Page 9 of Sweet Punk
“Wow.” Lux presses her lips together. “Kellan’s… different. He’s a good guy. But—”
Great. And now they’ll be watching my every move and every interaction with him. It’s entirely possible that she knows something that I don’t. She’s spent a lot of time in their suite with Hawk since the beginning of the semester.
I wouldn’t feel right prying, though. It makes sense that I get to know him on my own terms.Doesn’t it?And right now, the only knowledge I’m operating on is that when I thought I was dancing with him, things felt right for maybe the first time in my life. But what she’s hinting at, I’m not entirely sure of. I don’t know Kellan at all, and maybe that’s an issue.
Raven’s mind seems to bounce around as much as mine is. She shakes her head, a confused look passing over her face. “How’d you figure out it wasn’t him? Like, did he say something, or…?”
“Because he was across the damn room from me, talking to Ryleigh. He lifted his mask, and all hell broke loose in my head. I froze. It took me a few seconds to register what was happening, and by the time I turned around, my dance partner was gone.”
“Oh, shit. So, how do we figure out who it was?” Raven pops the other half of her cookie in her mouth.
“I don’t know. No idea. I don’t think I want to know.”
SIX
KELLAN
“Dude, pacing the suite isn’t going to make them finish any faster.” Hawk eyes me from where he’s sitting with Lux on the couch. The campus police had wanted to ask Star some questions, and she’d asked Raven to stay with her.
And it’s fucking weird, but I kinda wanted it to be me who she trusted enough; me who she needed. Not because I think any sort ofanythingwould ever be possible with her because I’m so screwed up… but—Fuck.I shouldn’t even be letting my thoughts go in that direction. I’m so closed off, I’m barely able to maintain my few friendships. I think these guys only stick around because I don’t let them all the way in. And maybe we get along because we’re all kinda messed up in our own ways. But I haven’t allowed them to see the true depths of my issues. Otherwise, they’d see me for what I am. Damaged beyond repair.
Maddox shakes his head, eyes pinned on me. “So you’re telling me that someone busts up Star’s room the same night that some guy has his hands on her.”
“And she thought it was you. Because he was wearing the same mask.” A disturbed grimace slides over Hawk’s face.
“Totally weird.” Lux holds up a finger. “Don’t forget how she’s been completely spooked by these fire alarms.” She narrows her eyes on me. “Oh, and why didn’t you tell anyone she pepper sprayed you?”
Maddox’s and Hawk’s mouths drop open, and in unison, they blurt out, “What?”
Bracing my hands on my hips, I tip my head back, staring at the ceiling. “I didn’t say anything because it wasn’t important. I scared her.” With a sigh, I meet their curious stares and grind my teeth together. “What’s taking so long?”
“It’s unlike younotto be the calm one.” Maddox gets up and crosses the room to the kitchen, then rummages around in the cabinet until he finds a package of Twizzlers. He chucks them at my head, but I catch them right before they nail me in the face. “Have a fuckin’ snack. Raven is with her. She said she’d text if anything unusual came up.”
Just then, the suite door opens and both girls enter, grabbing our attention. Raven crosses the room to Maddox, slipping her arms around his middle and resting her head against his chest. In a very matter-of-fact way (that I presume is meant to help Star remain calm), she begins to fill everyone in on what campus police had asked, but I can’t focus on what she’s saying. My eyes are glued to Star. She hasn’t come very far into the suite, and she looks decidedly twitchy, like she’s going to take off running again at any given moment.
I want to say something to her, go to her, but I’m unsure where we stand after everything that’s transpired in the last hour or so—hell, in the last week. Lifting one hand, I run it through my wavy hair, making it stand up in disarray and not giving two shits about it. She won’t look at me, and I don’t know what that means.
I could have been staring at her for minutes or hours, I have no idea. Hawk gets my attention by saying, “I think the girls should stay over here tonight. They aren’t replacing locks until tomorrow.” He meets my eyes, and I immediately know what he’s getting at. Of course, Lux will stay with him, and Raven will stay with Maddox—as if this doesn’t happen half the time anyway—but Star, she of the three of them, is in most need of a place to stay.
I nod my agreement. “Yeah. Star can have my room. I’ll take the couch.”
Flustered, Star waves her arms in front of her. “Oh, no. It’s okay. I don’t want to take your bed. I can camp out here.” Her teeth clamp down on her lip before dragging over it. Her gaze darts around again, aimed anywhere except in my direction. She really does hate being the center of attention.Yep.I’m reading that correctly for sure. And more than that, I make her nervous… which I can’t fault her for. I’m exactly the kind of guy that she should stay away from. She needs someone stable. Someone lacking all the horrific baggage I carry.
But still, she’s been through it tonight. And she should have somewhere to sleep where she feels completely safe. If I’m out here, and she’s in my room, anyone would have to go through me first to get to her. I pause, realizing I’m making an assumption that someone might be coming for her. She hasn’t said as much. But I feel it in my gut.
“Uh, nope. Not happening.” I shake my head, lips pressed together.
Raven and Lux get up and walk past me, huddling with Star. Her head bobs at whatever they’re saying, then they each peel off, heading for the other bedrooms.
“Breakfast in the morning? I can go grab stuff.” Maddox calls over his shoulder as he stops at his doorway. Asshole is always thinking about food.
Hawk smiles as he heads for his room. “Yeah. Sounds good.”
I don’t answer, but it’s understood that I’m in. Unless I specifically say no, I’m good with whatever they say. It’s our usual way of communicating and they know it.
Both doors shut, and then it’s just me and Star left alone. I inhale deeply. “I mean it, you can have my room.”
Her eyes slide to my door. “I—”
