Page 506 of Filthy Elites

“Is she? Or are you just hers?” Clay asks quietly.

EIGHTEEN

Starling

As I watchClay disappear from sight, I wonder if this is all some elaborate trick Sebastian has come up with to test me to see if I’ll run. It’s the type of thing he’d do, allow me a long enough chain to hang myself with and then enjoy punishing me for trying to get away from him.

For a moment I think about just leaving, walking out of the gates and not looking back, but what’s the point if he’ll just go back to having people watching me twenty-four seven? I might as well be here and getting a good college degree. I’m a prisoner either way, because I was never free of him, even when I thought I was.

I wait for Clay to come back, or for Sebastian to hunt me down, but no one comes and in the end, I decide to just go to class. If he really does have eyes on me then he’ll know where I am. My English class is a little more interesting than econ, and my sociology class even has me sitting forward in my seat as I listen to the professor speak passionately about the study of people and the things we’re going to be looking at.

When no one is waiting for me at the end of the period, I make my way over to the cafeteria and pick some food, choosing to take it to an empty table in the courtyard, rather than share with other students.

Sammy, the girl who followed me to freshmen orientation, spots me, shouting my name as she makes a beeline across the courtyard. Dropping her tray to the table, she plops down into the seat opposite me. “We should exchange cell numbers, that way we could arrange to meet for lunch when we can,” she says enthusiastically.

“Er, yeah I’m not sure of my schedule yet,” I tell her, considering just dumping my lunch like I had the day she decided to join me for breakfast. But I’m hungry, except for the sandwich Hunter made me and Sebastian forced me to eat, I don’t actually remember the last time I had a proper meal. My stomach feels hollow and empty, and the burger I’ve picked smells amazing, so instead of leaving, I ignore her and eat while she has a completely one-sided conversation, telling me all about her first two classes and her sex-crazed housemates.

“I swear all they’ve done is have sex since the moment we got here, I found the six of them all doing it at the same time in the living room the other day. My house is like a permanent orgy, which is fine, more power to them, but I don’t want to touch anything, just in case there’s fluid or something on it. I spoke to student housing, but they said there’re no rooms in any of the other houses on campus at the minute and I either have to just deal with it till someone moves out, or rent a place off campus.”

Instead of paying attention, I zone her out and daydream about Sebastian fucking me in the kitchen or the living room and the guys walking in on us. The thought is kind of hot. None of the others are remotely sexually attractive to me, although they’re all beautiful men, but the idea of them watching Sebastian fuck me, is much more appealing than it should be.

My body starts to heat as I imagine him bending me over the kitchen counter, his dick pounding into me while Hunter, Clay and Evan watch him play my body until I’m nothing but need and sensation, begging the man I hate to make me scream in the way only he knows how.

“Starling. Starling,” Sammy calls, dragging me from my dirty daydream and forcing me back to the present.

“Sorry, what?”

“I was asking if you fancied doing something tonight? We could go out for drinks or just hang out at your house. Which house are you in again?”

“Collinwood,” I tell her, instantly regretting it.

“Collinwood is one of the private houses, is your family alumni?”

“Er, no, but my mom’s new husband’s family is. I’m here on a scholarship, but I’m assuming he pulled strings to have me put in the house rather than the normal scholarship housing.”

“But that house is owned by…” she trails off. “What did you say your surname was?”

Shoving the last bite of my burger into my mouth, I stand abruptly, grabbing my tray. “Sorry, I have plans tonight.” Dumping the remaining food into the trash, I hoist my backpack onto both shoulders and walk away.

I only have one more class today, so I head straight over to the gym for the university-required PE course I have to take. Luckily, the class description said it was a free-form exercise requirement, with no grades, just mandatory attendance. Signing in on the sheet, I follow the other people into a huge gymnasium and take a seat in the bleachers. A few minutes later, an instructor arrives and hands out a sheet listing all the exercise classes that are available, as well as use of the indoor running track, weight gym and swimming pool. All we have to do to pass is spend an hour and a half here twice a week. After that we all head for the changing rooms and I switch out my clothes for a sports bra and a pair of running shorts and head for the yoga class that’s on today’s list.

There’re only a handful of other attendees, but by the time the class has ended I feel calm and relaxed.

“Hey,” a male voice says as I make my way out of the yoga studio and over to the running track, intending to do a couple of laps just to warm down.

“Hey,” I say, barely acknowledging him.

“I’m Chase.”

“Starling.”

“Do you wanna run together?” he asks hopefully.

“I’m just going to do a couple of laps to warm down.”

“That’s okay, I’ll use it as my warm-up,” he smiles. He’s tall, but not as tall as Sebastian, broad like a football player maybe, or at least athletic.

Not saying anything else, I walk to the edge of the track and then break into a light jog. He keeps pace at my side for the first half of a lap.

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