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I scowl as I glance at him over my shoulder, then turn and yank my suitcases out of his grubby paws, more than a little irritated he’s caught me in a lie.
Looks like there will be no partying with my roommate. Something tells me I wouldn’t be able to keep up with whatever shit she’s into.
“You did your good deed for the day,” I say, my tone dismissive. “You can go now.”
Jace cranes his neck so he can see around me. “You sure about that? You sure you don’t want me to stay and help with Marilyn Manson here?”
“Nope. I’m good,” I say, ignoring the jab as I place my hands on his chest and give him a healthy shove.
It’s a testament to how much I loathe him that I’d rather be alone with Satan’s love child than spend another minute in his presence. That, and I’m too proud to admit the girl inside petrifies me.
“See you never,” I say, then close the door to the sound of his laughter.
Turning around, I take a deep breath and decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. Don’t judge a book by its cover and all that.
“So . . .” I say, stepping forward. “You like to read.” I motion to the book in her hands. “Cool.” When she says nothing, I try again because that wasn’t really a question, was it? It was more of an observation. “I actually love to read, too. In fact, I broughta bunch of books I haven't read yet if you ever want to borrow one.”
She cocks her head to stare at me some more. She’d do well in a stand-off with Jace.
I clear my throat, trying not to squirm. “They’re mostly romance. Do you read romance?”
“Is there death in them?” she asks without blinking.
How is she not blinking?!
“Um, no. Not usually.”
She grimaces, as if my answer disappoints her, then turns away from me to lie back on her bed.
I’ll take that as a no.
With shaking hands, I turn back to my luggage and place one of the bags on the bed and unzip it. So, maybe I won’t hit it off with my roommate and we won’t be best buds. So, what?
My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I slide it out and glance at the screen with a frown.
JACE: Still alive? Just wanted to make sure you haven’t been sacrificed at the altar.
My grip tightens on the phone as I curse all things Jace Taggart.
CHAPTER 2
JACE
My non-relationship with BrynnNichols can be summed up in two short sentences:
1. She hates my guts.
2. I think she’s a hot pain in the ass.
When I found out we’d be attending the same university, I was nothing short of ecstatic. Another four years of getting under her peachy-smooth skin? Sign me up!
Brynn, on the other hand, wasn’t so pleased but that didn’t stop her twin, Teagan, who also happens to be my best friend, from asking me to look after her in his absence. It’s a lot of pressure to put on a man who’s supposed to be focusing on football. Brynn is gorgeous, with curves in all the right places, long blonde hair, violet-blue eyes, and a smattering of freckles over her sun-kissed cheeks. I have no doubt douchebags, nerds, and jocks alike will flock to her. Ensuring she’s safe and smart will be a full-time job. As if I’m not already under enoughpressure to perform on the field, I have to do my due diligence for Teagan, as well.
In high school, he’d been particularly protective of her, bordering on overprotective, and somehow this torch has been passed on to me. But I can’t help but wonder if I’m the best man for the job as I try and erase the image of her perfect ass from my head.
Still, Teagan’s parting words when I spoke to him on the phone just this morning jangle inside my brain like a creaky wind chime.I’m counting on you, brother.
So of course, I showed up to make sure she got in okay. But what I didn’t expect was for me to worry about her afterward.
