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Beau nods, easing my nerves. But before I can say anything else, he points at my face.
"Is it anything to do with the handprint on your face?"
Chapter 6
Igrabmycheek,falling silent. Behind him, the other two look at me with neutral expressions. I don't know any of these guys, so feeling vulnerable in front of them causes a wave of nausea to wash over me.
Lying has never been my strong suit. Aaron always told me I'd be shit at poker, my face giving everything away. I can barely keep presents a secret, let alone trying to lie on the spot.
"Yeah…" I finally admit, not moving my hand.
Beau steps forward, softly grasping my wrist and pulling it away from my cheek. I don't bother to fight back or struggle – it's useless.
"Who hit you? Was it the cheating anal pimple?" he asks, his dark eyes trailing over the mark.
I avoid looking at the other two, who are watching our exchange. "We had a fight about the results. I just wanted to get out of the house for a bit."
"Is he still there?"
I shake my head. "No, he left. But I didn't want to be there when he came back."
Normal people should cry at this point. I have no idea why I'm not breaking down right now. I think I'm still in shock over the whole ordeal.
Beau looks over his shoulder at the other two, a silent conversation playing between them. Finally, he looks back at me.
"Come to our apartment. We can hang out and take a better look at it."
"It's not too bad," I start but Jax steps forward with his arms folded.
"Don't bother arguing with him," he says, nodding towards Beau. "It won't do you any good."
Beau's lips fight back a smile at his brother's words, but his eyes are still hard, telling me that it's best to just follow directions and accept the friendly offer.
"Okay," I mutter quietly, following them as they turn and start walking.
We cross the campus grounds and I half-expect them to take me to the onsite accommodation, but instead we head towards residential apartments. As we approach an apartment block, I take a moment to look at it in more detail. It's much nicer than my tiny complex – and much newer. The double doors to the entrance automatically open as we reach the sensor point and I'm hit in the face with cold air.
I gaze around at the quiet lobby, staring at the steel mail boxes while we wait for the elevator. There's a ding before the doors open and I'm ushered inside behind Beau before the other two follow suit. I notice Chase hits the button for the top floor as the doors close, sealing us inside.
"So, this is nice," I say awkwardly, trying to make conversation.
The three of them look over at me, probably deciding that I'm a charity case, as I shift awkwardly. There's a mirror on the back wall and I catch myself looking at my reflection. The handprint is still extremely visible, making me realize that Aaron hit me hard.
Finally, the wave of emotion hits me, and before I know it, I'm a mess. My knees start to buckle, but someone catches me before I can hit the floor, holding me up with their arms around my torso.
"Deep breaths," Beau mutters, rubbing circles on my back.
I sound like I'm hyperventilating as I try to suck in air, my breaths coming out in gasps. I register the sound of the elevator dinging again, Beau tugging me alongside him as we exit into the light blue corridor.
Thankfully, it's quiet and there's no one else around. Through my blurry vision, I notice there's only two doors on this level – one at either end of the hallway. I'm guided to the one to the right, watching as Jax unlocks it with his key and holding it open for all of us.
My nose sniffles as I step inside the cool apartment, glancing around. I'm surprised at how tidy it is. I always assumed all boys were as disgusting and messy as Aaron, but everything is clean. There's no discarded clothes or shoes around as I gaze at their living room which is bigger than my entire apartment. The teal walls are bare, but a shelf in the corner is decorated with various medals and trophies. Against the wall is a mid-sized television and gaming console on a stand. The L-shaped couch is grey and padded, looking ever so inviting.
The kitchen is to the left of the entrance, overlooking the living room. Not a single dirty dish is in sight, just a fruit bowl on the counter filled with apples, oranges and bananas.
I feel out of place in the apartment. It's nothing too fancy, but already feels much nicer than my own. There's three doors equally set apart opposite the television which I assume are their bedrooms. The doors are closed, the dark green color reminding me of Groveton.
There's a hallway to the side of the kitchen heading to the other side of the apartment, a slightly ajar door revealing pearly white tiles. The rest of the view is obstructed but I'm guessing that's the bathroom.
