Page 35 of Hunter
“I’m sorry, darlin’, I was just trying to help and be friendly,” he says, attempting to defend himself with a look of concern on his face and sincerity in his voice.
“Well, don’t.” Even if this man and Sloane are related, I don’t know his ass, and I don’t give strangers the benefit of the doubt. That shit is reserved for the few people who make my list of individuals I can trust.
I step out of the aisle and push some people out of the way to get to the exit. I can feel them all looking at me. Some bitch is whispering, some asshole is laughing. Maybe at me, maybe atsomeone else. I hope they all fall down the stairs and break their fucking faces.
I get down the stairwell and push through the doors, leaving the building, and walk toward the cafeteria. My stomach’s growling and I’m upset. I’m hangry times ten.
I rush down the path and think about what I’m gonna be able to eat. It’s gotta get me through the rest of the day, and I gotta grab something to eat for later that I can pack in my bag. I have tutoring through dinner time and then another fucking class before I’m done for the day. And I guess I gotta swing back to the shop because I told tattoo guy that I would.
I get in line to scan my card. Unlike 99% of the assholes who go here, I don’t have a fucking meal plan - limited or unlimited - and have to pay as I go. And HU makes sure that everyone here fucking knows it. These prissy fucks gave me a reloadable card like this is some food stamps shit back in New York. It might as well be blue like an EBT card.
Everyone else has a QR code that they scan in the HU app, so it’s obvious that I don’t have what they have. I can’t imagine being able to come here at any time and eat anything I want. I’ve never been able to eat like that.
Not only does this school go out of its way to make sure that everyone knows my fucking business, but after you scan your code or, in my case, my card, the light above your scanner turns green for unlimited, yellow for limited meal plans, and red for pay as you go. As if I forgot that I’m the poorest person enrolled in this rich-ass school.
I hate waiting in this line. It’s fucking embarrassing. Especially when these fuckers talk shit or make fun of me when they see the red light. I’m not in the mood for anyone’s shit, and don’t bother looking back. I’m too hungry to fight right now.
I take a breath, remind myself I’m a bad bitch from the BX and have lived through worse. As much as I hate the Bronx, it’smade me who I am. It made me tough enough to survive their fucking stares and degrading comments.I hope all you bitches get pink eye.
I scan my card, and my attention automatically shifts towards the light as I wait for the second it takes for it to turn red. But it doesn’t… it turns green.
SEVENTEEN
My foot is bouncingup and down under the table as I watch her standing in the line.I’ve been waiting for you, Ed.Her face is scrunched up in this cute little scowl as she crosses her arms over her chest.
I’ve seen this look a million times before from her; she’s in attack mode, sending a silent warning to everyone in the dining hall not to fuck with her.But that doesn’t apply to me. It never has.Andshe’s about to find out that I’m not everyone, I’m her someone.
She scans her card at the check-in kiosk, and I watch attentively as her pissed off expression morphs into total surprise, followed by the most stunning smile I’ve ever seen. She looks fucking beautiful.
Every time I see her, I think she looks prettier and prettier, but this time it’s different. Her beauty steals my breath as this fucking demon robs me of all the oxygen in the room. Her smile is lighting up the whole room, and the sun rays pouring through the ceiling-to-floor windows are no match for her glow.
It’s official, seeing her smile for the first time is at the top of my list of once-in-a-lifetime moments that I’ll never forget. Now that I’ve seen it once, I want to see it all the time. I want to be the reason why she smiles every day. I’ve never gone out of my way and done something like this for anyone before. She’s the first person I’ve ever wanted to try to make happy just because.
All the puzzle pieces that make up my thoughts and feelings for her click into place in my head, and they fit together perfectly. I can literally feel my heart doubling in size as it beats in my chest.I like making her happy; it makes me happy too. And I’m never really happy unless I’m on the ice. Fucking hell, I really, really like her. Like, I like-like her. Like more than I did when I told her.
Seeing her like this, knowing I did something to make her smile like that, settles something deep inside of me. I feel it in a place I didn’t know existed. And this little demon found it.She walks further into the cafe and grabs a tray on her way into the food court.Fill it up, baby, get anything and everything you want. I’m never gonna let you go hungry again. I promise.
She reemerges, and my chest tightens when I see her holding a tray full of food with that pretty grin on her face.Damn, and to think I fucking kept her from eating at all. I can’t believe that my skipping out on tutoring led to her skipping meals. This won’t ever make up for that, but at least it’s a start.
She gently places her tray down and drops her giant fucking bag on the other chair at her two-person table. I stand up, grab my shit, and keep my eyes on her as she takes off herseen-better-daysjacket and sets it on the back of her chair. She still looks happy as hell, and I wanna see her smile up close. That grin on her face belongs to me.
“What's up, man?” Monroe says from my right. I didn’t hear him come up to the table. She’s got me locked in.“Your brother said you were sick this morning, you good now?” he asks.Oh yeah, I’m fucking great.
And I am, as I watch her take off another piece of clothing. Without scanning the room, I’d bet I’ve seen most of the girls in here naked. And none of them had my full attention when they took off their clothes. Yet here she is pulling off her oversized black hoodie, and it’s got me staring.And my cock stirring.Especially when that white long-sleeved Devils Baseball shirt rises high enough to show off a sliver of her skin.
Fucking hell.It’s the same shirt that she was wearing earlier this morning when I saw her nipples… which means she’s got nothing else underneath that layer but a bra… maybe.No more, Ed. Whatever else you're wearing is just for me now.
I grind my teeth together and lift my chin, attempting to push down my fucking rage when the practice tee of some other dude shifts over her little tits as she finally takes a seat. But I don’t stay mad for long.How can I? There’s no fucking way.Not when this girl looks down at her food, picks up her fork, and starts doing a happy shimmy.
“Bro, you listening to me?”No.She takes a bite of food and shuts her eyes when her lips wrap around the metal fork. I’ve never been so fucking jealous of an ordinary object before. She takes bite after bite, and it’s like I’m watching my new favorite show.Don’t interrupt me, Monroe.
“Not even a little bit,” I tell him. “I’ll see you later, man.” I’m done standing here. I start walking and pull my hat down on my head. I don’t want to talk to anyone else but her, and I beeline for her table where she’s still enjoying herself.That’s it, keep smiling, you happy lunatic.
“Hi, Ed,” I offer when I walk up to her. Her eyes shift from her plate to mine, and her smile melts right off her face as she snarls at me. This is the exact face she made when I kissed her for the first time. She ended up slapping the shit outta me, and I fucking loved it.
Not gonna lie, thinking about her spicy, snarled mouth, and kissing her again has me grinning hard. I swear, I must look like a psycho. I don’t care anymore, there’s no point in fighting this… not when it’s so fucking obvious and makes perfect fucking sense. I reallyyyyyyyy like this mean little thing.
“Um, hello?” She’s so fucking sassy with her snappy little attitude. Her murder eyes are definitely more murdery than usual as they narrow in on me.
