Page 17 of Obsessions of the Heart

The combination of my earlier embarrassment and the anger that was currently making my blood pressure rise blew the top off my meter. I yanked out the pocket knife I always kept with me and sliced my locks right off his finger.

I expected his eyes to widen, for him to back off in shock or disgust, understanding that this was a prey that was going to fight back and wasn't worth it. “Don’t fuck with me, playboy,” I growled, hoping that this was enough to scare him off.

What I didn't expect was his eyes lighting up in excitement, his body shaking with laughter. Abruptly, he stood up and proclaimed, “Oh, yes! You're a little psycho waiting for the right one to press your buttons. Exquisite!”

Before the professor could yell at him again, he sniffed the hair twisted around his finger, closing his eyes like he was savoring it, before he got out of his seat.

“You cut it off, so it's mine now.” How the fuck does that make sense? He wiggled his finger, and I started to feel like I had made some kind of drastic mistake.

With the teacher yelling at him to leave, he waved and blew a kiss at me. Yep. That guy was not normal.

Chapter 7

Iwas still flustered when I got to my next class, Art History, and I didn’t expect arms to circle around my torso. Immediately, I planted my legs and shoved my elbow back, not about to let that fucker get to me a second time.

“Whoa, whoa, hold up, Lay. It's just me.” Cin slowly stepped up next to me, a hesitant smile on her face like I was a rabid animal.

I assessed her, trying to figure out how she’d escaped that move without a scratch. Was she just too short for it to work? Did she let go at the right time? That move always worked.

“Did something happen to you?” She looked around before she lowered her voice, and her eyes turned into blueish blades. “Did someone fuck with you? Just tell me, and I’ll take care of them.”

The seriousness in her face made me pause. Did she really mean that? Why?

“No. I can handle him. It's just something stupid.” I didn't want to get Cin involved. That would just make us closer, and I didn’t know if I wanted that.

She pinched her lips, moving them from side to side like she was thinking, then she hooked an arm into mine, tugging me toward our classroom. “Oooohhhh, so it's a him.” She stuck out her lip and looked up at me with puppy dog eyes. “And here I thought you and I would go trolling for dick together at one of my brother’s parties this week.”

I dropped my mouth, opening and closing it like a fish as she tugged me through the door. I needed to set some stuff straight. She moved to the seat closest to the door and patted the one next to her. Sitting down, I geared up for some real talk.

“Look, Cin, I’m not really looking to start anything with anyone. I have to focus on getting through school.”

She was nodding before I even finished. “Oh yeah, sure, I totally get that. I’m all on board with the ‘fuck-a-relationship’ train, but I said let’s get some dick. It doesn't have to be forever dick, or even we-dated-for-a-year dick. Just some good, old-fashioned, oh-shit-he’s-hot dick. Or how about I-fucking-hate-him-but-would-fuck-his-brains-out dick? There’s always the trusty I’m-drunk-and-I-woke-up-in-his-bed dick?”

My lips twitched even though I was having a hard time connecting the things that were coming out of her mouth with the graceful aura and eclectic style she rocked.

I was no stranger to sex, but each time I had it, something bad happened to the guy, and I didn’t want to keep that kind of stigma going on here. This place was supposed to be my clean start, my way to get out of the street life.

She gave me a pleading look that was hard to pass up. This was also the second time she had brought it up, me going to a party with her. This was the point when people started to take offense if you kept turning them down. What's the worst that could happen, right? “How about no dick, but I’ll still come with you to the party.” It would be good to meet a few more people other than Cin and the psycho Irish guy.

Cin vibrated in her chair, causing me to lean away from her in case she burst into a million pieces. “Oh. My. God! I swear you are going to have a fun and amazing time. Promise! You’ll get to meet some upperclassmen. Most of the freshmen came to the party last night and will be there tonight since it's the first big party of the year, but if we wait and go Thursday night, the crowd will be older. Perfect for you. A lot of the legacies and the smart upperclassmen dicks will be there.”

Parties all week long? That seemed exhausting.

I glared at her, not wanting to repeat myself, and she grinned from ear to ear. “I know, I know. But that doesn't mean I can’t get some regretful smart dick, right?” I nodded, knowing that I wasn't going to prevent her from making adult choices. “But I promise…” She straightened up, her demeanor going very serious as she held up one hand while the other rested over her heart. “I will not bring him back to our room. No stupid boys in our room; that's a safe space. A dick-free zone.”

“Thank you for the courtesy.” I smirked at her, not planning to keep her to her promise. Cin already seemed a little unpredictable to me, and those kinds of people were made for breaking the rules.

The professor spoke up, telling us all to quiet down. After the class was over, I realized that Cin hadn’t once bugged me or tried to talk to me though the lecture. She was surprisingly studious when the time called for it and a wizard on the computer. I glanced over halfway through, and she was not only writing down notes at a wicked speed, but monitoring some other program that was just running code.

When she caught me looking, she winked and whispered that it was a special project. Since I didn't know her schedule, I could only guess it was for some computer or high-tech class.

My stomach growled something fierce, and she convinced me to go to lunch with her, saying she had a cool place that only upperclassmen knew and that fit my vibe. Whatever that meant.

I was pleasantly surprised when I followed her through the building and out a side door. “Are you sure you kno—” I stopped speaking as soon as the sunlight beamed through the door she was holding open. After one step forward, I found myself in the middle of a lush green oasis.

The space housed several different types of flowers, bushes, and trees, almost like it was its own special collection. The grass was well kept, weed free, and soft when you stepped onto it. “Come on.” She tugged on my sleeve and motioned toward the end of the rectangular secret garden she had brought me to.

I followed her, my attention on the ambiance of the place. The stone walls were covered in green vines, all except for the windows to some classrooms and offices. There was a small group of people in the corner with pads and pencils, looking up and down while they sketched.

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