AllFreeNovel
Share Us
When Arch walks in ten minutes after the bell with a smile on his face, he’s actually whistling.
Whistling.
I can’t take it.
“You’re late,” I bite out the moment the door shuts behind him.
He comes to a stop, leaning against the door, contemplating me with a sly gleam in his eyes that makes me uncomfortable. “And you care why?”
“I care,” Vivian pipes up, her voice stern.
He barely looks in her direction. “You going to tell Matthews?”
Vivian lifts her chin. “Of course, I am.”
“Let him know I had to take a call.” He strolls deeper into the office, heading right toward me. I’m sitting at the desk all office aides use, and there’s only one chair. “Move out of my seat, Albright.”
Vivian sucks in a sharp breath at his rude demand, while I spin the chair around to face him, glaring up at him defiantly. “Make me.”
He doesn’t slow his approach, only stopping when his feet are practically on top of mine, his eyes blazing with anger. At least there’s some emotion there. Usually, his eyes are either blank or full of contemptuous amusement. Like the world is a joke and we’re all here to entertain him.
God, I really can’t stand this boy. I’m the nice girl. The person who smiles at everyone, even though most of the students on this campus barely acknowledge me.
I don’t understand why I care what others think about me, or why I waste my time, but here I am, nearing my breaking point, ready to unleash all over Arch Lancaster.
“You really want to mess with me right now?” His voice is low. I’m not even sure if Vivian could make out what he said and she’s only standing a few feet away from us, but I can definitely hear the threat in his tone. See the venom in his eyes.
The phone rings and Vivian rushes to answer it, leaving Arch and me to talk freely.
“I thought I didn’t matter to you.” I arch a brow. “You don’t consider me a threat, remember?”
“I don’t consider you at all,” he drawls as his gaze sweeps over me, lingering.
Making me squirm.
I jump to my feet, irritated with myself and my reaction. Startling him since I moved so fast and he doesn’t have the time to step away from me. We’re so close, I can feel his body heat, smell his scent and I mentally brace myself.
Again, I can’t help but think he smells…good. And I hate it.
“For someone who claims he doesn’t think about me, I suddenly catch you staring at me all the time,” I taunt.
Arch makes a dismissive noise. “Please. You wish I was staring at you. You’re just pissed I never considered you in the first place.”
“You’re rude.”
“And you’re a pick-me girl,” he throws back at me.
I go silent, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, come on. You’ve never heard that phrase before? You’re the type of girl who always acts like, ‘pick me, pick me.’ You’re dying for someone to pay attention to you, to talk to you, hell, even tolookat you. Because no one notices you, Daze. You walk around campus with your sunshiny attitude and your stupid braid.” He literally flicks it off my shoulder with his fingers. “But no one reallyseesyou.”
My chin is wobbling and my eyes are misty, but I refuse to cry. I absolutely refuse. There is no way I’m going to fall apart and let him see me in a weak moment. I’m the one who started this fight.
I need to finish it.
He leans in closer, his mouth at my ear, his breath hot on my skin when he speaks. “But I see you. I see exactly what you are. A little nobody who doesn’t matter. A lost little girl with severe mommy issues.”
I don’t even remember it happening. It’s as if I blink and suddenly my palm is stinging and there’s a red mark on Arch’s cheek in the shape of a hand. A stunned expression on his face.
