After hours of driving, we pulled into the Murston campus, and my dad parked the car. “Are you ready for this, Brie?”

“I'm more than ready, Dad. I can't wait to get started on my new journey,” I replied as I looked out of the car.

The campus was huge, filled with excited students and their families. They were all either moving in, greeting their friends, or saying goodbye to their loved ones. I spotted Payton hugging her mom and dad. I guessed she'd arrived a while ago because all her stuff was already gone. I stayed in the car for a bit while she said goodbye to her family, not wanting to intrude while they had their moment. Once her parents had disappeared back into their car, I watched as she waved goodbye to them, before wiping her tears away.

My dad got out of the car and had started removing my stuff from the trunk, laying it on the grass bank. Payton saw my dad and immediately ran towards us. I got out of the car and while waiting for her to reach us, I spotted my dad sniffing the air. I narrowed my eyes at him, but he was more fascinated by someone over by the trees. I thought I heard him growl a little, but I couldn’t be sure because Payton yelled over to him.

“Hey, Mr. Miller.”

My dad snapped his head around and instantly greeted Payton.

“Hi Payton, are you excited?” He asked as he placed my suitcase onto the grass. I shook my head. My dad had some odd behaviors, but I was used to them. I’d often catch him sniffing stuff, and mom told me it was just one of his weird quirks.

“Yeah, I'm super excited. I can't believe we managed to talk them into letting us room together. This is going to be the best four years ever!” She squealed.

My dad chuckled and then locked up the car.

“Come on girls, grab a box. Let's get you moved in, shall we?”

I hugged Payton, but we didn't have time to celebrate yet. We hurried over and picked up a box each, then my dad threw a duffle bag over his shoulder and grabbed the handles of my two suitcases, dragging them behind him. He followed behind Payton, and I trailed at the back. She obviously knew where our dorm room was, so letting her lead the way seemed like the best idea.

With all the excitement she was practically jogging through the halls. My dad and I were finding it hard to keep up, even though he was pretty much running. Both were gradually moving further and further away from me. I peered over the giant box in my arms and panicked when they turned a corner, instantly disappearing out of view. I quickened my pace, going as fast as my legs would allow while trying to balance the enormous box. I finally got to the corner where I saw them disappear and rapidly turned, trying to catch them.

“Oooff!” A guy let out a loud exhale as my box smashed right into his chest, crushing the cardboard between us and throwing me backwards.

I staggered and fell to the floor, the box smashing even more and bursting open. I watched as if in slow motion as my clothes sprinkled the air. Dazed, I sat still for a second, just staring at my underwear floating through the air until it gently settled on the ground like autumn leaves. My cheeks flushed with embarrassment as all my panties and bras were strewn across the floor for everyone to see.

“Are you fucking blind or just stupid?” The guy yelled, not even bothering to see if I was okay.

“I’m so sorry. It was an accident. I couldn't see around the box. See, I'm new and...” I began to explain while I crawled around the floor, frantically gathering up all of my underwear.

“Watch where you're going next time, got it!?” He said through gritted teeth, somehow still managing an authoritative tone.

Frowning, he squatted down and tried shoving my underwear into the box for me.

What the fuck is his problem? I already said it was an accident. I looked up and spotted him picking up a pair of my panties.

Oh God, he's touching my panties. I'm gonna have to burn them now.

I dropped my head down and went back to gathering up my things.

Why did it have to be my underwear box? Why couldn't it have been my paperwork instead? I asked myself with a sigh.

This is so damn humiliating, not exactly how I pictured my first day, I thought with another deep sigh, while I continued to pick up my personal items, nudging them back into the broken box.

I spun around on all fours, checking if I had left any behind, but I couldn't see anymore. I crawled back around and glanced towards the guy's feet. He had stood while I’d been collecting my belongings, and as I peeked around his ridiculously expensive sneakers, my mouth fell open in shock.

Oh no, God no! Please don't let this be happening, please don't let him see it!

“I am so sorry. Thank you for helping me, but I think I've got it from here,” I said sweetly, trying to get the guy to leave.

I didn't even bother to look up at him because I didn’t want to show him my face. Surely, I looked like a damn lobster right now. Maybe if he didn’t get a good look at me, he might not be able to hold this against me later on. I stayed silent and pushed my box towards him a little, hoping that he would move to the side, and then out of the way enough for me to grab what was sitting on the floor right behind his feet. But as I pushed the box toward him, he stepped backwards.

