“I have to go,” I tell her, hiking my bag up my shoulder and turning on my heel, fleeing her room.
Chastity is who I have to seduce and film?
This just got a lot more complicated. For one, she doesn’t even like me, and two, I know her, sort of. It’s immoral and sleazy. It’s…the price.
“Hey.”
Fuck, speak of the devil.
“Hey,” I mimic, looking around the corridor at anyone but her.
“Look, I want to apologize for what happened the other day.” She sighs, and it furrows my brow. Why the hell is she sorry? I was the one who didn’t let her run away to cry and then took advantage of her in crisis.
“Really?” I ask, apprehension coloring my tone.
“I was a mess and put that on you, and that’s not who I am. I acted out and made a mistake, but you haven’t made a point of using it against me and no one has mentioned it, so…” she says, pushing her glasses up her nose.
I’ve been too busy to use it against her, and who would I tell? Oh, of course, with her being the dean’s daughter, she’s no doubt been used in the past for that very reason.
“Rhett, I’m apologizing.” Her voice is firm, and a little peeved that I’m staring into space and not taking her words as serious as she appears to.
“Thanks.”
I guess.
Silence.
She looks at her shoes, then back up at me. Is that nerves making her jittery?
“Maggie is having a party this weekend. It would be good to see you there, if you want…to go…you don’t have to…I don’t really care either way…”
“I’ll be there,” I blurt, stopping her rambling. Why the fuck is she making this easy for me?
“As friends,” she states. “Be good to see a friend there…friendly face…familiar…”
“Right,” I stop her again. “Who doesn’t need more friends?” I smile.
Tucking her hair behind her ear, she bounces on her tiptoes and bites her lips.
“Right. Okay. Great.”
She walks around me, and I turn to watch her flee. She stops a couple feet away, and turns back to me. “Oh, you may need the address.”
I don’t tell her it will be on the party app because this flustered Chastity is the girl who bumped into me on the first day of class. I like this side of her.
“Phone?” She holds her hand out and waits for me to place my cell in her palm.
She flits her thumbs over the keypad and hands it back.
“I programmed my number in and texted myself so I have your number. I’ll text over the address. It’s easier that way.” She nods her head, biting back down on the fat bottom lip. A red rouge sprouts over her cheeks and crawls down her neck.
“Thanks,” I say, knowing she just wanted my number. I’ve used that same method more times than I can count.
I sense the body creep up before Chastity’s eyes move to the shadow behind me.
She places her hands in the pocket of her jacket and turns on her heel without turning back this time.
“By the look she was giving you, I’d say you’re already halfway to completing your task,” Pride teases.
So, he knows exactly who she is then. Schooling my features, I turn to face him and smirk. “What can I say? It’s in my DNA.”
We fall in step, heading toward the food court.
“Speaking of your DNA, how has your dad been?”
He’s been too scared to say shit to me. Seeing how easy it would be for me to get rid of him spooked the hell out of him.
“Good,” is all I say.
The following days pass fast, and as if the world knows what my task is and wants to make it easy on me, destiny keeps placing Chastity in my path.
I parked next to her this morning without realizing it was her car. She was in three of my classes today and within breathing space of my lungs. Her scent surrounded me, beckoning, teasing, daring me to take a bite of her delicious innocence.
As if she’s drawn to me by a magnetic pull, her eyes drift to me more than they should.
She texted me the address for her best friend’s party. And then sent follow up random texts that made no sense throughout the day.
“What can be both healing and poisonous?”
“The glare of what reveals the others?”
I’m not sure if she’s sending them to the wrong number or she’s a spammer. Either way, they made no sense.
Closing my book, I stumble into the corridor and wipe sweat off my brow. Running on zero sleep and coming down from my mom’s old anxiety medication she left when she abandoned us, has left my body lethargic. I need a sugary drink to perk me up.
Rushing over to a vending machine, I pat down my pockets, then slap the glass when there’s only a slot for cards, which I need to remember to ask my old man for. I think he will revaluate my need for a credit card after I nearly inherited everything he has last week.
“Here” Pride slides his card into the machine. I punch the button for a soda and stuff a twenty into Prides jacket pocket.
“That was an expensive drink.”
