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She holds her hands up in surrender. "Don't come running— ha!—to me if you die."
I gawp at her. “If I die, I'll haunt your ass,” I tell her. "I don’t see why I can’t go for a quick run, without music. He can’t rule my life, Nove.”
I've dealt with Zac before, I'm not afraid to do it again. He doesn't get to control when I feel scared.
"And you'll carry this pepper spray," Avery adds, walking from our shared bedroom and thrusting it at me.
"I don't have the room to carry this."
"Make room, or I'm coming with you."
I laugh, one that quickly stalls in my throat. She folds her arms across her chest. "I'll find the room."
Satisfied, she nods and heads to the kitchen. “Back in fifteen minutes."
I nod, realizing that I'm lucky they are even allowing me to head out of the apartment at all. But would he be stupid enough to attack me, or us, again? Although, we shouldn't underestimate Zac. I don't see an end to this at the moment, not until somebody is seriously hurt, or dead. Will he continue to harass us for the entire year? Until we leave college? Beyond that? At the moment, I don't see my life without him being in it, hurting us at every turn.
I push out of the apartment building and see the first flurries of snow.
Just my luck!
This wasn't predicted. Sometimes I wonder why I watch the weather reports. They always lie. I suck in the cold air and kick off, needing the time alone to collect and sort my thoughts, and no, I can't do that when it comes to Austin. It's like trying to find the needle in a haystack. The connection between us is very obvious, but baffling.I’d tried to fight it, but Austin doesn’t accept rejection, and I’m not going to deny him. Every time he touches me, peppers with me kisses, I fall harder. The momenthe walks into a room those hazel eyes flick my way and steal my breath. What’s a girl to do?
The way that he makes me feel, how I feel about him, gnaws at me, the longing burning in my chest. He's naturally protective, because of what happened to Matt, and when it comes to his family, and his crew are definitely that, he will do anything to help them. He's accepted me and my friends into that fold. I've never met someone so completely selfless. Which makes things harder for me as I'm still holding onto my secret.
I check my watch and turn around, sticking to the fifteen and not wanting to push my luck. As I run towards my apartment, he appears around the corner, like he's been waiting for me. "What the hell, Harry!"
He won't try to talk to me when I'm with my girls. He's too afraid of Avery. How long has he been waiting here?
"We need to talk," he demands.
I shake my head, stepping around him. "We don't."
He grips my arm, pulling me back. My hand tightens on the pepper spray I'd stuck at the top of my ass against my leggings. "I really wouldn't," I snap.
"I only want to talk." His hands drop as understanding flickers across his face. He's pushing boundaries, and he knows it. Austin won't appreciate the marks on my arm if he continues to hold me.
He must know what has happened to me and Austin, and even the crew. And yet, he does nothing. He doesn’t even pretend to care. I don't understand him. There's not a spark of recognition in him. "I have nothing to say to you."
"I have plenty to say," he hisses, losing his tight control on the anger I'd seen in the pulse of his jaw.
"I don't care!" I gather myself to push past him.
"You will..."
I hear the threat and my steps falter. Yes. I’m a protector, too. "What does that mean?"
"I only want to talk aboutOff Topic.Dean Tucker has pulled the plug...for the moment, and I need you to convince him that the campus needs it back."
Why the hell do I want that thing up and running again? I huff. Confidence pumping through me. "And why the hell would I do that?"
"Did our friendship mean nothing to you?"
"About as much as it meant to you," I counter.
“This is my life, Mia!” he shouts.
I see his fear as it streaks across his face in angry lines. I scoff. “Really? That thing will carry on the day you leave, no one cares who the host is as long as the hurtful gossip continues!”
