Home > The Revenge You Seek(8)

The Revenge You Seek(8)
Author: Tracy Lorraine

I'm not really interested in the football drama. I did my best to stay away from it all in high school—which was easier said than done when my best friend was the freaking captain and best quarterback in the state.

I roll my eyes at his undying love for the game and pack everything up. If there's one thing I intend to do during my time here, it's to stay as far away from football, hell any athletes, aside from those who are already my friends—or quickly turning into my friends. Nothing good comes from football players.

"You heading in?" Ella asks me when I meet her out in the living area also with her bag over her shoulder ready to get to class.

"Yep. Sociology, you?"

"Marketing. I'm in the next building to you so I'll walk you."

"Let's do it."

She links her arm through mine and together we leave the others behind.

"Just so you know, I'm not some sex-starved whore," she says a little too seriously as we make our way across the quad.

"I didn't think that," I say lightly. "I know they were just ribbing you."

"I'll admit, I've had my fair share of less than memorable relationships and one-night stands. They seem to forget that they're the same. Well, apart from Micah, he's quieter than the rest of us.”

"He's got the nerd look down."

"Yeah, girls at MKU generally pine after the athletes."

"You say that like it's different at any other college. Columbia was exactly the same."

"I blame books."

I snort a laugh. "How so?"

"You know, all those hot romances make the guys out to be players and whatever but then there's that one who takes one look at you and forgets everyone else and you get to run off with him while he earns a shit ton in the NFL or NBA or whatever." She sighs dreamily.

"That what you want?"

"No, not really." She laughs. "I want a career. But we can all dream, right?"

"Sure can." I think back to my own obsession with Luca over the years and I totally understand the fascination.

Ella opens the door for me when we get to the building I apparently need and I step through.

"I think your cell is buzzing," she says, quickly catching up with me.

"Oh."

Swinging my purse around, I dig through it as we head up to the second floor.

"Is that Mary Poppins’ purse or something?" she mutters when she looks over to find me still searching.

"Ah-ha," I exclaim as I pull it out.

"Jesus, someone wants you," she mutters, staring down at the screen as I do.

Seventeen missed calls from Zayn.

My heart drops into my feet as I think about what that many missed calls could mean.

Mom, Dad, Harley… fuck.

My hand is trembling as I attempt to call him back. I can barely breathe through my panic as I wait for the call to connect.

If something has happened to them, I'm not sure I'm going to cope. Not after…

The call rings twice before he answers.

"What's wrong? Is everyone okay?" I rush out, my voice cracking with emotion.

Ella's concerned stare burns into the side of my head but I keep my eyes trained on a spot on the wall down the hall in the hope the nothingness might somehow calm me.

"What? Yeah, everyone's okay," he says, sounding a little regretful about sending me into a meltdown.

"Thank fuck. Don't ever do that to me again, okay?"

"Shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean… it doesn't matter. Um… you might want to sit down for this."

The panic that had started to subside returns full force.

"Zayn?"

"Okay, um… I'm not sure how to… fuck…"

"Just spit it out."

"Okay, so a new player showed up at our session this morning and—"

His voice fades into oblivion as a person walking up the hallway I'm staring down catches my attention.

My heart slams against my ribs and my head begins to spin.

No. No, it can't be.

No.

Our eyes connect and it's like someone's just hit me with a fucking truck.

This cannot be happening to me.

No.

No.

"No," I cry, although my voice doesn't sound like my own.

My cell slips from my hand. I can vaguely hear Zayn shouting down the line as I wrap my arms around my middle and stumble back, needing to put as much distance between us as possible.

"Letty?" A soft voice hits my ears and I remember that Ella is with me but all I can see is him.

Kane Legend.

Walking down the hallway as if he's about to attend my sociology class.

No. No. No.

When my eyes focus again, I find him standing stock-still outside the door and staring at me as if I can't possibly be real.

God, please let this be a dream—or a fucking nightmare.

Hate crackles between us as we just stare at each other as if we're not really there.

I guess at least I know he didn't plan this.

He's as shocked as I am.

His lips part and for a second, I think he's actually going to say something but at the last minute, he closes them again and swiftly disappears into the auditorium.

I release the breath I had no idea I was holding and my legs give out.

I slide down the wall until my ass hits the floor and I wrap my arms around my knees.

"What the hell was that?" Ella asks, dropping down to her haunches beside me and placing her warm hand on my shoulder.

"T-that… that was my worst nightmare."

"Uh… o-okay." She looks to the door where Kane vanished and then back to me. "Do you want to go back to the dorms?"

I'm about to say yes and I'm almost climbing from the floor in my need to escape but at the last minute, I stop myself.

"No. I need to go to class."

"But—"

I push up from the floor and brush myself off.

I refuse to be the girl I've been for the last year. If I'm her, then he'll crush me without even trying.

I need to find the girl who stood up against him the night of that party. The night that tilted my world on its axis.

I blow out a breath and reach down for my cell, looking it over, grateful that I didn’t crack the screen, and then grab my purse.

I take a step toward my class but Ella's hand on my arm stops me.

"A-are you sure this is a good idea?"

No, it's probably not. "Yes, it'll be fine." I refuse to stop my life for a moment longer because of him. He's already taken enough from me. That has to stop now.

After tapping out a quick message to Zayn, I square my shoulders and hold my head high as the professor slips into the room.

Perfect timing.

"I can come?"

"No, you have a marketing class. I'll be fine."

She hesitates, not wanting to leave me.

I understand. If I'd just witnessed her react like that to merely seeing someone, I'd be concerned too.

"Unlock this," she says, lifting my cell up.

I do as she says and she takes it from me, quickly tapping out her number.

"If you need me… anything. Call me. I'll be right here."

"Thank you," I whisper. "I-I should go. I don't want to miss anything."

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