Hate to Love You

As if sensing my thoughts, Shay ordered us both coffee and leaned back after the hostess left. His face grew guarded.

“What’s going on with you? Already remembering that you hate me?”

I shook my head, admitting the truth. “I don’t hate you.” Maybe I never did—well, I wasn’t going to go that far. There’d been genuine dislike. I couldn’t pull that out of my ass.

He didn’t respond, and we stared at each other until the coffee came.

I groaned, reaching to pour myself a cup once the girl left. “My body freaking loves you.”

He rolled his eyes, rubbing a hand over his face. “We’re doing this again? I thought we established our rules.”

We had sex. Nothing else.

I put the carafe back onto the table. “You can’t sleep with anyone else.”

“What?”

He was mocking me and joking at the same time, and he reached for the coffee. He added, “I can’t put my dick in someone else? That’s barbaric.”

I’d been reaching for the cream, but paused. “Are you joking? You better be joking.”

“Of course, I’m joking.”

My shoulders relaxed, and I finished putting cream and sugar into my coffee. Gage liked it the same way. He tended to joke he liked it black, and I had to put the “fruity” stuff in. That was what he called cream and sugar, but fuck him. If both of us had to endure a month of black coffee, only one of us would survive. Me. Because I’d drink the shit. He’d have given up and begged for his cream and sugar.

“What are you laughing at?”

I looked up. I’d been grinning, and I shook it off. “Thinking something stupid about my brother.”

“Speaking of your brother.” Shay leaned forward, dropping his voice. “He and everyone else in the bar last night are going to talk about us. Right?”

I’d fucked up last night. Big time. I broke all of my rules, and it’d been my bidding. Not Shay’s. Not my brother’s. No one else. I groaned, banging my forehead against the table gently. “I’m so screwed.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I’m not?” How could he say that? “Everyone saw.”

“A few people saw. Those people will say something, but if you really want to commit to this where no one knows, it’s possible.”

“How?” I shook my head. “You can’t tease me like that, not if it isn’t true.”

“It is true. Look.” He leaned forward. “We do our own thing. No touching. No secret looks. We don’t talk about it. It’ll blow over in a few weeks, if that’s what you want.”

I nodded. Hell yes. “It isn’t you or me. It’s my roommate. It’s my friends. It’s girls who get pissed because you like me and not them.”

“I get it.” He frowned. “Kind of. Not really, but whatever you want.”

I held up my finger. “And there are no strings, but if you do start sleeping with someone else, you tell me. I’d rather wait till that’s done, then have your dick double-dipping somewhere.”

He’d been reaching for more coffee, but his hands settled on the table for a second. He watched me, and I asked, “What?”

“You’re so crude sometimes.”

I was. “Say it how I see it.”

He shook his head, blinking a few times. “I don’t know if that’s refreshing or unnerving.”

The food came, and I reached for one of my pieces of toast. “You tell me the next time you’re bent over my ass. I’m thinking, you’ll find me refreshing then.”

He groaned, dropping the knife and fork he’d picked up. “Fucking hell, Clarke.”

Clarke. I grinned. Last names again. I was already feeling more comfortable. I preened at him, waving my toast in the air. “You’ll be happy. Just think how jealous I’ll be when Becs is flashing her cleavage at you later today. Bet you don’t get that from other girls you used to sleep with.”

He shook his head again. “You’re slightly mental.”

I shrugged, taking a big bite out of my toast. I was just being me.

I wasn’t sure about my game plan for the dorms.

Shay dropped me off, and I decided the best course of action was no course. I hid. Or, to be more accurate, I avoided. Everyone.

It was around eleven in the morning when I walked into my dorm room. Missy was gone, but I was Dick Crusher now. I had little doubt I could sit in there, get comfortable, and expect her not to know about my new nickname. I bolted. To be more exact, I showered, changed, grabbed every textbook I could think of for studying, packed my laptop, and headed for the library. My only stop was the coffee cart, and I’d been on the third floor, in the farthest study room in the corner, all day.

Or I was, until Shay texted and I got a bunch of emails from everyone in our political science group. They were meeting in the large computer lab at six that evening. I had an hour to collect myself and get ready. Once I went down there, all eyes would be on me. The Dick Crusher video and maybe the rumors about Shay and me had already spread, it didn’t matter. Just being at the same table as Shay would get the rumor mill going.

One hour.

I did what every normal college student did—I went and ate ice cream (along with other substances, but ice cream was the main priority) and loaded up on caffeine. I purchased two energy drinks from the shop, and in case I didn’t want to pull out the energy drinks, I grabbed another large coffee.

I was loaded and primed. I wasn’t sure what for, but I was ready. I could be a goddamn doomsday prepper.

I purposely went to the computer lab late. Becca and Aby were divas. They were also going to be late, and I was right. I was late on purpose, and they were just sitting their things down when I shouldered past the glass doors.

Shay was sitting with his back to me. Linde was next to him.

This would be lovely.

Aby and Becca took the two seats across from the guys. The only two empty seats were next to Becca or next to Shay. Talk about adding gasoline to a fire. I wasn’t even forced into a choice.

I sat by Becca.

Shay looked at me, humor damped down in those gorgeous eyes, and he lifted two fingers in the laziest greeting I’d seen in a long time. Linde narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of us, but just nodded. “What’s up? You got home okay last night?” His eyes skirted back to Shay.

I unzipped my bag and dumped my political science textbook onto the table in front of me. “Sure did. Nice and rested, and no hangover today.”

Becca groaned, pulling her books out of her backpack. “Aren’t you the most chipper person here?” She rolled her eyes. “Can this day suck any more than it does?” She shoved back her chair and left in a huff.

Aby leaned over. “Her ex called last night. They got together, and he broke back up with her this morning.”

Linde started laughing.

Aby shook her head at him. “You wouldn’t laugh if you had to spend all day with her. My advice? Plop her down in front of a computer over there and tell her what to research. Keep her away from us, or she’s going to draw blood.”

“You’re joking?”

She said to Linde, “Nope. You’ll see for yourself in an hour.”

And in an hour, we did. She bitched. She griped. She complained. She bitched again. There was ranting, raving, a full-blown vent session about someone I had no clue about, and she started to cycle back around to the bitching portion of the evening.

“Okay.” Shay took one of the worksheets and slapped it in front of her. “Research all of this shit.” He pointed to the farthest empty computer. “Over there.”

“You’re just trying to get rid of me.” Her lips puckered out in a pout.

Aby’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. She slid down an inch in her seat, lifting her book so it completely covered her face.

“Yes,” Shay clipped out. “Will it work?”

She growled. It was soft, but it was an actual growl. She snatched up the paper. “Yes, but only because it’s you asking.” She softened her tone. A sweet and adoring smile was the cherry on top. “Because you’re so gorgeous, Shay.” ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">