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“What the hell are you saying, son?”
I pull the bucket from her hands. “I’m going to clean that last room. You go on now and don’t come back until I tell you to.” I try to say it gently so as not to add to her hurt, but I need to get her out of here before my dad thinks she’s a convenient target.
I guess she gets the message because she turns and hurries down the hall.
“Worthless cu—”
I whirl on my old man. “Don’t even say it,” I warn. “Or you’ll regret it.”
“What’s gotten into you?” He scowls. “All this over a piece of ass you can replace in a second.” He snaps his fingers.
“The only person I’m replacing in my life is you. Get out. I don’t want to see you again.”
CHAPTER4
AUTUMN
I glancedown at my phone as the screen lights up with a text from Noble. It’s been two days since I saw him, but he’s been texting me since. I haven’t responded to any of them. He doesn't get mad about it. He keeps sending random messages—from telling me good morning and good night to even giving me details about his day. He’s persistent. I’ll give him that.
Noble:Do you think they changed the coffee at the stand by the library? Horrible today.
Noble:All they had left this morning was turkey bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Turkey bacon should be illegal.
I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing. Professor Quinn is reading word for word off his PowerPoint. A PowerPoint he gave to us a few days ago and I already went over to be prepared. The one upside to having a roommate that is always bringing her creepy boyfriend back to our room is I’m forced into the library a lot to get away. It keeps me ahead in my studies.
Noble:I’ll take your nonresponse as confirmation that it indeed should be illegal.
After I’d gotten an earful of what Noble’s father Nick White said about me, it stung. Noble brushed it off, taking a jab about his father only reciting a line from one of his movies. When Noble said his father’s name, it clicked who he was and why I thought I’d seen the man's face before.
I thought for a second that Noble was standing up for me until he said for me not to come back until he told me to. What the hell was that all about? He clearly didn’t want me near his father. Was it because his dad’s a dick or that he was embarrassed of either me or his father? I’m not sure. Either way, he hasn’t said for me to come back. Not that it matters because it’s my day to clean the Sigma Theta house. I wonder if I’ll see him there.
He said he wanted me to clean his room exclusively, but how is that supposed to work if he told me to stay away? My father isn’t Nick White, and my mom doesn’t come from an uber wealthy family. I’m noticing more and more of the Patton name on things around this university. I might have also done a Google search and read their Wikipedia pages as well. Yeah, they all have one. Unfortunately, I don’t come from money, and I have to earn a living. So, I can’t wait around for Noble to make up his mind.
The Patton scholarship covered a lot. Not only my classes, dorm, and a meal plan with the cafeteria but they helped with some of the books too. Even with all of those things covered, I still need some cash for essential life items. Plus, what happens when I graduate? I’ll need some kind of money in order to survive. I won’t have a dorm then. I make sure if I have a spare penny that I save it. I won’t end up on the streets or in the system again. I’ve seen how that’s turned out for so many others.
Pretty sure my father is in jail, and I really don’t want to think about where my mom could be. I’m almost positive it’s not anywhere good. I might have had a few shitty foster homes, but I was thankful the state took me from my parents. They weren’t fit to have a child, and I can’t even imagine how my life would’ve turned out if I had been left in their care.
I push the thoughts of my childhood to the back of my mind and try to act as though I'm paying attention as Professor Quinn’s presentation winds down. When the class ends, I pack up my stuff. I peek at my phone to see if I have another text from Noble but nothing.
“Are you going to the party over at Sigma Theta tonight?” I hear one girl ask another. This school is so freaking big that this lecture hall had over a hundred students in it, which makes it hard to remember anyone's name.
“I don’t know. Noble is never there. What’s the point?” the girl answers. I dig through my bag like I’m trying to get my things straight and not eavesdropping on their conversation.
“I think we need to get there early. I’m guessing he grabs up a girl quickly and takes her to his room. Where the hell else could he be?” A weird sense of jealousy fills me. I push it away, pulling my bag over my shoulder, and head out of the classroom and toward my dorm to drop my crap off and change.
When I slide my key into the door to my room, I realized it’s not locked. Renee must be here. I thought she had a class at this time. I push open the door and pause when I see her boyfriend Nathan sitting on her bed. He’s in jeans and a polo shirt. It’s what he always wears.
“Autumn.” The door falls closed behind me. The room isn’t that big, and it’s clear my roommate isn’t here.
“Nathan.” I drop my bag down on my bed. A sense of unease fills me. There’s just something about him that bothers me. “Are you waiting for Renee or something?”
“Or something,” he responds.
“I need to change and get to work,” I tell him. He doesn’t move.
“Have at it.” He winks at me. My mouth falls open. Seriously. I’m not a fan of my roommate, but I would never strip down in front of someone’s boyfriend. I ignore him, going over and grabbing my change of clothes before dumping some of the books out of my bag to shove them inside. “Don’t be a prude!” Nathan laughs like it’s a joke as I leave without another word.
“Crap,” I mutter when I see there is a line for the bathrooms. Not wanting to be late, I rush over to the Sigma Theta house. I know this time of day is when it’s less likely to run into people. I’ll just keep my head down and do my work. The last time I was here was only the second time I’ve cleaned the fraternity house. I might have gotten lucky the first time.
