I take a step away from the redhead, Eloise’s friend, and jerk my chin. “Who?”
She folds her arms, narrowing her gaze at me like she can see right through my bullshit. “I was going to help you, but instead, since you don’t know who I’m talking about… well, now I’m going to drink my caffeine and enjoy the three minutes of stillness I get before my mom brings my hurricane of a kid back to me.” She plops down onto a seat, swoops up her oversized mug of steaming liquid, and inhales its scent.
I want to ignore her. I want to be indignant and cocky and carry on like I don’t know who she’s talking about, but I recognize her. I’ve seen her with Eloise. I can’t remember where, or when, but I know I have, and she knows who exactly it is I’m looking for.
Taryn catches my eye from behind the counter. “Usual?”
I nod, suddenly not caring about any of the bougie festive drinks they might have and lean over to the redhead. “If I was looking for someone. Where might I find them?” I offer her a smile—it can’t hurt my cause, right?
She wags a finger at me. “Oh hell no, Mr. Hotshot. You can take that charm and feed it to the geese.”
The geese have flown south for the winter, but I remain quiet. Hell, I don’t blame them. If I could fly south and escape Iowa for the winter without getting kicked out of school, I’d be with the gaggle.
I open my mouth, but she holds up a hand. “No bullshit.”
I can respect that. “I’m Ares.”
She snorts like it’s the most hilarious thing in the world that I think she doesn’t know who I am. But not in a good way, and I don’t like it.
“And I was wondering if you could help me find Eloise, please.”
Her arms are folded, but she’s glancing at her coffee cup like she wishes she had a huge straw so she could scowl at me with her arms crossedandget her caffeine hit at the same time.
“For what purpose?” Her eyes narrow further. She’s glaring at me through slits now, but the full force of her fuck-off vibes are now concentrated on me.
Taryn calls my name, and I hold up a finger. Being real, humble, goes against everything everyone expects from me.
“I want to spend some more time with her.”
I’m the fun loving de la Peña. The no strings, no rules, all party kinda guy. So, I don’t miss when her eyebrows flicker when I come right out and level her with the truth.
She stares at me in weighted silence for at least five seconds, maybe longer, before she points her index finger at my face. “I don’t care who your dad is, or how much of an untouchable big shot you are. If you hurt my girl, I will make sure they never find your body.”
I believe her.
I’m also glad mytesorohas such a strong friend in her corner. Everyone should have at least one friend able to hide the bodies. There’s nothing better than having someone willing to do manual labor to help keep you out of prison.
I’m lucky enough that my hockey brothers are bound by our mutual love of the game and the fact we’re a team. I’m hoping by the time I graduate we’ll be bound by something even stronger than blood, that my teammates will actually like me. It’ll take some time for me to crack into their tight knit group—especially because my brothers have already been here a while. Everyone’s loyal to them and eyeing me as the mildly unhinged guy who kinda looks like the twins, but who came home with a potbellied freakin’ pig.
They’re not wrong. And thankfully they were all cool about the pig.
“She’s at the library.”
That’s it? That’s all she’s giving me? The campus library isn’t small. Many floors, many, many desks, and far too many places for me to go looking for Eloise. She could be long gone by the time I found where she was studying.
I found her once before, but that was pure chance. What are the odds of her being at that same table again?
The redhead’s face twitches. She’s getting a kick out of fucking with me. I don’t blame her. She has the upper hand, and usually that’s my spot. Being on the receiving end once again, isn’t fun for me.
There should be a lesson in humility or something in here, but I want to get to my girl. My chest is tight, my skin feels like a billion insects are crawling under it. I want to see the pink-haired pixie and make her mine.
Or, I dunno, at least ask her to be mine, or something.
I’ll figure that part out when I get there.
I huff out a heavy breath. “Do you happen to have any… more specific… information on her whereabouts?”
It’s her turn to huff. She folds her arms, and her face shifts. I’m pretty sure any good grace I had with this woman has dissipated. I’ve lost her. “I was going to say that it’s no fun if I do all the work for you.” She waves a hand. “But you’re eating into my alone time and right now I want rid of you.”
