Page 2 of Veil of Lies

“I can do better!” Rowena screeched, trying to unzip my pants.

I slapped her hand away. She looked up with tears in her eyes, which I ignored.

“Go watch some porn. You might learn something.”

That little motivational nugget was about the best I could come up with after a bottle of tequila. I probably should have walked her back to the dorms, but fuck that, I was no fucking gentleman. The campus was secure. She’d be fine. And if she wasn’t? Well, I literally gave no fucks.

There was no sign of the new girl as I sauntered across the quad, the rain soaking my shirt. There was so much alcohol running through my veins that I felt nothing. I paused at the entrance, casting a quick look back to make sure Rowena hadn’t followed me. The last thing I needed tonight was more drama. I wasn’t even sure why I’d bothered hooking up with her, other than the fact I’d been bored and she’d been begging me for weeks.

Yeah, that was it. Should have stuck to porn. At least I’d have saved myself a trek outside in the storm. Although, now I thought about it, the evening wasn’t a complete bust. I’d met the new girl.

With a faint smile, I dragged myself up three flights of stairs to the penthouse dorm apartment I shared with my two best friends. Quinn was lounging on the sectional with a game controller in his hand, busy killing things. Harley was in his room with the door closed. I guessed he was talking to his latest girl. Or fucking her. I didn’t much care which.

“The fuck? Why are you so wet, dude?” Quinn snarled when I flopped down next to him. “Seriously, go put some dry clothes on, you’re dripping over me.”

“Met Rowena in the shed.”

Quinn looked at me like I was insane. “It’s fucking torrential out there. You should have just brought her here.”

“Nah, if I’d done that, the bitch would have clung on like a fucking limpet and we’d be dragging her ass out later.”

He snorted.“True.”

I lay back and closed my eyes. The new girl popped into my head and I wondered who she was. I’d not heard anything about a new student starting mid-semester. This was a small, exclusive college and gossip was valuable currency.

“Some new chick arrived. She must be a transfer student.”

“Oh?” Quinn looked up, obviously wondering why I felt the need to mention it.

“Yeah, she was hot.”

“Ah.” He smirked then returned to his game.

“Got any weed?”

“In the tin. Open your window if you’re going to smoke. We don’t need the smoke alarms going off again, yeah?”

After dragging myself off the sofa, I pulled Quinn’s tin from his not-so-secret hiding place under the floorboard at the side of his bed. Recreational drugs were banned on campus but none of us paid any attention to that rule. I needed something to chill me the fuck out. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to sleep. The faculty could take a running jump. This was strictly medicinal.

I dropped my soaking wet clothes in the laundry hamper and pulled on a dry pair of sweats. With the window cracked open, I sat on the window seat and lit the joint. After a few inhales of sweet smoke, the tension fell away and I sank back against the cushion, letting my thoughts wander.

Tomorrow, I’d go hunting for the new girl. Now she was on my radar, I had no intention of letting her escape.

Chapter 3

Stella

The email informed me my apartment was 305. I had no clue where that was, exactly, but some stringy kid loitering in the foyer of the dorm block pointed me up a flight of stairs. I followed the numbers on doors and eventually found the right one.

Most of the doors along the corridor were closed, but given how late I’d arrived, it wasn’t surprising. I guessed many people were asleep, apart from the guy I’d met outside. And his companion. I wondered if she’d managed to get him off yet. Somehow, I doubted it.

The key card I’d been sent worked, thankfully, and the door opened. Inside, the apartment was small but comfortable. I thanked my lucky stars I wasn’t being forced to share. Single-occupancy dorms were one of the perks of attending an exclusive college where money talked. The last thing I needed was a nosy roommate asking a ton of awkward questions about who I was.

I dropped my bags on the floor and quickly pulled everything out. Some of my clothes were damp from where water had soaked into the leather, so I hung them up to dry. My PJs were still dry and after a quick shower, I took my contacts out and crawled under the covers of my queen-sized bed. The mattress was comfortable, at least.

If I closed my eyes, I could almost pretend I was still in our apartment overlooking Central Park. Whenever it rained there, I’d sit out on the terrace, cocooned under the gazebo with a blanket. Here, I had no terrace or balcony. Just the sound of rain lashing against the glass.

It was late. Gone midnight. I’d been traveling for hours. I should be exhausted, but my brain was too wired. Tomorrow I’d have to sort my timetable out and figure out where all my classes were, not to mention get used to a different campus with a new social hierarchy and cliques. I idly wondered where the guy from earlier fit into that. I had a feeling he was somewhere near the top of the food chain. Everything about him screamed privilege.

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