Page 5 of Ruthless Rose

Chapter 4

The bell finally rings after what feels like an eternity. Seeing Micah make his exit, I shove my notebook into my book bag as quickly as I can and follow him. I don’t know what possesses me, but it seemed like we shared a teeny tiny moment back there in class, and before Micah can get too far down the hall, I catch up, placing my hand on his bicep. A very big, very muscular bicep.

He twists around, a frown on his face, as if he can’t believe someone would deign to touch him.

“Micah, I just wanted to say—”

He yanks his arm free, surprising me. I step backward and stumble right into the lockers behind me. With nowhere to go, I’m forced to stay put while he takes two steps toward me, resting his hands on the lockers on either side of my head. He immediately ducks down to my eye level. “Look, Daphne, I told you I don’t need a fucking tutor. So, unless you need a fucking tutor, I suggest you back off. Why do you even care?”

I don’t miss the innuendo he slipped in there as his hard body easily cages me against the locker and his brows go up in silent question. Panic rises within me as he slides one leg forward between mine, causing me to gasp out loud. Students walk past us, not seeming to care that this very big guy is all up in my business. I swallow hard as I put my hands against his chest to keep him from coming closer.

Wow.My brain goes haywire as I feel the muscles under his blazer tighten. I take in a shaky breath before I look up into his angry eyes. “That wasn’t what I was going to say, but your coach and the headmaster think you do need help.”

His words rasp roughly from his throat. “Well, I don’t.”

“I think we should meet and find out. It’s important to get your grades up and stay on the team if you have any hope of a football scholarship. Or maybe it doesn’t matter? Daddy has plenty of money and can send you wherever you want to go?” I suck in a breath when I realize I’ve let my mouth blurt out everything I’ve been thinking. My fingers grip his blazer, effectively holding him close to me.

“Whatever. You don’t know anything about me.” He grits his teeth, looks to the side and then back into my eyes.

“You want to blow it all because you can’t accept some help? Fine by me.” I bite my lip and shove against his chest. He. Doesn’t. Budge. Shit.

With a quick glance around, I realize we are pretty much alone. Everyone has headed to the cafeteria for lunch. Oh my God…

Almost like it pisses him off that he wants to know, he growls, “What were you going to say before?”

I wet my lip, grabbing the focus of his eyes. He leans in closer, and I draw in shuddering breath as I blink up at him.

When I don’t answer immediately, he lifts my chin with his fingers. “Tell me.”

“I was going to thank you for helping Scarlett with the Justin situation. For being there when she needed you.” I swallow past the hard, thick lump in my throat.

“You don’t need to thank me because there was never any question of whether or not I would. Xander is like my brother. Scarlett is important to him, so by extension, she’s important to me.” His breathing is steady and even, like this isn’t affecting him at all. Those dark eyes of his search mine, but I don’t even know what he’s looking for.

Meanwhile, I’m freaking the eff out and want to shout in his face that I’m her friend, so maybe he could back up and let me breathe because I’m seriously about to wig out, trapped against his body like this. “Let me go.”

He gives me a twisted grin and chuckles. “Let go of my blazer.”

A beat passes before I mumble, “Oh.” Embarrassed, I force my fingers to relinquish their death grip on him. I wish I could sink right into the lockers behind me and disappear.

He dips his head, his cheek just millimeters from mine. “Are we clear? I don’t want you to tutor me. I don’t want your help.”

“But, Micah—”

Losing it, he jerks back and shouts in my face, “But nothing! Stop fucking pushing, Daphne!”

I squeeze my eyes shut, terrified at the anger in his voice.

“Whoa! What the hell is going on here?” Xander’s low voice rumbles out, and without even looking, I know he’s yanked Micah away from me. The second he’s not right in front of me anymore, I can feel it, as if his sudden absence were a breathing, living thing.

“Daphne.” I hear Scarlett’s voice, but it doesn’t register for a few moments that she’s talking to me. Frantic, she asks, “What the hell just happened?”

My eyes flicker open to see Xander hauling Micah down the hallway. Their voices are low, but I can just make it out when Xander murmurs, “What the fuck, man? That’s Scarlett’s best friend. Why would you yell at her like that?”

I have no fucking clue. I’m not sure he does either.

---