Nic's Devotion: An Endless Series: Book One (46 page)

     There was this one girl who had sat down next to me on
the second day of my Computer Programming 102 class. She introduced herself as
Shaw and then plopped herself down next to me as though I wasn’t getting stared
at by everyone in the class. She’d even made a few comments about class assignments
in this completely effortless way that told me she was trying to give me some
semblance of normal beyond what everyone else was doing.

     I’d appreciated her efforts so much that I’d given her
a smile and went out of my comfort zone as I had with Nic by starting a
conversation with her. I’d learned she was a freshman like me, lived in the
same dorm I did, and was also there on a scholarship. It was quite surprising
how much we had in common, and I actually felt like I might be making another friend. 

     I kept most of what I was going through from Nic but I
wasn’t able to entirely snow him because he saw the people staring, pointing
and whispering when I was with him. He didn’t ignore it though. He called
people out if they stared too long at me. I’d had to hold him back a few times
when he would catch guys staring overly long at me. I told him that people were
bound to be curious and stare. I was a traffic accident that not a lot of
people could turn away from. He’d acquiesce, but his glower in their direction
would have them turning away if not running away.

     I did keep from him the few calls I’d gotten from
reporter’s and the fact that several guys had come on to me in really upsetting
ways. I’d been hit on by guys before, but not with this kind of offensiveness.
Two guys had said that my being a murderess made me hotter, and that was some
of the nicer things being said to me. Mercifully, they approached me in public
so I was able to walk away without feeling too threatened, but it had been
scary in a way and made me feel particularly sullied.

     In fact, it was Friday and I was exiting my last class
of the day in a near sprint because one of my male classmates had just made a
very lewd comment. I hurried out of the building my heart beating painfully and
headed toward the cafeteria where I was meeting Nic for lunch. The one thing I
hadn’t been able to retain when I’d gone into the hospital was my position with
Prof. Gale so I’d been having all my lunches with Nic and sometimes Amanda as
well as the other guys.

     Glancing behind me I noted the guy who’d made the
comment and two of his friends come out of the building and start to follow me.
My heart jumped in panic and I picked up my pace. It wasn’t far to the
cafeteria but I wasn’t able to get there before they closed the distance
between us to about five yards where they began harassing me again.

     “Hey, sweet tart, why you rushing away?”

     I had a feeling that ‘tart’ comment wasn’t meant as an
affectionate epithet. I tried to block my ears to what they were saying.

     “There are probably not a lot of people wanting to
spend time with you, but we want to.”

    
Ignore, ignore, ignore
. I felt my throat getting
a little tight.

     “Come on, baby, let us show you a good time.”

     Well, that just made me mad. Nic called me baby, and I
didn’t want this guy ruining the endearment. I spun around my fear turning to
anger. I’d given up my beanie cap, realizing that I’d been using it to hide
under, so my loose hair swung around blowing in my face. I brushed it away.

     “Don’t call me that. I’m not your baby. And stop
following me or I’m going to start screaming for security.” I said tightly.

     The guys closed the distance between us to just a
couple feet and the looks on their faces said they weren’t deterred by my
threat. They formed a half circle around me leering down at me which made me
think maybe I shouldn’t have stopped. Their nearness was intimidating and
disturbing, but I breathed out my unease knowing I was safe surrounded by other
students.

     “You’re not going to scream because you would only look
stupid since we haven’t even touched you, and I’m someone who likes to do my
touching privately anyway.” These words came from the guy who’d first
approached me in class.

     All the guys were kind of big, around six feet. The
harassing one was a dirty blonde and more muscular and fit than the other two
who were a little overweight and had darker hair. None of them were attractive,
but their horrendous behavior could have a big part of making them appear that
way.

     “Just stop harassing me or I’ll report you to campus
security.” I was sick and tired of dealing with this crap. I wasn’t going to
allow these guys or anyone else to continually hassle me.

