Page 18 of Cruel Devotion

The next morning, Aunt Cindy dropped me off on campus a full hour before my first class would start. She had an appointment with a new specialist about a different medication, and the drive there would take her at least forty-five minutes.

Even though I was tired from not sleeping well, thanks to weird dreams and being awake with too many thoughts after them, I killed the time as productively as I could, rereading material and doing a crossword puzzle in the coffee shop nearest my first class. Sociology 301 wasn’t my favorite course, but it was easy once I put the effort into the papers and projects.

I tried to tune out the chatter around me as more students showed up and idled with coffees. Too many of them stood around the high counter I sat at. While it didn’t take much for my quota of being near people to be exceeded, I was not in the mood to hear the nonsense they all gossiped about.

That stupid party.

It was all that they talked about, that or the upcoming winter dance.

Davina was meeting me here in a few minutes, and I was sure she’d comment again about that party at the Wests’ mansion last night. The one where she claimed Eli had mentioned me.

As if I care.

I regretted not buying a cheapo replacement of earbuds over the Black Friday sales just a few months ago. Because not being able to hear the girls at the next table would’ve been bliss. I could only pretend I was deaf for so long.

“No, I slept with one of the players,” a short redhead told her friend over coffee. “I told you I was going to that party to get some.”

“Nice,” her friend said, grinning.

“I mean, I wanted to get Eli, but he got all pissy that I mistook him for one of the basketball players.” She huffed. “As if that matters.”

The other girl laughed. “Does it?”

“I don’t think so. If they’re hung, whatever. I just wanted some dick to ride. I don’t care what sport they play.”

“Hmm. The jocksalwaysknow how to make a girl feel good.”

I rolled my eyes, wishing they’d get up and go.

How could they think Eli played basketball?He wasn’t gangly and lanky, some too-tall freak of nature. Eli was lean and muscled, with those toned arms for throwing the football.

“Whatever. His loss,” the redhead said.

Yeah, right. His loss for one night.Eli never made it a secret that he liked to sleep around, considering himself some sort of Casanova.

“Hey,” Davina greeted as she walked up to me. She yawned, clutching the coffee cup she’d just bought like the steam wafting up from the top would be a lifeline to jolt her awake.

“Morning,” I replied, eyeing her as she sipped her drink, then groaned like she was Frankenstein getting up for the first time.

“Late night?” I teased as I set my books in my bag to walk with her.

“No.” She shrugged. “I left the party early. It got boring.”

“Oh.” I laughed as we walked out of the coffee shop. “And you wanted me to come.”

She snorted, going down the wide corridor with me that would connect to the wing our class was in. “As if you ever would.”

You got that right.

“It just wasn’t as fun as I thought it might be. But maybe I left too soon. It sounds like a ton of crazy shit happened after I left.”

“According to the gossip I overheard in there,” I said, tipping my head in the direction of the coffee shop we’d just exited, “it was a boozy sex fest like any other party.”

“Yeah. But I saw some posts that someone crashed a car?”

I frowned. “Great. Drunk drivers. Just what the world doesn’t need more of.”

“No. Not likedriving. But I dunno. Something happened to one of Preston’s cars or something.” She sighed. “But that cute guy from my Statistics class wasn’t there. Or if he was, I didn’t see him.”

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