Page 140 of Forbidden Lessons

She’s giving me mental whiplash.

“Kai or Ezra?” I grimace.

She rolls her eyes again, checks the hallway again. “Kai orRooke.”

“Oh my God, Melissa!” I rush at her, giving her a playful shove.

She giggles as she stumbles into the hallway, catching her balance and heading for the bathroom down the hall. But she turns around after a few steps, walking backward as she calls out, “Both?” She points at me with a slipper. “Bet you’d pick both, you dirty slut.”

I give her the finger, and her laugh follows me down the stairs as I head for the Land Rover to collect the last of my things.

Both.

I huff out a sardonic laugh as I roll my shoulders and pop the trunk.

Nowthat’sasking for drama.

“Nice car.”

I didn’t realize I was staring off into space until the voice behind me snaps me back to reality. Grabbing the first thing I can lay my hand on, I spin around and face off with Kai.

“You stay the fuck away from me!” I brandish my flashlight like a baton. It’s pretty hefty, but I doubt I can swing it hard enough to dent Kai’s thick skull.

Won’t stop me from trying.

“Relax, Heavenly,” he says, stepping closer. “You made it clear that you’re one of us now.” He makes a point of looking up at the white letters above the GAZ porch, then back at the Land Rover. “So what, did you steal it? Weird way to blend in.”

“It’s a loan.” I wiggle the flashlight again when Kai steps closer still. “Stay back.”

“Where’d you get the money for a lease? Because if you’re that flush, I think, on last count, you owed me about two-hundred and seventy-seven dollars.”

My mouth squirms. He’s just going to keep at it until I tell him. It’s not like it’s a state secret. Me trying to hide the truth will just make him wonder why.

I reluctantly spit out, “Professor Rooke loaned it to me.”

Kai’s eyes widen in mock surprise as he lays a hand on his heart. “Wow. What a saint. You get to go to college for freeandsomeone give you a car to drive? All this generosity must besoexhausting. Here, let me give you a hand with that.”

Other than beating him to a pulp with the flashlight, there’s nothing I can do to stop him when he grabs a duffel bag in each hand and heads for the sorority house.

I don’t recognize those bags. Are they Bastian’s? My clothes have been in trash bags the past few weeks. There’s still a mortified blush on my cheeks when Kai stops in the foyer and looks back at me.

“Where do these go?”

“Right here’s fine.” I hurry over and snatch at the handles, trying to tug them out of Kai’s grip.

“Nah. Couldn’t let a cutie like you hurt yourself with these heavy things.” He tips his chin toward the stairs. “Lead the way.”

We’re alone down here.

It’s gone past ten already, and I’m guessing most of the sorority house is asleep or getting ready for bed.

The stupidest thing you can do in a horror movie is go up the stairs, or down into the basement. But those guys usually have an evil spirit or an ax-murderer to deal with.

I have an unpredictable Kai.

Even I’ll admit murder is a bit drama.

My choices are to run out the front door, into an even more deserted street, or head upstairs, where at least there will be a bunch of sorority sisters to hear me scream.

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