     “It would be your word against the three of ours and
yours I don’t think is very credible.” The blonde was doing all the talking and
seemed to be the leader and instigator of the trio.

     “Maybe, maybe not, but it would be reported and
recorded. Do you want your names connected to something like that?” I asked.

     The two guys flanking him shifted and looked troubled
at my query, but the instigator didn’t look disturbed at all. 

     “I doubt it would cause me too much harm being that the
so called victim was a murderer, crazy, and a slut.” He replied with a mocking
smile.

     Now I was a slut on top of everything else? I didn’t
understand how people could be this horrible and nasty. Any fear that was in me
seemed to dry up instantly and I looked at him in mystification. “Have you at all
wondered what my whole story is, or do you not care as long as it gives you
someone to pick on? Are you really this malevolent?”

     The guys next to him shifted once more at my words and
their expressions might have actually looked shamed, but again the instigator
looked unmoved at my words.

     “I don’t really care about your life story. You’re a
hot little piece and I thought you would appreciate some company. Everyone is
probably treating you like a pariah and I’m just trying to be friendly.” The guy
said with sneer
and
a leer.

     “Oh shit, Mike. Nic Stanford and Seth Weston are coming
this way and they look pissed as hell. Let’s get the fuck out of here.”

     These alarmed words came from the overweight, brown
haired guy to the right of the instigator, who I now knew was Mike. I turned to
indeed see Nic and Seth coming in from the left of us at a run with identical
expressions of anger. If the three meatheads surrounding me would have actually
done what the hanger-on had suggested they might have escaped, but they were
either too slow in reaction time or they decided to stick it out.

    Two seconds later I was flanked by two very large, very irate
males who looked like they were out for blood. The other guys backed up a
couple steps and they no longer looked as intimidating compared to Nic and
Seth. Nic looked down at me and I could see the worry in his eyes even as his
face contorted with fury. Seth settled on the other side me and his face also
held a mixture of concern and anger.

     Nic turned to face the three guys who were lined up as
though preparing for a confrontation. “What’s going on here?” Nic asked.

     The soft question was in sharp contrast to the threat
in his tone and the wrath hardening his face. It sent a chill down my back and
I had to wonder what it did to the guys, because even though there were three
of them Nic and Seth were taller and bulker…at least in muscle.

     “Nic, don’t…”

     Seth’s large hand landed on my shoulder interrupting
me. I looked up at him with a frown but he just stared ahead at the three guys
with a harsh expression.

    
What…was it quiet time for me right now
?

     “I asked you a question. What’s. Going. On. Here?” Nic
punctuated each word in a steely tone and took a step closer. I instinctively
reached out and grabbed his belt loop hoping to stop whatever it was he might
do. His hand moved around and covered mine giving it a gentle squeeze but he
didn’t turn around.

     The two guys with Mike nearly jumped back at Nic’s
threatening move. Mike took a step back as well but he was able to not look
like he was going to soil his pants as he did it.

     “Are you still seeing this chick, Nic? You’ve got good
prospects; I wouldn’t think you’d want her name connected to yours.” Mike the
instigator said in conciliatory tone.

     “That comment just lost you one of your testicles,
asshole, and I wasn’t asking your opinion, I asked what you were doing?” Nic
said coldly.

     Mike’s expression lost a little of its cool at Nic’s
threat. He held up his hand. “Hey, I didn’t know there was still a thing
between you two. Sorry if I was stepping into your territory.”

     Nic’s hand on my mine tightened briefly before letting
go, but my hand remained securely latched to his belt loop. I would have
plastered myself to his back, but Seth’s hand on my shoulder kept me from
moving forward. 

     “What did you say to her, cocksucker?” Nic growled
menacingly and I could actually feel the vibrations of his muscles twitching
just from holding his pants. 

     Mike’s eyes flared, I wasn’t sure if it was with anger
or apprehension. “The girl is good-looking; you can’t fault me for appreciating
her.”

