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He followed and I wasn’t the least bit surprised. I could feel him hovering behind me, his body a heavy and warm presence.
I looked over my shoulder at him as we stepped onto the sidewalk and the door closed behind us. “Weren’t you getting coffee?” I asked, walking away.
“Can’t we share?” He jogged after me.
“Uh…” I looked at him like he’d lost his mind.
He continued to speak, completely unfazed by my dumbfounded expression. “I mean, I did give you mouth to mouth, so my saliva has already been in your mouth. It’s not like sharing a cup of coffee would be gross or anything.”
Fucking Montgomery. I couldn’t find a sound argument for that and he knew it.
“Fine,” I agreed, stopping in my tracks. As we stood there I took several sips of the heated liquid and handed it to him. “Your turn.”
He chuckled and took the paper cup. As he sipped, he started to walk. “You coming?” He called over his shoulder.
I rolled my eyes and followed. After all, he had my coffee.
“You know,” I told him, as I fell into step beside him, “you’re like that annoying homeless dog that shows up at your house and won’t go away once you give it a little attention.”
He snorted and grinned down at me. “Are you saying I look like a homeless dog?”
“No, I’m saying you act like one,” I explained.
“So, you think I’m good looking?” His eyes sparkled with mischief.
I wanted to smack my forehead. Walked right into that one, didn’t you, Rachael?
I decided to not even bother trying to talk my way out of this one. Instead, I said, “Oh please, you’re very aware of what you look like. Don’t act like you’re clueless to the effect you have on the female population. Unfortunately,” I looked him up and down, “your charm and looks don’t work on me. I’m saving you the trouble here, Cade. Leave me alone. You’re not going to get anymore from me than this right here,” I waved a hand between the two of us.
He tilted his head slightly to the side and studied me. “I never said I wanted to fuck you, Rachael.” His voice lowered and he stepped forward. I shivered as he reached up to play with a piece of my hair. “Although, if that’s what you wanted, I doubt you’d resist. I see the way you react to me.” His lips brushed my cheek and I gasped. “Just. Like. That.” He stepped away, his point having been proven. “And while I’d like to fuck you until neither of us can walk, that’s not the reason I talk to you. I want to be your friend, Rae.”
“I don’t need friends,” I spat, like the mere idea was repulsive.
An elegant brow rose on his forehead. “Everyone needs friends.”
“Not me.”
“Even you.” His eyes narrowed.
I snatched the coffee cup from his hand and gave him the most withering glare I could muster—which frightened most people, but of course Cade just continued to smile like I’d handed him a damn lollipop.
“You’re determined to make me not like you, which makes me even more determined to like you.”
“Wow, that was quite the mind bender, Cade,” I started walking away. “I’m late for class, so please stop wasting my time.”
“Hey,” he called after me and I turned, “you’re the one that talked back. You don’t have to talk to me, Rae. But you do.”
With that, he turned on his heel and sauntered away, his point having been made.
***
I walked into my first class with not a moment to spare. I slid into a seat beside a guy with spiky black and blue hair just before the professor walked in.
If Cade Montgomery had caused me to be late I might’ve lost my ever-loving mind. Like a full-on Toddlers and Tiaras kind of hissy fit.
After what happened last year I gave up on my dreams of photography and going to college. I killed three people. I didn’t deserve my life, whether or not I was technically guilty of their deaths or not. I still felt I needed to be punished and I’d done it by closing myself off from everything and everyone. However, my parents and therapist had been persistent in the fact that I needed to go to college. I had to admit now that I was here I was glad they’d been so pushy.
I thought this might be exactly what I had needed all along.
