Page 33 of Lilies in Autumn

“Ava,” a deep voice bellows across the hallway. I turn, my stomach erupting into a flurry of hungry little butterflies. Greyson stands at the opposite end of the hall. Once we make eye contact, he begins to stride down the hall in purposeful steps. His legs are so damn long that he reaches me in seconds.

“Vixen, we need to talk.”

Greyson

Dante: Just with Ava. Some shit went down in the dining hall. Spoke to her about you, call her, I think she’ll listen.

Dante’s text came through a little before eight, just as I finished my morning run at the track on campus. As soon as I read it, I booked it for home, probably breaking every traffic law in this shitty college town. Fuck it. I plug my phone into the docking station in my car and find Dante’s contact information at a red light to call him.

“Come on, you fuck, Answer your phone.”

After three rings, Dante answers. “Hey.”

“What did she say? Where is she?” I ask once he’s on the line.

“I’m doing good, thanks for asking, you asshole.”

“Dante,” I growl. “I don’t have time for this shit. Tell me what happened.”

“She broke the coffee machine, and I helped her turn it off. I walked with her to her building after and put in a good word for you while asking her to put in a good word for me with Red,” he responds. “I think she’ll talk to you. I told her there was no bet, at least none involving her.” He pauses, probably thinking about his bet with Linc and how fucked he’d be if Celeste ever found out. “You better not say shit about my bet with Linc.”

“I’m not going to say anything. What building is she in?”

“Howard Hall. She said she had algebra.”

I look at my dash, it reads eight-thirty. The morning gen eds are typically an hour, so I don’t have much time to shower, get dressed, and get my ass back to campus to wait her out.

“I owe you, D.”

“Remember that, bro. I need to get to class. Later.” Dante hangs up and I push my Jeep faster.

She’s going to fucking talk to me and hear me out. There’s no way we’re done before we even got the chance to start.

_

I make it back to campus by nine-fifteen, ready to drag this girl back to my house if that’s the only way she’ll listen to me. The sounds she made in my bed yesterday run through my mind like a fucking playlist, the image of her sweet body tangled in my sheets lives rent-free in my head, and I don’t care that we just met. This girl is different, made specifically for me, and I’m not going to let her slip through my fingers when I just found her. The only person that would tell her about the bet is Felicity or one of her minions, and she’s next on my list; you don’t fuck with my shit and expect to get away with it.

If Ava doesn’t give me a chance after this, Felicity is going to need to transfer because I will make her life a living fucking hell. Bet on that.

Walking through the doors of Howard Hall, I start looking into classrooms and lecture halls, desperate to find the one containing my vixen. There’s a room at the end of the hall with no window in the door. I crack it open, not giving a shit that I could be interrupting a class. There’s no one inside, and I see that there’s a crack in the smart board on the wall, indicating that there are no classes held in this room. Perfect.

I walk out of the abandoned class just as a door down the hall opens and people spill out. Instinctually, I know she’s part of that crowd. Holding my breath, I stand there, waiting to see if her pretty face emerges from the classroom, ready to fucking sprint down the hall if she tries to ignore me. I release my breath when I spot her; she’s the last one out of the room and gets caught in the mob outside the door. She bobs and weaves, clumsily hitting at least three people with her bag. She’s almost at the exit when I get my head out of my ass and call her name.

“Ava,” I yell, getting more than a few stares. Fuck them.

She whips her head around, surprise written all over her features. She takes me in, her every emotion is displayed in her eyes: confusion, residual anger, desire. She looks insane today in her tight black shirt and a pair of jeans that hug her ass. I’m not happy that her shirt hides the marks I gave her yesterday, but I appreciate that the high neck calls attention to her perky tits.

I walk over to her quickly, not giving her the opportunity to leave. I’m near her in seconds and reach out to her, wrapping my hand around the back of her head to pull her close.

“Vixen, we need to talk.” She’s staring into my eyes, looking straight into my soul. She licks her lips and I follow the movement, stifling a groan. I’m watching her mouth so closely that I almost miss the nod she gives me. Dropping my hand from the back of her head, I reach out and grab her bag, slinging it over my shoulder before taking her hand and tugging her toward the empty room.

I pull her into the room, not giving a shit who sees us, and close the door behind us. I reach for the switch, dimming the fluorescent lights to create a warm glow in the room. She’s staring at me, waiting for me to say something, maybe about the bullshit bet or maybe about dragging her into this room.

“There’s no bet, vixen. I swear to you.”

“I know. Dante told me.”

“I would never demean you that way. The things Felicity said, fuck. She and I, we—”

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