“Nooo, watch out!” I screamed, but it was too late.

He stepped right on it, twisted his ankle, and fell to his ass with a thump. Dropping my head in embarrassment, I couldn’t bring myself to look at him.

“What the hell? What did I trip over? No, no way, that isn't what I think it is, is it?” He cried out, before releasing a chuckle.

My eyes fell on him as I scrambled towards him on all fours and reached for it, but as I did, he lunged forward and grabbed it first. While standing up, he couldn’t contain his laughter. I was absolutely mortified, but there was no hiding from the situation. It couldn’t get any worse, so I decided to act bold and confident. I gradually stood up and brushed my clothes down, before straightening my posture while pushing my hair out of my face. My eyes were fixated on his baggy gray sweatpants and my heart was pounding when I noticed how they barely hung on his hips, showing off his delicious v-line. Dragging my eyes up to his naked, muscular torso, I gulped.

Why does he have to be fit? I'm a sucker for a six pack.

My breathing became labored as my eyes scanned his chiseled chest. A mantra flitted through my mind, over and over again.

Please be ugly, please be ugly, please God make him ugly!

I inhaled sharply when my stare reached his face. He was the hottest guy I'd ever seen. He had a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and longish blond hair that he wore slicked back. I couldn't see his eyes because he was wearing a dark pair of designer shades, but with everything else he had going on, even if his eyes were bright pink with yellow spots, I don't think anyone would have given a crap. I gulped again, trying to pull myself together. He had a massive grin on his face and one of his eyebrows raised as he stretched out his arm, waving my vibrator in my face.

“Ugh, seriously? Yes, it's a vibrator!” I shrieked in frustration as I snatched it out of his hand, not caring who was around to hear me.

He chuckled at me, and that only made me stew in anger. I was fed up with childish bad boys, and yes, I'd already labeled him a bad boy. They had a habit of saying and doing whatever they wanted. Yeah, the guy was sex on legs, but that didn't give him the right to be rude or to talk to me like crap. I'd had two years of that from Kyle, and I wasn't about to let a pretty face and a great body throw me off my planned path. I wanted to be strong and confident again, so this guy was going to be the first to know that I wasn't about to take any shit.

“Oh, grow up douchebag! What's wrong? Does the idea of a sexually independent and confident woman scare you? Or is it the fact that my vibrator is more impressive than your own insignificant dick?” I held my little finger up and wiggled it in his face.

Both of his eyebrows raised at me, and his mouth dropped open, but he didn't say a word. I furrowed my brow at him, expecting a comeback, but he just grinned at me. I turned and jabbed my vibrator back into my broken cardboard box, picked it up, and then faced him again. I raised both of my eyebrows at him, and he let out a low hum that almost sounded like a growl. Tilting my head at him, I cleared my throat and huffed while throwing my head back slightly, flipping my hair over my shoulder as I walked past him. As I strode away, I'm sure I heard him sniff me.

Fucking creep! I thought as I walked down the hall and towards my dorm room. I remembered that our room was number thirteen, and I was hoping that it was all the way at the end of the hall, but sadly when I looked to my left, I saw that I was right outside of it. I kicked on the door with my foot and my dad opened it, instantly taking the box from me. I decided to glance back up the hall, hoping that the guy was gone, but I saw him standing at the next door and he was watching me.

“See you around neighbor,” he called out.

He waved at me, before opening his door and stepping inside the room. I rolled my eyes, and exhaled in annoyance, knowing that I was going to bump into the guy regularly.

Ugh, this is going to be a long four years!

I strode into our room and slammed the door behind me, then exhaled as I pushed my back up against the door and let my head fall onto it. I stared up at the ceiling and asked myself,

What are the chances of me crashing into the campus version of Kyle, have my underwear fall all over the floor, and then watch him trip over my fucking vibrator?

“Brie? You, okay?” Payton asked me from across the room.

“Yeah, I'll tell you about it when my Dad's gone, “ I muttered while strolling over to her.

My dad came out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel and smiled softly at me.

“Do you need me to stay and help you unpack?”

“No, I'll be fine, thanks. Payton will help me. Thank you for the offer though, Dad. Besides, you'll want to be heading back soon or you'll hit traffic and won't be home until late.”

“You're right, as always. You're intelligent, just like your mother. Well, Kiddo, don't forget to call your mother and let her know that you've settled in okay. And promise me, if you need anything, and I mean anything, then you won't hesitate to ask, okay?” He said with his voice choked with emotion.

