Fallen Crest University
Page 37
“What do you want?”
He had watched me while I stood next to him, waiting for my package.
He knew who I was. I realized he had known who I was, even before going to the side of him. That was why he stayed there. He’d forced me to move to the side. He’d forced the entire situation, trapping me with that group behind me.
I thought about moving to his left side, away from the pressing group, but his bag was there. I had to go to the right side. He kept it open for me.
It was a move that Mason and Logan would do. Their enemy did it, too, and that sent my internal alarms from the ridiculous stage to the ludicrous stage. They were blaring, flashing in circles. I knew Park Sebastian was cunning and manipulative, but he was showing a new card to me.
He was even more calculating than I imagined, but I did what Mason would do. I took that information and put it to the back of my mind. It would help in dealing with Sebastian in the future, if he did anything else. As I stood there, regarding him now in suspicion, I knew he was going to.
My shoulders rolled back. Screw it. I said, “If you’re going to use me to hurt Mason, it won’t work.”
His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. His top lip lifted in appreciation. I surprised him, and he enjoyed that. I frowned. I hadn’t expected that, but I hugged my box closer to my chest. His gaze fell down to it, and he was reading the quotes Malinda put around it. I tried to cover them, closing my hands around the box. He moved to the next quote. I covered that, too. I looked ridiculous, and I felt my cheeks warming.
Enough.
I couldn’t win like this.
I began to back away. I kept my eyes averted, hugging that box, and I was backpedaling. I could run into someone, but I didn’t care. I had to get away from him.
“Samantha.” He walked with me.
“Stop,” I hissed at him.
He leaned forward, a slow grin tugging at the corner of his lip. He tucked his hands behind his back. “I’m not going to hurt you. Look. See?” He held his hands out again and made a show about tucking them behind his back. “Hands behind my back—literally.”
“Good. Now, stay there.” I kept scooting backward, but glanced around.
We attracted attention from the back of the line. Some were laughing. Others lifted their phones to record us. I cursed. Mason did not need to see that, so I ducked through the line and around a corner that led to the coffee shop. Even more people were milling around there since it opened to a sitting area by a bunch of water fountains.
Shit. I had nowhere to go.
I looked back over my shoulder.
Sebastian was there, grinning at me but trying not to grin. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You knew I was behind you in line.”
“I did. Yes.”
An exasperated gasp left me in a sudden whoosh of air. That asshole. I knew he set the whole thing up.
“You waited on purpose, making me go to the right side where I’d be trapped. People come out there from the cafeteria.”
“I…” He pursed his lips together and shrugged. “Yes, I did.”
“Asshole.”
His head clipped down. “Yes, I am. I’ll take that.”
“Go away.”
“I…” He faltered again, his eyes skirting to the side. “I just want to talk. Is that so bad? I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m not going to use you to hurt Mason either.”
I snorted. “Like hell you aren’t.”
His grin grew a centimeter. “Well, I would, if I thought I could, but you’re not exactly naive.” He leaned closer as he said that last word, his grin spreading even wider. A spark appeared in his eyes.
He liked our banter.
I scowled. “Stop enjoying this conversation.”
That brought out a laugh from him. He cleared his throat to cover but couldn’t. A second laugh slipped out, and he shook his head. “Sorry. You’re different than what I remember. You remember meeting me? The first time?”
“Yeah.” My scowl held firm. “You were friends with Nate and salivating over Mason, imagining all that you could use him for in the future.” I scoffed, “Good times.”
His grin slipped a little, and he drew upright. “Not nice.”
If I were Heather, I would give him the middle finger. I refrained, but my upper lip curled in disdain. He got what I was feeling.
Tugging at his shirt collar, he cleared his throat a second time. “I’ve not done anything to harm you. I don’t think I’ve warranted this reception.”
I burst out laughing. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
The sound wasn’t from amusement, and it drew attention from those by the coffee shop. I ignored them. This guy was insane.
“You tried to use my boyfriend. When he said no, you tried to destroy his friendship with his best friend. When that didn’t happen, you tried to hit Mason with a vehicle. When that didn’t happen, you tried to get him expelled—”
Sebastian lunged forward but caught himself.
I hustled back and held my ground, but I was elated. I’d gotten him to slip a little, and that one small movement drew even more attention. It was all about getting the other one to show their true colors. Sebastian looked pretty on the outside, but he oozed slime on the inside. I wanted that slime on the outside. I wanted everyone to see it, too.
“You’re better than I thought.” His nostrils flared up as he noted that with a look of admiration in his eyes.
No. I looked closer. That wasn’t admiration. It was cunning. Shit. Maybe I had shown him my cards too soon. He knew I wasn’t the naive girlfriend who needed protecting. I had fangs, too.
“Samantha?”
Kitty and Nina came through the door behind Sebastian. They walked around him but paused, taking note of the tension in the air.
I raised my chin. “Walk away.”
“Wha—” Kitty started to protest, but Nina elbowed her in the gut.
I said anyway, “I’m not talking to you, Kitty.”
It was all Sebastian. I didn’t look away, and his eyes narrowed. I had him in the position I wanted. If he wanted to do something—intimidate me, proposition me, threaten me—he’d have to do it now, and he’d have to do it with an audience. He needed to play his cards, or he’d have to retreat and try again.
He didn’t say a word, but he nodded to himself and swung around the girls.
