Hanging Pawns (The Fate Series Book 2) (8 page)

“You should live a little,” I tease. With a quick push, I open the door and leap out as fast as I can, slamming the door behind me so I don’t soak the inside of his car. As I race through the puddles in the parking lot, a new sense of self sweeps over me.

My first class is at the bottom of a hill so I run down the grass side instead of the road. It feels lush and wet and cold under my feet from the rain. If I wasn’t so late, I would stop and stand here for a minute. Shoes are so constricting; I want to feel, I want to know what everything feels like, what life feels like. The rain hits against my skin, tickling in a way I’ve never experienced. I throw my arms out, laughing with my head tossed back like a child.

When I finally make it inside the building, I scurry into a bathroom to grab some paper towels and dry my feet off before putting my socks and shoes back on. By the time I make it to class I’m twenty minutes late. The teacher gives me a pass since I’m obviously out of breath and soaking wet from my travels getting here. He hands me a syllabus and forty short minutes later we are finished and I am off to my next class.

“All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.”

~ Baltasar Gracian

A few hours later I’m finished with my classes for the day just in time to grab something quick to eat from the small café on campus.

With my tray in one hand, I toss my bag onto an empty seat at an empty table and spot the local classified section that was left here. I lean over the table, swiping the paper then rummage through my purse for my glasses. I manage to find them pretty quickly given the fact that I tossed them in haphazardly on my way out the door, and my purse has so much in it today. I sprawl out and put my shoes on the chair opposite me to scan the jobs.

“Now, I thought you would be eating in the main hall since you’re supposed to be living in the dorms,” Josh says, his accent gone, and his normal (well, normal to them) voice back in its place.

I look up at him as he places his hand on the chair my feet are resting on like he is waiting to sit.

“Thanks for reminding me. I have to give them my new address. That will save me a lot in tuition.” I smile and glance back to the paper clutched in my hand. I can feel him still looking at me and with a groan I move my feet for him to sit.

“I think you need new glasses. They don’t stay up very well.” With the tip of his finger he pushes them back up my nose after he sits down. “I’ve been wanting to do that since I saw them on you yesterday.” He winks.

Shifting my eyes from the paper to him I pull them back down to where I know they are going to fall any second.

“I can see out of them so they serve their purpose. Is there something you want?” I raise a questioning brow at him.

“Well, if you are offering…” Flashing this incredibly sexy smirk, he begins to eat.

When I first met him, I thought he was really attractive, and I kind of wondered why he was single. Now I know why… he’s annoying.

“I meant is there something you need?” I attempt again.

His smirk grows into a smile as he looks up from his tray at me.

“Well… if you are offering,” he says taking another bite.

The blood drains from my face for a second before it rushes back turning me bright red.

Look away, stop looking at him!

My turncoat skin makes his smile turn into an outright laugh that causes the girls from surrounding tables to fall silent as they watch him with sexual intent.

“If you’re finished, I was sitting here quietly.” I gesture to the empty table. “It was peaceful.” 

“Well, I have one more class, and then I can take you home,” he informs me.  I sit here, watching him, but not like the other girls. My look is more astonishment because for the first time in my life someone wants to sit with me, just to sit with me… not because I’m here and they think it will get them in my parents’ good graces or because they think they will get something out of it.

“Where did you go?” He snaps his fingers in front of my face, pulling me out of my trance-like state.

“When?” I ask, looking back down,

“Whenever you get that look in your eye.” His voice drops with concern. 

“I—was debating over a job.” I wave the paper in front of me.

It’s funny. When I’m near him, I’m no longer overwhelmed by voices of my insignificance, or how if I were more like so-and-so I would hold more value in the world. Something about him makes them all subside, makes it easier to breathe… and be myself.

I watch him place his sandwich down to cut into it. He lifts up half holding it out to me.

“What is that for?” I ask.

“You look like you want to bite my hand off, so I would rather lose half my sandwich to your cannibalistic instincts than a body part.” He waves it around in front of my face, rubbing it across my lips. “Come on Mea, eat the sandwich,” he teases me.

“What if I said I don’t eat meat?” I ask, turning my face away and feeling the cold sandwich hit my cheek.

He is going to pay for that.

“I would have to call you a liar since I heard you ask for extra bacon on that BLT of yours. That you aren’t eating. I think…” he says sliding my tray over next to his and begins to deconstruct mine and his order to rebuild new sandwiches in their place.

“Whoa, what are you doing?” I sit up quickly.

“See now I get half your bacon and you get half my turkey. I also heard you say “no tomatoes,” so I will just take those from you since I know you won’t mind. Eat up,” he says, sliding it back over to me.

Looking back and forth between him and my tray I have no idea what to say. He stole half my bacon.

“But… but… I asked for extra bacon…” My voice is sad and small, I drop back into my seat looking at the food.

Another round of laughter explodes out of his mouth at my pouted face.

“Yes, I know, Love. Trust me you will enjoy this.” He gestures to the sandwich.

I wonder if he notices he calls me two different names and it all depends on how he is speaking to me; Darlin’ is his southern and love is his general.

The thought makes me smile. I push my foot into the floor to sit myself up. With an over exaggerated grunt, I slap the paper against the table, mumbling about how much better it would be with extra bacon.

Taking a bite I hum with pleasure as I chew it.

Okay, he’s right… it’s really good.

“You’re adorable. How are your legs?” His abrupt question makes me choke on my sandwich. Grabbing his soda, I drink it fast as everything starts to go back to normal.

“How did you know I fell?” I set his cup back down.

