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“Well, I mean…I’ve had him in a couple of class over the years, but it’s not like we hang out,” I clarified. “Plus, he’s August Remington. Everyone knows who he is.”
He didn’t say anything for a bit. It felt rather uncomfortable, and I felt like everyone was staring at us, though they weren’t. No one here cared that me and Ross Carmichael were in the middle of something crazy.
I watched him let out a deep breath before saying, “Stay away from him, Sutton.”
“Excuse me?”Surely, I hadn’t heard him right.
“Look, I know that I have a lot of groveling to do, and I know you’re still pissed,” he went on. “However, stay the fuck away from August Remington or it’ll get ugly, Sutton.”
“Whoa, wait.” I was doing my best not to yell at him, but it was hard. “Why are you mad at me because of something August said? How am I responsible for him running his mouth?”
“I’m not mad at you,” he immediately replied. “I’m just mad.”
“Ross-”
“Stay away from him, Sutton,” he repeated. “No matter what’s going on between us, stay away from him.”
I wasn’t an idiot. This was about more than Ross being jealous because another guy had said that he wanted to ask me out. It was there in his voice. It was in the way he kept telling me to stay away from August. Whatever Ross was upset about, it had more to do with August Remington than it did me.
“Ross, I don’t think I’ve ever spoken to the guy,” I told him. “It’s not me that has to stay away from him.”
Then further confusing me, he said, “I’ve already told him to stay away from you, so if he goes anywhere near you, let me know.”
I shook my head. “I don’t have time for this, Ross,” I replied, exasperated. “I need to finish my shopping, then go home.”
“Fine,” he snapped, and I didn’t even have it in me to take offense.
We quietly finished shopping, and I almost bit my tongue clean through when Ross had thrown in a few things that hadn’t been on my list. Those two weeks that we had spent together told me that the items were for him, and it took everything in me not to end up a viral video clip.
It was another test to my self-control when we reached the checkout counter, and Ross paid for the groceries. When I had reached for my wallet, he’d already had his ATM card out, handing it over to the cashier. The look I shot him was a clear indication that I wasn’t happy, but the look he shot back clearly stated that he didn’t care.
I stood by the driver’s side door of my car as Ross loaded the bags into my trunk, and I hated how a part of me liked how domestic this had all been. I could feel myself wanting to give in, and I hated that. It was up to me to dictate what was acceptable behavior and forgiving Ross would send a very wrong message that he could treat me as if I were disposable and still be forgiven. People only treated you the way you allowed them to.
So, why did I want to forgive him?
When he was done putting all my bags in the trunk, he made his way over to where I was standing. Anger still swimming around in those blue eyes of his, he said, “I’m picking you up on Friday for a date, and so help me God, you better be ready and answer the fucking door, Sutton.”
“Christ, you’re serious, aren’t you?”
“You’re damn right I am,” he replied. “Also, I meant every word I said about staying away from August Remington. If he comes near you, call me immediately.”
“Why?” I asked, not ready to completely give over. “Is he dangerous?”
“Do you hate me enough to want to see me in prison?” he asked, and that threw me for a loop.
“Of course, not.”
“Then stay away from him, Sutton,” he repeated. “Because I will kill him if he goes near you.”
What in the fresh hell?
Chapter 13
Ross~
Though what we were doing could be considered frowned upon, we weren’t exactly breaking any rules. We weren’t bonding like we were expected to, but it was safe to say that we weren’t going to. None of us trusted August, and that was even before all that shit with Stone and Rylee had gone down.
With Stone, Fox, and I having roommates, Saxton’s was the only place where we could all meet and speak freely. Stone’s roommate was his best friend, Lennox, and Fox’s roommate was actually a scholarship student that had gone to high school with Fox. While not the best of friends, Fox let him stay at his condo rent-free. My roommate was a guy named Toby Stiles, and we’d met when he had pledged a fraternity that hadn’t taken too kindly to him being gay. The situation had hit too close to home, and so when I’d found him hauling his shit to his car, looking a dejected mess, I had gotten his story, then had offered up one of my spare rooms.