I ran over to him and jumped into his arms. He hugged me tightly and kissed my forehead.

“I promise, Dad. I love you,” I replied softly, trying to keep my own tears at bay.

“I love you too, Kiddo. Now I best leave before you have this old fool blubbering like a baby.”

He chuckled while I reached up and kissed his cheek.

“Goodbye Dad, text me later so that I know you got home safe.”

“I will. Love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

And with that, he turned and strolled out of the room, gently closing the door behind him. Payton made herself busy while we said our goodbyes, and luckily had taken the suitcases off my bed, so I threw myself onto it, bounced a bit, before burying my face into the soft feather pillow, all the while hoping that this had all been a bad dream.

“Are you going to help me unpack your stuff? Or are you just gonna lay there all day like a sack of potatoes?” Payton asked sarcastically while opening up my suitcase.

“I would help, but we both know that you’ve already mapped out where all my stuff is going, and if I put it in the wrong place, or don't fold it the right way, you'll lose your shit.”

I rolled over on the bed, staring at the ceiling like it had all the answers.

“Ugh, fine. But at least tell me what happened to make you so flustered earlier. I'm bored of the silence,” she whined while unfolding and then refolding my pajamas.

I sat up on the bed and crossed my legs as I prepared to tell her what had happened. Taking in a deep breath, I held it for a minute before I began.

“Well, I ran to try and catch up with you and my dad, but as I turned the corner, I smashed right into some guy that lives in the room next door.”

“Wait. Which direction was the room? Up or down?” She asked while pointing from side to side.

“Um, up. Why?”

“Because, that room has two girls living in it, not a guy.”

Placing the last of my folded pajamas in a drawer, she turned to face me.

“Are you sure? He said he was our neighbor, and then walked in there,” I replied as I sat forward on the bed.

“Yeah, I'm sure. The two girls helped us in with my stuff, and they told me they just moved in too,” she said while taking some clothes from my suitcase and hanging them in the closet.

“Hmm, I wonder why he would say that he lived there?” I asked aloud, even though the question was aimed more at myself.

“I don't know. What's his name? Because Erika said that her cousin was supposed to be helping them move in, but he bailed on them, saying he had a hangover.”

I shrugged.

“I don't know, I didn't get his name, but I guess it could be him. Anyway, he's a fucking douche. I ran into him, and he called me blind or something, then he laughed at me and tripped over my vibrator,” I said as fast as I could, hoping that she didn't hear the last bit.

She froze on the spot and burst out laughing, turning to face me and while trying her best to hold in the giggles she asked,

“He tripped over your what now?”

I closed my eyes and shook my head.

“Don't even ask!”

Dragging my hand down my face, I wondered if there was any chance, I could just disappear.

“Oh no, you don't. You can't say shit like that and not give me the full story,” she said as she walked over to the bed, before sitting down. “I want the whole story, so spill.”

I rolled my eyes and scratched the back of my head.

“Fine. So, I ran into him, the box broke, sending my underwear flying through the air...”

“He saw your panties too?”

“Yes! Now do you want to hear this story or not?” I moaned at her. She nodded her head, so I continued, “Well, I was on all fours picking up my personals when I spotted my vibrator behind him.”

Her eyes grew wide and she placed her hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle. I told her the rest of the story, including what I'd said to him about his tiny dick, and she couldn't hold it in anymore. When we’d finally finished laughing and putting my things away, she met my eyes and hers were glistening.

“Oh hey, Erika and Gemma next door asked if we wanted to go with them to get dinner later. They said they'd already checked it out, so they could show us where to go.”

“Oh yeah, that sounds cool, what time? Because I'm starving!” I asked while poking my tummy.

“Girl you're always starving, and the amount you eat, I have no clue how you stay in shape. I have to watch everything I eat.”

“Well, for one, there is nothing wrong with a healthy appetite, and two, that's because you don't exercise at all. I told you, you can come for a run with me in the mornings, that will keep you fit,” I replied with a grin.

“Oh, hell no! You wake up at the ass crack of dawn and go running for hours. Like hell am I doing that!”

“Well, then quit complaining,” I smirked at her. “Now when are we going to eat?”

She laughed and shook her head at me, then glanced at her phone.

“Fine, I think they said around seven. It's like a quarter till, so let's go and see if they're ready. We don’t want you wasting away or anything.”