“Well, I knew you were in pain when I saw you walk up the steps and then back down saying “oh, oh, oh” the whole way. Then you drove with your jaw squeezed shut, and I saw the bruises when you rolled up your pants to run in the rain.” He leans over, grabbing my chair to pull it closer to his. The sweet smell of musky cologne calms me to the point that I almost don’t feel him lifting my leg onto his lap.

I said almost…

“What are you doing?” I go to pull away, my movement causing his hands to brush over the sensitive skin and I wince.

“I was going to look at them. It’s not like I’m stripping you in front of everyone.” He shakes his head at me.

Instantly my mind floods with visions of his hands gently gliding over my skin as he pulls my clothes off.

Stop right there!

He pushes the pants leg up to inspect and hums as his thumb runs over the red skin.

“When we get home, you should soak in the tub. It will help get some of the dirt out of the cuts.” He pulls my pants leg back down.

Taking another bite of my sandwich, I lift my other leg on to his lap when he reaches for it.

It’s not really worth the pain for me to fight him.

He inspects the other leg then looks at me with a frown.

“You’re kind of crazy,” he decides.

His statement makes me laugh loudly and now people are turning to look at me.

“I’m the crazy one? You asked to show me around the town five minutes after meeting me, then you move me into to a house that is right next to yours and you act like this is just everyday stuff for you. Like I’m just a normal part of your day.” I shake my head in astonishment that he thinks I’m the crazy one.

“You ran through a parking lot in your bare feet in the rain, you packed your clothes like you were escaping from someplace, and I’m pretty sure you are the only girl who would ever drive your car. And, for that matter, the only girl besides Molly and Morgan who would drive a man’s car instead of making him do it,” he says, reaching to grab his sandwich. “And now you’re sitting here, legs on my lap, like this is common for you,” he finishes.

Looking down at our position I go to move my legs, but his hand catches them.

“I don’t mind any of what I just said, I was merely pointing out the facts.” He winks at me, and I try not to smile.

Reaching back for his drink, I move the straw around to search for more liquid, but it’s all ice.

“What kind of woman finishes someone’s drink?” he scoffs in a teasing tone.

“If you release my legs, I can get up and refill it.” I shake the cup at him.

“And what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you walk on sore legs to get me a drink?” He sends me a look.

A typical one?

“One who knows when he stands up that I will take my bacon back off his lunch and put it on mine?” I shrug.

“Women, you’re all stubborn. Go, get the drink.” He shakes his head.

I get up to walk across the hall where the soda fountain is. Grinning to myself, I refill the cup and stick the lid back on. When I turn around I see every chair at my table, including mine, now filled with girls and their notebooks asking him a million questions about class. No, I don’t feel jealous. I feel… hungry, and my dinner is now in the middle of the table. Now I have to excuse my way through them to grab a tray of food that I’m not sure I still want. I stand here witnessing the girls flaunt themselves over Josh, and my stomach turns.

It’s not jealousy; it’s hunger.

Sucking in a deep breath, I head over, bend down to grab my bag that has been tossed onto the floor, and excuse myself as one of the girls hands me the tray without ever looking at me.

“I don’t know whose this is, but you can toss it,” she tells me.

That’s when I realize who she is.

Prissy bitch.

Do I look like a maid?

“Pricilla, you’re sitting in her seat.” Josh grabs his tray.

“I don’t mind, you have
notes
to go over, and I was just thinking I wanted to eat outside. I hate the smell of… what is your nickname again? Whore?” I frown at her.

Setting the cup at the edge of my tray, I take it from her and “accidently” tip it slightly. The cup bursts as soon as it makes contact with her shoulder spilling dark soda all over her and her friend.

“Oh. Shit. I am so sorry. I’m just so clumsy.” I turn down my mouth and shrug.

With a loud gasp she spins around and begins to tell me how expensive her clothes are and how little I make and that she will be expecting me to replace them. Normally, I am not an argumentative person, but I am hungry and half of my bacon was stolen…

Oh, and she stole my seat.

“Your parents will be working their asses off to replace these shoes.” She finishes her rant with her friend nodding in agreement. Josh begins to open his mouth but my silencing hand stops him.

I clap slowly, earning an odd look from the girls. My breathing slows and a strange sense of calm takes over me. “You are spectacular,” I say in a low unrecognizable voice. “Truly, I am just wowed.” I lean down putting my face in hers.

“What?” she spits back at me.

“Well, you are acting as though this is designer when we both know it’s not. Look at the stitching… and your shoes… come on now.” I shake my head, my tongue clicking against the back of my teeth to make a shame on you sound. “You may be able to act like they are real, but you aren’t fooling anyone. Also, how old are you? You need to grow up… Princess.” I pat her cheek. My heart thumps to a strange beat. Turning around, I walk away leaving them speechless behind me. A group of kids exiting the café before me swing the door out enough that I make it through without much effort. Once outside the veil is lifted and the realization of what just happened hits me.

I humiliated that poor girl.

My hand covers my mouth, the guilt making it hard to breathe.

I find a dry bench to sit on and collapse onto it.

I was cruel for no real reason.

Taking out my phone to call and ask the girls for directions home, I remember it died on my run earlier. I ask a group of people walking past me how to get to my street and find out it’s only a half hour walk. Right now anything beats sitting here. I grab the fruit salad cup and my water from the tray then toss the rest of the sandwich into the trash, being sure to leave the tray on the top with the others. I spot Josh emerging out of the café alone, looking around. Before he turns in my direction, I hide behind the side of the building so he doesn’t see me. I watch him walk to class without the group of girls that had taken over our table, and when he’s out of sight, I start my walk home.