He had watched me while I stood next to him, waiting for my package.
He knew who I was. I realized he had known who I was, even before going to the side of him. That was why he stayed there. He’d forced me to move to the side. He’d forced the entire situation, trapping me with that group behind me.
I thought about moving to his left side, away from the pressing group, but his bag was there. I had to go to the right side. He kept it open for me.
It was a move that Mason and Logan would do. Their enemy did it, too, and that sent my internal alarms from the ridiculous stage to the ludicrous stage. They were blaring, flashing in circles. I knew Park Sebastian was cunning and manipulative, but he was showing a new card to me.
He was even more calculating than I imagined, but I did what Mason would do. I took that information and put it to the back of my mind. It would help in dealing with Sebastian in the future, if he did anything else. As I stood there, regarding him now in suspicion, I knew he was going to.
My shoulders rolled back. Screw it. I said, “If you’re going to use me to hurt Mason, it won’t work.”
His eyes widened a fraction of an inch. His top lip lifted in appreciation. I surprised him, and he enjoyed that. I frowned. I hadn’t expected that, but I hugged my box closer to my chest. His gaze fell down to it, and he was reading the quotes Malinda put around it. I tried to cover them, closing my hands around the box. He moved to the next quote. I covered that, too. I looked ridiculous, and I felt my cheeks warming.
Enough.
I couldn’t win like this.
I began to back away. I kept my eyes averted, hugging that box, and I was backpedaling. I could run into someone, but I didn’t care. I had to get away from him.
“Samantha.” He walked with me.
“Stop,” I hissed at him.
He leaned forward, a slow grin tugging at the corner of his lip. He tucked his hands behind his back. “I’m not going to hurt you. Look. See?” He held his hands out again and made a show about tucking them behind his back. “Hands behind my back—literally.”
“Good. Now, stay there.” I kept scooting backward, but glanced around.
We attracted attention from the back of the line. Some were laughing. Others lifted their phones to record us. I cursed. Mason did not need to see that, so I ducked through the line and around a corner that led to the coffee shop. Even more people were milling around there since it opened to a sitting area by a bunch of water fountains.
Shit. I had nowhere to go.
I looked back over my shoulder.
Sebastian was there, grinning at me but trying not to grin. “I’m not going to hurt you.”
“You knew I was behind you in line.”
“I did. Yes.”
An exasperated gasp left me in a sudden whoosh of air. That asshole. I knew he set the whole thing up.
“You waited on purpose, making me go to the right side where I’d be trapped. People come out there from the cafeteria.”
“I…” He pursed his lips together and shrugged. “Yes, I did.”
“Asshole.”
His head clipped down. “Yes, I am. I’ll take that.”
“Go away.”
“I…” He faltered again, his eyes skirting to the side. “I just want to talk. Is that so bad? I’m not going to hurt you, and I’m not going to use you to hurt Mason either.”
I snorted. “Like hell you aren’t.”
His grin grew a centimeter. “Well, I would, if I thought I could, but you’re not exactly naive.” He leaned closer as he said that last word, his grin spreading even wider. A spark appeared in his eyes.
He liked our banter.
I scowled. “Stop enjoying this conversation.”
That brought out a laugh from him. He cleared his throat to cover but couldn’t. A second laugh slipped out, and he shook his head. “Sorry. You’re different than what I remember. You remember meeting me? The first time?”
“Yeah.” My scowl held firm. “You were friends with Nate and salivating over Mason, imagining all that you could use him for in the future.” I scoffed, “Good times.”
His grin slipped a little, and he drew upright. “Not nice.”
If I were Heather, I would give him the middle finger. I refrained, but my upper lip curled in disdain. He got what I was feeling.
Tugging at his shirt collar, he cleared his throat a second time. “I’ve not done anything to harm you. I don’t think I’ve warranted this reception.”
I burst out laughing. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
The sound wasn’t from amusement, and it drew attention from those by the coffee shop. I ignored them. This guy was insane.
“You tried to use my boyfriend. When he said no, you tried to destroy his friendship with his best friend. When that didn’t happen, you tried to hit Mason with a vehicle. When that didn’t happen, you tried to get him expelled—”
Sebastian lunged forward but caught himself.
I hustled back and held my ground, but I was elated. I’d gotten him to slip a little, and that one small movement drew even more attention. It was all about getting the other one to show their true colors. Sebastian looked pretty on the outside, but he oozed slime on the inside. I wanted that slime on the outside. I wanted everyone to see it, too.
“You’re better than I thought.” His nostrils flared up as he noted that with a look of admiration in his eyes.
No. I looked closer. That wasn’t admiration. It was cunning. Shit. Maybe I had shown him my cards too soon. He knew I wasn’t the naive girlfriend who needed protecting. I had fangs, too.
“Samantha?”
Kitty and Nina came through the door behind Sebastian. They walked around him but paused, taking note of the tension in the air.
I raised my chin. “Walk away.”
“Wha—” Kitty started to protest, but Nina elbowed her in the gut.
I said anyway, “I’m not talking to you, Kitty.”
It was all Sebastian. I didn’t look away, and his eyes narrowed. I had him in the position I wanted. If he wanted to do something—intimidate me, proposition me, threaten me—he’d have to do it now, and he’d have to do it with an audience. He needed to play his cards, or he’d have to retreat and try again.
He didn’t say a word, but he nodded to himself and swung around the girls.