I chuckled and grabbed my phone from the bedside table, I had a text from dad saying that he was almost home, so I messaged back and told him we were going to get some food and that I would ring mom before bed. Poking the phone in the pocket of my jeans, I followed Payton out the door. We walked up the hall to the next room and she knocked on it. Standing behind her, I looked down the hall, making sure I hadn't left any panties or bras on the floor, but the coast was clear.

“Um, hello? Who are you?” I heard Payton ask when the door opened.

“You knocked on my door, so I should be asking, who the fuck are you?” He replied in a deep voice.

My head snapped around and there he was, the gorgeous blond guy from earlier, still half-naked and wearing his shades. I folded my arms in frustration. He smiled at me, showing off a huge set of dimples.

“Hey, baby. I didn’t expect to see you so soon. I thought you'd have been a bit busy with your little plastic friend.”

His tone was mocking, and I pressed my lips together in annoyance. My cheeks flushed as I rolled my eyes at him, and he chuckled. Payton turned to me.

“Is this the jerk from earlier?”

I nodded.

“Hey, that's uncalled for. You don't know me enough to call me a jerk. I might be the nicest guy you'll ever meet.”

He crossed his arms over his body and angled his chin towards his chest.

“Oh, I highly doubt that, sweetheart. Look, just tell me where Erika and Gemma are,” Payton snapped.

I loved her sass. She always stood up for herself and was never without a comeback. She didn't care what people thought of her, and always said it how it was. Payton was pretty, with long, dark-brown hair that had a beautiful wave to it. Her eyes were an unusual amber-color, and her skin a lovely olive complexion. She had large breasts, a tiny waist, round hips, and a plump ass, that made most men go weak in the knees. I always told her how jealous I was of her, but she wished she had a body like mine.

While she was only five-foot-four, I was just shy of five-foot-ten. When I was young, kids always made fun of my height, but as we got older and I began to develop in all the right places, guys soon noticed me, and the girls wanted to be me. I have a larger than average chest, am 130lbs, a lean body from running, long, blonde, wavy hair, and light blue eyes. By the time I was in high school, everyone used to call me Barbie. I hated it at first and tried to hide away as much as I could, but then the cheerleading coach saw me in gymnastics, despite my height I can flip, and begged me to join the team. Once I joined, I slowly built up my confidence and moved up the ranks. Then, when I became the captain, I attracted the attention of the hottest guy in school, and that's when Kyle and I began dating.

“Who is Erika and Genna?” He asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

“Gemma, asshat, and they were the girls who moved in here a few hours ago,” Payton snapped at him.

“Hey, watch your mouth, Bitch. Don’t you realize who you’re talking to?” He spat back.

“Bitch!? Seriously? I don’t care who the fuck you think you are. All I do know is that you're an asshole!” She shouted into his face while poking at his chest.

My eyes widened as she screamed at him, and I watched his features turn darker, angrier. Then, he growled, and the sound was so ferocious that she instantly backed away from him.

“Are you fucking growling at me?” Her tone sounded fierce and didn’t show any of the fear she must have felt at that moment.

“Chase, dude, it's okay. Calm down. Look, go and grab a shower. We need to get ready for the party tonight,” a brunette guy said, his tone calm as he shoved a towel and wash bag into Chase's chest.

He snarled and then stormed past Payton, knocking her to the ground. I squatted, taking Payton's arm into my hands. When Chase reached the end of the hall, he turned and grinned at me.

I scowled at him, then shouted,

“Fucking jerk!”

The brunette guy hurried to Payton's other side, effortlessly scooping her off the floor, and asked,

“Are you okay? I am so sorry about him, he's just, well, him. You'll get used to it.”

Payton looked into the guy's face and said,

“Yeah, thanks. I'm fine. Why are you friends with a guy like that?”

“Well, our parents and grandparents were friends, so we grew up like brothers, “ he replied a bit awkwardly.

“Well, I feel sorry for you. The guy is a complete asshole!”

She shook her head, almost as if she couldn’t believe how much of an asshole Chase was. I didn’t blame her. I couldn’t believe it either.

“I know, but if you don't provoke him, he can be a really nice guy. Um, anyway, the girls you are looking for are in the next hall. The housing people got the rooms mixed up. I think they're in room twenty-one,” he said sweetly as he lowered her to the ground.

She stood in a stupor for a minute before she twirled her hair around her finger. I rolled my eyes, knowing that was one of her moves when she liked someone. She didn’t even notice when I started walking away.