     “Oh, I could definitely find fault with ass-bags like
you, and all I can say is that you had better not have laid a damn finger on
her. If I find out that you did I’ll find you, cut off your balls, and shove
them down your fucking throats. The three of you cocksuckers were basically
surrounding and were obviously intimidating Carrie and the only reason I’m not
rearranging your dumbass faces right this instant is because my girl is holding
me back and I don’t want to upset her. But if I see any of your motherfucking
faces near her again they won’t be able to find your damn teeth, and you had
also better hope I don’t see you off campus without her there to keep me sane,
because I won’t be this nice next time. Now get the fuck out of here.”

     Nic’s voice had remained level during his whole speech
but the rage coloring each word couldn’t be missed. I had also never heard him
swear so much in the whole time I’d known him. He was pissed.

     Mike’s features had tightened with each word out of
Nic’s mouth and his eyes were narrowed as he faced off with him. Again, I was
uncertain on whether it was from trepidation or anger. Maybe it was both. Guys
had their pride, but Nic and Seth were definitely a force to be reckoned with.

     “Mike, let’s go.” The guy on the right spoke up again.
He looked undeniably concerned with the outcome of Mike’s decision because his
gaze flickered apprehensively between Nic and Seth.

     Five more seconds passed before Mike finally turned to
leave without saying another word. His friends were one step ahead of
him…moving fast.

     Nic remained unmoving for a moment but then he turned
and looked down at me with anger still contorting his face, but I could see he
was trying really hard to manage it. He gripped my upper arms and leaned down
so we were face to face, and that’s when I noticed Seth had finally released
me. “Tell me you haven’t been dealing with this kind of shit all week.” His
eyes were fierce.

     Oh, man; what to say. “Uh, not really.” I answered
tentatively.

     Nic’s eyes closed. “Shit; you have.” His eyes opened
and the fury in them could have burned me. “You will tell me all their names
and if you don’t know them you will point them out to me. I will be finding
each and every one of those fuckers and deal with them.” His voice actually
shook with anger.

     I was truly afraid; not for me but for those guys and
anyone else he might find that had been harassing me, but mostly for him. What
if he really hurt someone? He could get in some serious trouble and it would be
my fault.

     I cupped his twitching jaw and cheeks. “No you won’t. “
I stated vehemently. Nic’s lips thinned and his eyes flared telling me he
wasn’t listening. “I mean it, Nic. This was the first time something like this
happened. Yes I’ve been harassed a bit, but no one has laid a hand on me, and I
can handle the words they throw at me. I was in fact handling that situation
when you came barreling in.” His eyes flared again. “Although, I loved the way
you came to my rescue.” I said to soothe him, and because I
had
been
happy to see him. 

     “You shouldn’t have to deal with dickheads like that at
all.” He growled.

     “We all have to deal with dickheads. I’m just dealing
with a little more than usual.” I replied with a forced grin. I really hadn’t
wanted him to worry about me. Most people kept their distance from me, it was
only a few people that got in my face, and the guys were more of a nuisance
than an actual threat.

     Nic didn’t look any more calm. “Son of a bitch, I
really need to hit someone.” He pulled me into his arms.

     “Save it for practice, man. It’s only a few hours
away.” Seth grumbled.

     I craned my head to look at Seth within Nic’s embrace.
His expression was just as ferociously angry as Nic’s while he stared down the
dozen or more people that had stopped to watch the drama of what could have
been a possible fight. Seth’s expression seemed to get their legs moving in a
direction that wasn’t here. He looked at me and I gave him a smile of thanks
which he returned, even if it was somewhat strained.

     “Seth, I need to talk to Carrie. We’ll grab lunch
another time, okay.” Nic announced as he began pulling me away.

     “Yep. See you later, Carrie.” Seth’s voice rumbled
after us. 

     I followed Nic submissively recognizing that he was
trying with everything he had not to turn around and go beat up those three
guys. His anger was obvious, but I knew it wasn’t directed at me. I wasn’t sure
where he was taking me but I knew I was safe.