Page 29 of Say It Slowly

“Upstairs, in my room,” I answer evenly.

“You can’t do this. You can’t just move all of my stuff because you’re mad at me,” she fumes.

I shrug. “Not true, because that’s exactly what I just did.”

“Why, Roman?Why?” Tears start to gather in her eyes, but I know it’s just because she’s pissed. Chicks always cry when they’re pissed.

I rise up from the chair and step toward her. Wisely, she takes a step back. Christian and Jackson are just watching this play out, both dead silent on the other side of the room.

“You knowwhy,” I say, my own anger rising to the surface. Knowing she was with Ash drives me insane. “You knew exactly what you were doing when you let theentire-fucking-campussee you with Ash.”

Her eyes narrow. “So this is all about your fucking ego, is it? Me with some other guy. You care so much what other people think that you would take everything I own?” She shakes her head like she can’t believe what’s happening.Good.It was my goal to set her off balance. “Where am I supposed to sleep now, huh?”

I lift my arms. “Isn’t that obvious?”

Something comes over her face, then. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was fear. But a second later, it’s gone, replaced by that disgust that seems permanently etched on her face.

“You’re such a fucking asshole,” she spits moving to the door. Then she directs her attention to Jackson and Christian. “And you two just sit back and let this happen. You’re all a bunch of fucking bullies.” Before she leaves, she turns back to me with a threat. “I’m getting the administration involved. You might rule the entire campus, but they can’t allow this. It’s a lawsuit waiting to happen.”

Once she’s gone, Christian shakes his head. “You’d better be careful, Roman. This one might actually put you in your place.”

I laugh. “She’ll get over it. They always do.”

“I’ve never seen anyone talk to you like that,” Christian shakes his head. “This one is feisty, bro. You sure you want to take her on?”

I look at him like he’s an idiot. “Do I have a fucking choice?”

He shrugs a shoulder. “Hey, listen, you’re the bad guy in her eyes. Maybe I should take a crack at her?”

I step up on him. We’re evenly matched, but could take him if I had to, and I would. We’re brothers, but that doesn’t mean he can evenconsidertouching what’s mine. “Touch her and see what happens.”

He has the sense to laugh it off. “Dude, chill. Lucas is right, you’re fuckingwhipped.”

Lucas has never said that to me, which means they’re talking about me behind my back now. And I know what this is. The guys just want a taste of her, because she’s got something that most girls don’t have. She’s got an edge. She’s got bite. She’s not easily brought to heel, like most of the other girls here. It’s why Ash is sniffing around her, too.

Christ,fighting these guys off is a full-time-fucking-job. And in my infinite wisdom, I just moved her into the lion’s den.

I’m an idiot.

She must have hustled straight to the administration office, which is in a converted house owned by the University just down the street, because I get a call from Janet in the Housing Office fifteen minutes later. I half-expected Lux’s threat to be a bluff, but I guess she wasn’t fucking around.

“Hey, Janet. What’s up?” I say innocently like I don’t knowexactlywhy she’s calling.

“Hi, um, Roman, I have someone here claiming you stole her belongings.” Janet is half-whispering, and I hear the hesitance in her voice like she’s nervous about talking to me. She shouldbe. My grandfather funds the grant that pays for her salary—and everyone else’s in that office, for that matter.

“Yeah,” I answer. “It’s a domestic matter. Don’t worry about it.”

“She’s saying she’s going to go to the police if we don’t do anything,” Janet says. “It might be easier if you just return her property.”

I suck in a breath because this shit is annoying. “I know you’re not telling me what to do, Janet. You know better than that.”

“I—of course,” her voice lowers to a conspiratorial whisper. Lux must be standing nearby. “But I’m sure you don’t want a police report filed about something so trivial.”

Trivial.

I almost laugh at that. This iswar. A war between Lux and me. A war of wills. And she hasno ideawho she’s up against.

“Don’t worry about it, Janet. I’m handling it.”

---