“Thank you, uh…what did you say your name was?”

“Oh, sorry. I'm Connor, and it's nice to meet you.”

Rolling my eyes when I realized I’d reached the end of the hall already, I turned back and called out,

“Payton, are you coming? I'm fucking starving!”

I heard her huff in irritation but hurriedly asked the guy for his number. After he gave it to her, she ran up the hall to catch me up. Linking arms with me, we made our way towards the next hallway.

“I can't believe you got a guy’s number already!” I chuckled.

“Well, I can't believe you already managed to find Murston's version of, Kyle.” Her giggle echoed down the hall.

“Oh my God, I know, right? What the fuck is wrong with me? I'm like a magnet for bad boys. I think I just need to go and live in a cave.”

Even through the chuckles, I wondered why I had such bad luck in the guy department. And when she laughed back, I couldn’t help the awful feeling that floated through my whole being.

It is my first day at college, and my plan is to avoid bad boys at all costs. I mean at least Kyle pretended to be a good guy. This jerk is a whole new level, and I have to live next to the guy.

Payton dashed down the hall and found door twenty-one. I waited at the end for her, and as I did, I felt a hand connect with my ass. The slap echoed through the hall, and I spun around just in time to see a half-naked Chase. He had a towel around his waist and nothing else, leaving very little to the imagination as he walked past me like he was in no hurry at all.

I couldn't believe the guy had the balls to just slap my ass like that. He turned around and flashed me a grin, and that was the first time I got to see his eyes. They were the most gorgeous emerald-green color, and the sparkle in them made me melt right there. With a wink, he pointed to my ass. Tilting my head in confusion, I felt my ass, finding a note in my back pocket. Taking it out, I unfolded it and started to read...

Hey beautiful,

You’re absolutely stunning. Do you want to be my date to a party tonight? Let me know, Chase xxx

I flipped it over, finding his cell number. What the hell was that? The guy treated me like crap, then he asked me out? What world did he live in? I scrunched the note and strode over to the trash can, looking back to make sure he would see me throw it away, but he had already disappeared. Where the fuck did, he go? There was no way he could have vanished that fast. My eyes roamed the halls, looking every which way, trying to find him.

“You coming, Brie?” Payton shouted, bringing me back to reality.

I hadn't even noticed her, or the other girls walking past me.

“Um, yeah, wait up!” I yelled out as I shoved the scrunched-up note into my back pocket. Still wracking my brain for answers, I ran after, Payton and our new-found friends.

When we reached the cafeteria, the place was packed. After getting our food we managed to grab a table that some other students had just left. We sat down and Payton introduced me to the girls. Erika was a slim, pretty girl with blue eyes, auburn hair and cute freckles sprinkled all over her nose. Gemma was also slim, with brown eyes. She had short hair, dyed bright white with a slight pink hue.

“So, Payton says that you were captain of your cheerleading squad. Are you going to try out for the team here?” Gemma asked as she bit into her pizza.

“Um, I haven't decided yet. To be honest, as much as I loved it, I'm trying to get away from that whole scene. I think I'm just going to concentrate on my studies, and have some fun,” I replied while stabbing my fork into my fries.

“Aww, that's a shame. We're going to try out, you should come with us,” Erika suggested.

I glanced over to Payton, but she kept her eyes down while she poked at her salad. A few seconds later, she peeked up at me and shrugged. After everything that happened in high school, she agreed a break from the cheerleading and jock crowd would be a great idea. I loved the popularity and attention that being a part of them brought, but when I had gotten kicked out of that crowd, it had turned me into a target. Not only by them but also, by all of the kids jealous or envious of them. I became the school's outcast and I really didn't need that at college too. I peered over to the table that was filled with cheerleaders and jocks, noticing their flirtatious laughter ringing through the dining hall.

I sighed and shook my head.

“Sorry girls, I'm going to pass. I've lived that life and I don't think it suited me. But thanks for thinking of me.”

Erika and Gemma looked at each other for a second before their eyes landed back on me.

Plopping her elbows on the table, Erika grinned.

“Well, come to tryouts anyway. You can at least cheer us on.”

My eyes fell on Payton, and I tried to use them to tell her to help me out of this, but she only shrugged and smirked my way. When I looked back at the girls, they had their hands pressed together in a praying gesture, and their puppy-dog eyes begged me to say yes. With a sigh and a roll of my eyes, I picked up my burger.

