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CHAPTERONE
There’s nothing quite like having to ask the Devil himself for a favour.
A simple ride from uni to my house shouldn’t be difficult for him since he attends the same uniandlives next door to me. It’s a reasonable request, and one I would be happy to do for my neighbour if I owned a car. In fact, I’m the kind of person who would offer the lift.
Thisshouldbe easy.
Right now, though, it feels like the most challenging task imaginable because he’s the most challenging person imaginable.
I try to ignore the anxiety clawing at my stomach as I watch him laughing with a friend. It takes a lot to psyche myself up to approach him. He’s the last person I want to ask for anything, and if it wasn’t currently pouring with rain outside, I would happily walk.
Hell, I’d even consider crawling instead of this.
Having no money sucks, but at least not being able to afford a car keeps me in shape. That’s what I tell myself every time I have to trudge home in the rain, with my long hair sticking to my back, and my make-up running down my face.
It’s not an attractive look.
I bet if Casper agrees it will only be so he can rub it in my face later. That’sdefinitelywhat he’ll do. I will forever be in his debt, and he won’t call on me to repay it. He will probably leave me one down for the rest of my life.
He’ll forever be my saviour. I can see his smug expression already.
I’m talking myself out of this. It’s better to get soaked.
I’m waterproof, after all.
His booming laughter brings me back to the present. Those clear blue eyes ringed with a stormy grey band are stunning, and they shine when he smiles. It’s incredibly unfair that eyes like that belong to a bastard like him.
I’ve hated him for a long time—since freshers’ week at uni—but my God, he’s on my mind far too often. I don’t know why he bothers me so much. Perhaps because he lives next door and I can’t escape him. Perhaps because he seems to make it his life’s mission to make me feel about two feet tall.
Either way, Casper Hart is evil, and I really, really despise him.
I know what you’re thinking. His name is the same as that cute little ghost’s. Who names their kid Casper after the movie aired? His rich lawyer parents, apparently. Maybe they did it so he would grow up tough—it’s unclear. Either way, they were so off the mark. He’s not friendly.
A ghost he is not. A poltergeist, perhaps…
His surname is another joke. I’m not sure he even has a heart.
It will be a cold day in Hell before I admit that he pulls off his name. It suits him. I like it. A fact that I’ll take to the grave.
I take a step towards him and immediately correct it by stepping to the side and almost bumping into a group of people headed for the door.
“Sorry,” I mutter when they tut at me.
What are you doing?
Is this really worth the hassle I’m going to get? The only reason I’m considering asking him is because I don’t want my books to get soaked. After I finish every shift at the library, I check out the new books. I’m positive there’s some law about never leaving a library or book shop empty-handed.
Maybe Casper won’t be a dick about it. We’ve barely spoken this last week, so he hasn’t had much chance to get pissed off with… whatever it is about me that pisses him off so thoroughly.
If I knew what that was, I’d ramp it up.
I take a breath and wring my hands. Right, I’m going to ask him. His house is attached to mine. It’s not like he’d be going out of his way especially for me.
Unfortunately, from the second year of uni we had to find somewhere off campus to live, and the semi-detached house I live in is owned by the same guy who is raking it in by renting to students like me.
I’ve lived next door to Casper and his two housemates Reggie and Marvin – who are decent people – for a year and a half now.
It gets worse because Casper and I also happen to share a bedroom wall.
