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“I don’t, I’m just guessing from the way you were acting and knowing how little you drink,” he shrugged.
“Did you beat Isabelle’s cousin to a pulp?”
He shrugged again. “So what if I did? To be fair, I didn’t know he was your friend’s cousin, but that doesn’t change the fact that hedeserved it. Those kinds of risks aren’t worth taking. Haven’t you heard all the gossip around campus about the attacks?”
“So, what? I’m supposed to think you care about me for more than taking your punishment?” I blustered, but it was pointless. My heart wasn’t in it.
He had looked out for me, and we both knew it. He’d never sent me that horrible message or ignored me all summer. My chest was warm, and my heart beat quickly. The ball of resentment I carried in my chest toward Beckett was unravelling quickly. There was a terrible, soft feeling there instead for the guy who, it turned out, had only ever had my best interests at heart. My first everything.
Then he spoke again and ruined it.
“Speaking of my rules that you so fragrantly flaunt, see for yourself the consequences.” He nodded toward our room.
What the hell had he done? I pushed the door open.
Everything was the same…except there was a huge space on my side where my bed used to be. It was gone. His side was untouched.
“What the hell is this?” I demanded from the doorway.
“Your punishment for breaking my rules.” He spoke from right behind me.
I jumped. I stepped into the room and went to my side. Something else was different. One of the dresser drawers was partially open. I pulled it the rest of the way and stared. All my clothes were gone.
“Beckett…this better be a bad joke or?—”
“Or what, Cinderella?” he challenged, folding his arms over his built chest and smirking at me.
I took a mental deep breath and tried to stay calm. He wanted to drive me crazy, so giving him the reaction he wanted was just playing into his hands.
“And what am I supposed to sleep in?”
“Not my problem.Ifyou’re good…you can reclaim your clothes, one item at a time.”
“And you really think that’s a workable proposition? I—” I cut myself off, cringing at having to make myself vulnerable to him. “I can’t afford to buy new stuff.”
Beckett nodded, tapped his lip as if he was considering my words, and then shrugged with perfect, uncaring grace. “Better be a good girl, then.”
He turned and sauntered off before the book I grabbed to throw at him hit the frame of the door.
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. Beckett thought he could intimidate me with this latest bullyish stunt? Well, the joke was on him, because any indulgent feelings that had been stirring within me after he’d been my violent knight in shining armor were trampled under the need to win in our little tit-for-tat game. A game that was half a decade in the making.
This was war, and I had the perfect idea for how to win.
Beckett came into the room late, after I’d already eaten and changed and was studying at my desk. He came in and sat on the edge of his bed, looking over at me.
“Found something to sleep in, Cinderella?”
“Hmm, yes, don’t worry about me.” I kept my attention on my books.
I could feel his gaze on me, running down my back.
“What the hell are you wearing?” he asked after a moment.
“Just something I found lying around.” That was a lie, I didn’t find it lying around. I went and asked to borrow it while Beckett was playing video games with Marcus and distracted in the living room.
“Get up,” he commanded and crossed the room in two long strides.
“I’m busy.” I refused to face him, staring down at my work. “Goodnight.”