“Ugh, fine. But only to cheer you on. I'm finished with that world.”

I took a hefty bite, hoping that would stop the conversation for a time. They both cheered and high fived each other like they’d won the biggest trophy on the planet. It made a warm smile spread across my face. One of the cheerleaders from the table across the room looked over at us. She was a beautiful blonde girl with a fit build and an angelic face. After staring at me for what felt like forever, she gave me a wide, beaming grin. I politely returned the smile, then looked at my new friends again. Their eyes snapped away from the cheerleader and fell to stare at their food.

How strange…

Shrugging it off, I took another massive bite of my burger. I didn’t know them well enough to judge if they were acting strange, and they seemed nice, so I could ignore it for now. Taking another bite, I almost wished I could stuff the whole thing in my mouth at once. I was starving, so much so I didn’t even care if I looked like a pig.

The sound of a chair scraping the floor alerted me that someone had sat at our table, but I was busy eating so paid no attention to the person, thinking it was just someone needing a seat. I could smell the guy’s cologne though, and it smelled amazing. Dragging the chair to the side of me and straddling it, the guy draped his arms on the back of the chair, before plopping his chin in his hands and gawking at me.

Still holding my burger, I glanced up, my eyes landing on Erika and Gemma first. Their mouths hung wide open as their nervous gazes drifted from the guy and back to me. I moved my gaze to Payton, who was scowling at the guy. Her face told me exactly who it was. I dropped my burger onto my plate, wiped my hands on a paper napkin, then threw it onto my plate, making my irritation known.

“What?”

“Do you have any idea how cute you are when you're pissed off?”

His seductive smirk did nothing but piss me off. I huffed and rolled my eyes at him.

“What do you want, Chase? Or were you just placed on this earth to annoy the crap out of me?”

He chuckled.

“So sassy, I love it. I was just wondering if you had an answer to my question?”

Removing his shades, he slipped one arm past his plump bottom lip and chewed it. I gulped as I watched his tongue tease the arm of his shades. The side of his mouth curled into another smirk, right before he set his sunglasses on the table.

“Well? How about it, wanna be my date to the party?” His voice was low, smooth, and like velvet caressing my skin.

I heard Erika, Gemma, and a few others from the cafeteria gasp, and whispers erupted around me. While mesmerized by his tongue and lips, I hadn't realized that the entire room had turned silent. My eyes grew wide as I searched the room, only to find everyone staring hard at me.

“What the fuck?” I whispered to Payton.

“I haven't got a clue. It's fucking creeping me out, though. Just answer him so we can leave,” she said, her voice so low I could hardly make out what she was saying.

I turned back to Chase and made the mistake of making eye contact. Instantly, I was lost in his emerald-green eyes. My body temperature increased, and my heart raced. The longer I stared into his eyes, the fainter and more flustered I felt. And then I looked even deeper. Shaking myself, I couldn’t erase the image I’d seen shining from his eyes. It was of Chase and I kissing. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pinched the top of my nose.

“No.” I shook my head for extra emphasis.

No way could I go out with this guy. The whole room let out a gasp, and I immediately opened my eyes, dropping my hand to look at every one. Some were whispering again, and some were holding back snickers. I looked at Erika and she had her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide in shock, and Gemma just shook her head at me in disapproval. I scrunched my brow, then turned back to Chase. He had put his shades back on and was clenching his jaw. His knuckles were turning bright white as he tightened his grip on the metal back of the chair.

“Look, I'm sorry, Chase. It's nothing personal but you're just not my type, “ I said in a monotone voice.

It was the only voice I could fake to make sure I didn’t give away the fact that I was lying. My body definitely wanted him because I was soaking wet as soon as I smelled the guy's cologne, and when I heard his deep, velvety voice, I almost creamed in my panties. I mean, I was probably only seconds away from slip-sliding right off the damn bench.

But with everything that had happened with Kyle, the last thing I wanted right now was to jump straight into bed with Murston's resident playboy. I needed time to settle in, and not be called a slut within the first week of being here. I opened my mouth to say something else, but Chase cut me off by placing his index finger on my lips. Standing up, he leaned in, his breath on my ear when he whispered,

“Is that so? Then why can I smell your excited pussy from here? And why is your heart pounding so hard that it's making your boobs bounce?”

