I hesitated, clutching the strap to my messenger bag. I didn’t particularly want to sit with her.
But I looked around, seeing places filling up, and there were a few empty spots in her row, so I didn’t have to be right next to her, I guess.
I walked down the row, sliding past the legs of the other students and slid into a chair, keeping an empty space between me and the guy to my right and also between me and the brunette on my left.
She glanced over and offered a small smile.
I smiled back. “Hey, you were with Michael the other night, right?” I broached. “At the elevator. We didn’t get a chance to meet.”
I held out my hand, and she narrowed her eyes, looking confused.
But then she relaxed, nodding and taking my hand. “Oh, that’s right. The younger brother’s girlfriend.”
I breathed out a laugh, not bothering to correct her. She didn’t need my life history.
“Rika,” I told her. “Actually, it’s Erika, but everyone calls me Rika.”
“Ree-ka?” she repeated, shaking my hand. “Hey, I’m Alex Palmer.”
I nodded, releasing her hand and facing the front of the class again.
Professor Cain walked in, with his graying hair, brown suit, and glasses, and immediately began unpacking his bag, taking out papers and setting up his projector. I dropped my bag on the floor, digging out my iPad and propping it up, so I could lay out the keyboard to take notes.
I tried to keep my eyes forward, but I couldn’t help but take Alex in out of the corner of my eye. She was really beautiful. Her green eyes were exotic and piercing, and she wore skinny jeans and a tank top under her open cardigan. Her body was flawless, sexy, and her tan skin glowed.
I pushed my hair behind my ear, looking down at my own clothes. Black leggings with knee-high brown-leather boots and an oversized white shirt with a burgundy scarf loosely tied around my neck.
I let out a breath. It didn’t matter. Even if I had dressed sexier, I’d still wouldn’t look like her.
“Move,” a deep voice ordered.
I snapped my head up, my chest immediately caving seeing Damon Torrance standing over me.
What the hell?
He glared down at Alex, his black hair gelled and his T-shirt just as dark as his hair and eyes.
I heard her shuffle, and I twisted my head, seeing her pick up her things and move a few chairs down.
My mouth hung open, and I narrowed my eyes. “What are you doing?” I demanded.
But he ignored me, brushing my legs as he pushed passed me and sat down on my left, in Alex’s seat.
“Hey, Rika,” another voice called, and I turned back to my right, seeing Will Grayson take the empty seat on my other side. “How’ve you been?”
Both settled back in their chairs, and I felt them like walls at my side. I hadn’t spoken to them in three years, and I stared ahead, not knowing what the fuck was going on right now.
Déjà vu. They were here. They knew I was here. The hair on my arms stood on end, and it was like no time had passed. Three years ago was today.
I squeezed my fists, noticing the professor coming to stand in front of the class.
“Hello, everyone,” he greeted, threading his tie though his fingers. “Welcome to Anthropology in Youth Culture. I am Professor Cain, and…”
I shifted my eyes, the professor’s voice trailing off as I felt Damon’s arm lay across the back of my seat.
Cain continued to speak, but dread sat like a brick in my stomach. “What are you guys doing?” I asked them, keeping my voice low. “Why are you here?”
“Going to class,” Will chirped.
“You go to school here?” I asked, staring at him disbelievingly before turning to Damon.
His eyes, so cold but so hot at the same time, were on me, as if the teacher and class weren’t even here.
“Well, we did kind of lose time,” Will mused, keeping his voice low. “I must say I was a little heartbroken not getting a letter from you the entire time we were away. The last night we were free, we all had a lot of fun, didn’t we?”
No. No we didn’t have a lot of fun. I breathed hard through my nose and hurriedly folded down my iPad and reached over for my bag, getting ready to leave.
But Will grabbed my wrist, pulling me back up. “Stay,” he suggested in a light tone, but I could tell it was a command. “We could use a friend in class.”
I yanked my wrist away, the skin burning where he’d gripped it. I pushed my desktop to the side, grabbed my shit, and shot out of my chair.
But then Damon grabbed the back of my shirt, and my heart skipped a beat as he pulled my ass back down into the seat, whispering, “Get up again, and I’ll kill your mother.”
I rounded my eyes, my breath turning shallow as fear scorched my skin. What?
A guy in the row in front of us turned his head, probably having caught that, and pinched his eyebrows together in worry.
“What the fuck are you looking at?” Damon scowled.
The guy’s expression turned scared, and he quickly twisted back around.
Oh, my God. I dropped my stuff and just sat there, trying to figure out what to do. Was he joking? Why would he say something like that?
But then I stilled, remembering that my mother wasn’t home. She was away. I’d tried calling her several times this past weekend, but then, a couple of days ago, I finally got a text from her saying she was joining Mrs. Crist on their yacht for a cruise for the next month. She was on her way to Europe right now, and our housekeeper took the opportunity to go visit family out of town. The house was completely empty.