I’m not going to let him control me. I made the choice to make the most of being here, even when I wanted to be far away from Blossom. That meant no longer letting others control my choices, but that didn’t mean I needed to stir shit up either.
Brian stands up with me, looking like he’s about to lunge across the table at Colten. Reaching my hand out, I rest it firmly on his arm before turning my attention back to the group surrounding us.
There’s probably about six of them and they’re all sneering at us like we don’t belong.
“Look, we don’t want any problems. I just want to go to class, do the work, and graduate in four years. I won’t cause you any trouble. That, I can promise.” As I finish speaking, I grab onto Brian’s wrist and pull him toward the doors leading out of the cafeteria.
The one and only way out of here.
“Well, he’s a dick. I can’t stand people who use their name as power to make others feel less than them. Why did you stop me from knocking the smile off his demon face?” He’s vibrating from the anger toward this guy, and he needs to calm down.
“Invisible, remember? I don’t want problems, and people like them feed off of reactions. The bigger the reaction, the happier they are and they think they’ve won. Besides, don’t you think demon is a little harsh? He’s an ass, sure, but I doubt he’s evil.”
He huffs out a breath looking at me like I’ve grown another head.
After he studies me for a moment, he nods his head at me and takes my hand in his. The moment our hands connect, I feel a snap of electricity surge through me. I look at him to see his reaction wondering if he felt it too, but if he did, he isn’t letting on.
“Okay, you’re right.” He takes a deep breath and starts leading us to our next class. “Probably not a great idea to be causing a fight on the first day anyway. My parents would be pissed.”
I bet. I would not want to be on the receiving end of that phone call. We may be eighteen now, but our parents can still hand us our asses.
“Thank you.” I smile at him and squeeze his hand once more before pulling away.
The feeling of emptiness I get when his hand is gone is one I didn’t expect. Holding his hand felt natural. This was turning out to be a strange day.
At the end of the day, I’m looking forward to unpacking my room and calling Adeline. I miss her so much already. I guess that’s what happens when you grow up next door to each other. You get attached. Addy is like a sister to me, and being in separate schools for the first time is an adjustment.
“So, any plans for the evening, beautiful?” Brian asks as we pack up our books.
“Same as you, I presume. Unpack and get settled.” And boy was I looking forward to the settled part of that statement.
I needed to be surrounded by my things to start de-stressing and feeling more at ease away from home.
“I actually got here yesterday, so my room is already done. Want some help?”
I think about it for a minute as I finish packing up before I answer him.
On one hand, I would love to spend more time with him, but really I just need some time alone to relax and sort my room and my mind.
“Um, I think I want to be alone tonight. No offence, I just need to organize everything, and I do that better when I’m alone, you know?” I hope I’m not coming off as rude.
I’m not trying to be, but I know I have a habit of seeming that way to people who don’t know me well.
“Yeah, totally get it. It’s your space, but you need to make it your own before you start sharing it.” He smiles at me and, Lord help me, the man is gorgeous, but when he smiles, he’s on a whole other level.
I return his smile as we head toward the dormitory.
Unfortunately, we don’t even make it out of the building before we hit trouble.
“Well, well, if it isn’t the girl who thinks she’s too good to talk to me,” Colten sneers.
Oh goody, this again. At least he’s alone and I don’t have to deal with all of them. “I don’t think I’m too good to talk to you, I just prefer to stay away from drama at all costs.”
Drama just causes problems for everyone involved and I like to fly under the radar, but apparently this idiot has other plans.
“Drama?” He cackles. It’s a sound so dark and ominous I feel it in my bones, and involuntarily shiver. “Babe, that wasn’t drama. That was me being friendly. You wouldn’t want to see me cause drama.”
Not only does he sound threatening, but the intense look on his face says he isn’t messing around. He really believes he’s that in control of what happens here.
Brian growls beside me. I kid you not, he actually growls at the asshole. It takes all my energy to not roll my eyes at Colten. Guys like him are a dime a dozen in this world.
Though maybe not quite the same. I don’t think I have ever met anyone with the dark vibes I feel coming from him.
I take a couple steps toward him to prove I don’t fear him. “The name is Harleigh, not baby or babe.” I square my shoulders and keep eye contact to get my point across. I’m hoping my face is giving off the same ‘Don’t fuck with me vibe’ his is. “I don’t want trouble. I already told you this. I will stay out of your way. I’m just here for an education. Now please, kindly move.”
His eyes become more intense and it feels like they are trying to light me on fire from the inside out, but I don’t move.
For a moment, I forget where we are and who is around us until I feel Brian move beside me. I don’t have to wonder for long how he’s feeling about this encounter.
“Dude, let us by. We didn’t do anything to you, and we won’t. Just leave us be and we will leave you and your friends alone too. I’m sure you guys have other people to bother.” You can hear the annoyance and frustration in Brian’s voice, but Colten doesn’t flinch.
His eyes don’t move from mine, nor mine from his. He doesn’t even acknowledge that he’s been spoken to.
Shaking my head, I pull my eyes from his before I drown in those pools of grey. “I’m going now, but I’m sure I will see you around.”
I grab Brian’s hand and pull him along with me. Colten doesn’t so much as make a move to stop us. He just turns to stare at our retreating backs, and I can literally feel the heat on my back from his gaze as we walk away.