Chase inhaled the space between my neck and my shoulder, and my body quickly betrayed me, letting out a quiet moan as his soft, plump lips grazed my skin. I could feel his lips curl into a smile, and it made every hair on my body stand up in excitement. After a few seconds of leaning too close to him, I straightened in my seat.

“I'm sorry Chase, but even if I did want to go out with you tonight, I can't. I have a huge migraine and...” My voice was shaky, and I knew he didn’t buy it.

“It's okay, I get it. No need to pull the ‘I'm too tired, I have a headache,’ married couple bullshit. But you can't deny that you want me. I can smell the arousal all over you. But I can wait for you to admit it to yourself,” he whispered into my ear.

I stood up and began to walk away, not quite knowing what the hell just happened. Everyone in the cafeteria glanced at me as I passed, then went right back to whispering. I sighed and moved faster, trying to hide my face.

Slap!

“Feel better soon, beautiful!” Chase yelled as he ran out of the cafeteria.

He’d slapped my ass. Again!

The whispers got louder, and people started pointing at me. I looked around and at least three cheerleaders were practically snarling at me. If looks could kill, I'd be well and truly dead, probably even buried.

Great, that's all I need, stepping on some cheerleaders’ toes over some guy on my first fucking day!

I closed my eyes while running my hand down my face. I turned around and opened my eyes, wanting to find Payton and just disappear. She stood at the table, shaking her head while she held out my phone, which of course I’d left on the table. I sighed and strolled towards her, grabbing the cell from her hand. Turning around to leave, I spotted the metal chair that Chase had been sitting on. Feeling bewildered, I tilted my head as I ran my fingers along the top where Chase had been gripping it. There were indents as if he’d squeezed the metal so hard, he’d crushed it. What the fuck!? That's impossible, no one is that strong. Maybe that's the design or something? Yeah, that's got to be it, he couldn't have done that, it makes no sense!

“You coming?” Payton called while standing near the doors.

“Yeah, wait up!” I shouted, jogging to catch up to her.

I followed her through the corridor, and we headed back to our room. When Payton opened the door to our room, she immediately grabbed a magazine and laid on her bed. Not me. I’d relax after a cold shower, so I grabbed some clothes, but a loud knock on the door made me freeze. Shooting a glare at Payton to open it, she rolled her eyes and sighed as she dragged herself off the bed and answered the door.

“Hi. Oh, who are they for?” Payton asked the person at the door.

“I don't know, they just gave me the room number and told me to deliver them,” a guy replied and then left.

“Aww, they're pretty,” I said as I turned around and saw a gigantic bunch of flowers.

Maybe they’re from her parents, wishing her luck or something? I thought when she buried her nose in the roses and stepped closer to me.

“Mmm, they smell delicious. But, um, they're not for me.”

“Huh? Then who are they for?” I asked as I walked over to the shelves to pick up a towel.

“They're for you. Look,” she said as she held the card in front of my face.

Brie,

Please forgive me. I'll do anything to win you back. I love you.

Kyle x

I just rolled my eyes while grabbing my wash bag, before storming towards the door. I struggled with the door handle a bit, so Payton opened it for me. I stepped out into the hall and made my way towards the showers.

“What do you want me to do with the flowers?” She shouted out the door.

“Throw them in the trash!” I yelled back, not bothering to look at her.

As I passed Chase's room, his door opened and I got a huge whiff of his cologne, which made my bud pulse instantly. Ugh, stop it, Aubrey! He's just a normal guy, he's not that special! I told myself as I kept moving.

“Off for a shower, beautiful? Do you want me to wash your back for you?” He called out.

I shook my head but kept my mouth shut, not slowing down. When I heard his footsteps behind me, my shoulders slumped as I sighed.

“Look, only joking. Do you need me to carry anything for you?” He asked when he caught up to me.

“No thank you, I'm fine,” I replied, almost jogging to get away from him.

I spotted the showers and attempted to push the door open with my shoulder, but Chase thrust it open for me and said,

“Here let me.”

“Thank you.”

Stepping into the shower room, I threw a quick glance over my shoulder at him. I walked over to a bench by the showers and placed my things on it. Exhaling heavily, I was happy that Chase was gone, and knowing that he couldn't get to me in here made me feel a bit better. I got undressed and hopped into the shower, wetting my hair and shampooing it. The water felt like tiny fingers massaging my skin, and after such a stressful day, it was just what I needed.

“So, who are the flowers from?” Chase inquired curiously, from right outside my shower stall.