“And it didn’t even get me laid.” I wink.
Waving a bye over my shoulder as I head for the exit. Pushing out the door and into the stuffy air I groan when the smog hits me like a sweat bath. When it’s not raining here the air is too thick, I hate it.
When I finally make it to my car, there’s a cute blonde leaning against it.
“Chastity,” I greet her.
She’s making this too damn easy. I thought she was going to be a challenge, but it appears not spreading rumors about her kissing me was enough to warrant me friendship status.
How fucked up have people been to her in the past?
“Here.” She hands me a wrapped present. Twine binds the brown paper wrapped around something that feels like a book. I’m not sure what to say.
“Thanks,” I say, raising a brow.
She laughs and rolls her eyes. “Relax, it’s not a snake in a box.”
“That’s pretty dark,” I say, repeating her words.
Shaking her head, she goes to her own car, and calls out, “It’s for research—and to help you sleep.”
Dropping the package on my bed, I snap the twine and unravel the paper.
A rich sound ricochets from my chest. Laughter. Authentic and deep.
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare.
I open the book, and a USB falls out. What are the chances this is a sex tape and she’s done my task for me?
Reaching for my laptop, I plug in the stick and lay back on the bed.
“Romeo and Juliet narrated by Chastity Griffin, for Rhett Masters, to teach him he’s far from a Romeo.” The voice billows from the speakers into the room, enveloping me.
Ha. She’s still got her feisty edge.
Her voice caresses the words, blanketing me in a soothing melody, and my eyes close to submerge myself in the world of Capulets and Montagues.
I sleep a full eight hours, and it almost brings tears to my eyes. No rain. No voices. No Robbie. Just her.
No drugs to quiet my mind. Just her.
Wrath, Envy, and Pride join me for Maggie’s party, but I’m not sure how long they will last. Unlike most college parties, this one doesn’t have people spilling onto the front lawn or music vibrating the foundations. A sweet melody of blues filters through the room, and everyone is dressed in the twenties attire. There was no alert for this party or text from Chastity letting me know there was a theme.
There are maybe thirty people here, and by the way they talk animatedly, they appear to all know each other.
Envy gives me the stink eye, and Pride tries to hold in his amusement.
“Things we do for ass.” Wrath flexes his jaw and snatches up a drink from a guy wearing a white suit and gangster hat. “Beat it,” Envy hisses at him when he stops to challenge his drink being taken.
“Relax. Let’s give it thirty minutes,” Pride says, studying the room.
“Twenty,” Envy and Wrath say in unison.
My phone beeps with a text message.
Chastity: So sorry. Can’t make it. Stuck at the house. Another time.
Unbelievable.
Waving my phone up, I turn for the exit. “How about one minute.”
“Oh, Romeo, get stood up?” Envy hoots.
“She’s on house arrest.”
“So break her out.” Envy grins mischievously.
“Anyone know where the dean lives?” I huff, only half joking.
We pile into Pride’s car and take off toward town.
“I know where he lives,” Envy chirps.
Of course he does.
Mist coats the road as night descends, bringing with it a chill to the air.
“Take a right here, then the second left,” Envy directs.
We pull down a road with tall, modern houses—nothing like I’d expect her to live in. “That one.”
“Do we want to know how you know this?” Wrath shivers, the nip in the air closing in.
“I think his wife is fit.”
All heads swivel judgingly toward him.
Holding up his hands, he wrinkles his forehead. “Chill out. I was walking past one night on my way to a friend’s house and saw her in the window. Jeez.”
Pride slows the car to a stop and I get out, raking my eyes over the structure.
One of the windows on the first floor is open. The curtains billow in the gentle breeze, giving us glimpses of a pink room and Chastity pacing while she reads from a book in her hand.
“Good luck,” Wrath calls from the car before they take off, wheels squealing and kicking up dirt, leaving me on the side of the road. Motherfuckers. Walking home is going to suck.
Giving my attention back to the window, I find Chastity staring at me through the gap, her eyes wide and jaw slack.
She disappears, then reappears, typing something on her phone.
A second later, mine beeps.
Chastity: What are you doing here? My father will freak if he sees you.”
Me: Maggie’s was a snoozefest. Only person there I wanted to see didn’t show.