Page 6 of Tantalizing Kings

I snort. “Emma, they’re humans, not sex toys.”

“Why can’t they be both?” She wiggles her eyebrows, making us all laugh.

As we get to the University building, I pull my phone out to see where my first class is located. We took a tour before summer, so I’m pretty sure I can find my way around.

At least, I hope so. This place is huge, like a damn castle.

Alice and Mia take off to their class, telling us they will meet us in the café at lunch. Emma stays back. “I know Raymond has always been a part of our friend group, but now that you're not together, we choose you. Honestly, it’s not just me who stopped liking him a while ago. Since he joined the football team, he’s turned into an asshole. We are more than happy that you two are not together.” She grimaces. “Sorry, Sadie, I didn’t mean it like that. What he did to you was fucked up, and we’re sorry you're hurting.”

“It’s fine,” I sigh, tucking my phone into my bag. “As much as it hurts, I’m glad we’re over. I wanted to end things a long time ago, but I guess I just didn’t want to be the bad guy.”

“Not the bad guy, babe, never the bad guy. You're the sweetest person ever.” She puts her hand on my arm. “You’ve changed a lot, you know, over the past few years. Not in a bad way, but...” She bites her lower lip.

Tears sting my eyes and I swallow hard. I’ve wanted to tell her, to tell the others. I’m just not sure of the details of that night.

“Someday,” I whisper, letting her pull me in for a hug.

“We just want that shine in you back. For you to be happy. We’re not going anywhere, you know that, right?”

“I know.” I hug her before taking a step back. “Like my mom said, hoes before bros.”

“What?” she laughs.

“Never mind.” I toss my arm over her shoulder and walk toward the entrance.

As we go to step inside, I feel someone watching me. I look around, wondering if it’s Lionel. But my eyes land on someone else. My brows furrow as I see a tall man, dressed in a charcoal suit standing by a nearby tree. He’s watching me, his stare intense.

The mystery man slowly gives me a sexy grin before looking me up and down. He licks his lips and turns away, heading around the corner of the building.

What the hell was that?Whothe hell was that?

“SADIE, WOULD YOU JUSTtalk to me!” Raymond shouts, pretty much chasing after me as I rush down the hall. As I was leaving my class to go meet the girls for lunch, Raymond was out there waiting for me. I didn’t stop and took off down the hall. I guess he doesn’t understand that I don’t want to talk to him. Or maybe he does and just doesn’t care.

I don’t know why he would want to talk to me, anyway, seeing how he made his thoughts on me very clear the other night.

“I was drunk! I didn’t mean it. It was a mistake.”

I don’t say anything, my heart pounding erratically. I feel sick. I just want him to leave me alone. Ducking my head, I weave my way around students.

When I don’t hear him shouting at me anymore, I cast a glance over my shoulder only to see the man from before blocking Raymond from passing.

That has me pausing in my tracks. I step closer to the wall and watch. Raymond is pissed as he directs his shouting at him. The guy says something, getting in his face and Raymond shuts up, his jaw ticking and nostrils flaring. I’m too far away to hear what they’re saying.

They argue for a few more seconds before Raymond looks my way. The man looks too before looking back at Raymond and pointing down the hall in the opposite direction from me.

Once I see Raymond turn around and leave, I resume my path toward the café. I can’t stop thinking about that guy, how he stopped Raymond. He must be a teacher here. Not one of mine, not that I know of. But I’ve only been to three classes so far.

The first thing I do when I walk into the café is look for my friends. I sigh in relief when I see them all sitting at the table, no guys with them. Then I look for Lionel, knowing if he’s here, Raymond will end up joining him. After making a few passes over the room, I don’t find him and let out another sigh.

“Hey, sexy bitch! How was your morning?” Alice asks as I take a seat at the table, sitting next to Emma and across from Alice and Mia.

“Not bad.” I shrug. “I picked all the easy classes.”

“Lucky,” Mia grumbles. “You have a job waiting for you whenever you want it.”

“Ah, so do you.” Emma laughs.

“Yeah, but I still have to take all the business classes before my dad will let me have a spot in his company. It’s not just being handed to me like Sadie.”

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