, do you maybe want to try sleeping at the lacrosse house instead?”
The snapping of a pencil catches my attention as it echoes down the aisle of seats. I scan for the culprit, and my heart stops for a second when I land on his russet-colored head of hair.Are you fucking kidding me?Stonewouldbe in this class. I grind my teeth and hate that I didn’t notice him the second I sat down. Granted, the test was given minutes after I arrived, butstill.I need to be better about my surroundings.
“You are welcome to stay with us.” The guy to my left is staring intently at me with his pencil lazily trapped between his long fingers.
He’s wiggling it back and forth while biting his lip, and I want to laugh in his face at his attempt to sway me into their house.
Professor Walsh finally dismisses us, and I fling my backpack onto my shoulder. I have on my Shadow’s shirt, and I hate that these guys now know I work there.
They all stand and walk with me. They’re oblivious. I roll my eyes and want to say something flirty, just to irritate Stone, because although he’s avoiding me just as much as I’m avoiding him, I know he’s listening.
I don’t have the energy to antagonize him today. It’ll start another fight, and I’m tired.
“What do you say? Do you want to stay with us tonight?”
I stop in my tracks and grip my backpack tightly. There’s a heap of students corralling around us, walking in all different directions to leave the lecture room, but naturally, the group of guys stops and waits with bated breath for my answer.
“Do I want to stay with you tonight?” I repeat, making sure Iactuallyheard them right.
They all nod and elbow one another in excitement, and I’m left to stand there, dumbfounded at their confidence.
After releasing a soft sigh, I ask, “Is this your way of asking me to have a foursome? Is that what you guys think I do while staying in the hockey house? You think I just let those guys use me or something?”
“Isn’t that how you pay rent?” one of them asks, and by the look of confusion on their faces, they truly believe it.
“She isn’t a fucking whore, Gibbons.” Stone’s voice is feral, and although he’s talking to them, it’s the first time he’s even referred to me since last weekend.
“Wasn’t it you who said that? Was it a rumor?”
I spin around and send Stone a death glare, but he refuses to meet my eye.Still avoiding me, I see.
“Come on, Stone.”
One of them laughs, and their hot breath ghosts the back of my neck.
“Share her.”
Stone’s face turns red, and the flickering muscles on the sides of his temples move with unleashed anger. I want to agree to move into the lacrosse housejustto piss Stone off, but I refuse to be treated like a toy, being passed around by overconfident, arrogant jocks. I put my back to Stone, but before I can say anything, he grips my shoulder and pulls me back so hard I nearly trip.
He’s in front of me, and his fists are by his sides. “If you ever insinuate her sleeping with you guys again, I will break each of your necks.”
This asshole.He thinks he can start a degrading rumor about me but then get angry when someone actually tries to act on it? Or worse, come to my rescue?
“I don’t need you to fight my battles for me.” I step in front of him.