Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 20736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 20736 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 104(@200wpm)___ 83(@250wpm)___ 69(@300wpm)
“That makes sense,” Andi mutters, returning to the lecture.
Thankfully, she leaves me alone with my thoughts while our professor drones on about the importance of fossils from the Paleolithic era. I’m not even sure why I took this class, even if it’s interesting. Still, my mind goes back to that night when things changed and Sawyer never came around again.
“You have to come to this party tonight, Jilly Bean,” my cute classmate Scott says. I flinch when he calls me that. He’s everything I should want to date, but my heart had been stolen a long time ago.
“What? You don’t like that pet name?” he asks, pouting playfully.
“No. Someone else used to call me that.”
“An ex?”
“No, more like a big brother. Anyway, I don’t like it.” My tone tells him not to press the issue.
He throws his hands up and says, “Sorry, Jillian. But please tell me you’ll be there.”
“Yeah, totally. I need to get out.” And forget all about Sawyer. I close my notebook and tuck it in my bag as the clock hits noon. We exit class, and I swear there’s someone following me in the distance. I ignore it and finish my day before going to my dorm room. Scott texts me the address, and I get dressed. It’s at a frat house on campus.
I make it there quickly, but the second I arrive, a sense of reservation kicks in. I nearly turn around, but Scott finds me at the door. “Hey, pretty girl, you made it. Come on.”
“Hey, guys, look who it is,” he cheers, wrangling me in with a hand wrapped around my shoulder so tightly I can’t escape his grip. On the sofa is a large gathering of about six meathead-looking jocks already in their cups. The music’s up, but not blaring yet as more people are gathered by the stairs and toward a DJ booth set up on the other side of the room.
“Gorgeous. It’s a fresh penny,” one guy says.
“Let’s get you a drink.”
“What does that mean?” I ask, tipping my head toward the couch.
“You’re a freshman. That’s all.” He shrugs off my concern, and we keep walking past the people laughing and having a good time. Nothing looks too crazy, so I try to relax.
“Oh.” We go into the kitchen where people are gathered around a beer bong contest, and someone hands us two cups of punch. It’s fruity looking, so I take a drink. It’s not terrible, so I chug the cup. I’ve never had a drink before, so I’m not sure how fast I’m supposed to be feeling the effects, but they’re coming on quick. I don’t make it down the hall when my vision is blurred and I can swear I see Sawyer, and that’s foolish because he wouldn’t be caught dead at a college campus party. They’re grown adults, and I’m sure even when they were in college, neither of them would have gone anyway.
“Jilly Bean, we’re leaving.” I gasp. He is here. He pulls me to his side.
“Hey, she’s with me,” Scotty says.
“If you don’t want to die, I’d back off, pussy,” he says.
“Your brother is overprotective,” Scotty says with a smirk, and I know that’s not going to go well from the tension rolling off Masterson.
“Let’s go.” We get close, and he has me in his arms. We’re so close that I want to taste his lips before he tells me no, but as my vision clears, I see his hazel eyes and I slap him. “What the hell?”
“Give that to your brother for me.”
“I will. Anything else you want me to give him?” He winks at me, puckering his lips.
“You wish,” I tell Nox.
“Nah. He’d kill me. You’re a little girl.”
“Yes, and he must protect me at all costs while he’s out with his fucking supermodel. Fuck off. I need to get laid.”
“Not unless you want…” I don’t know what he said because someone else carries me out to a waiting vehicle and I’m driven to my dorm.
“Stay put, Ms. Krieger.” I’m dropped off in my room, but suddenly I don’t feel so good and everything is spinning.
I lie down on my bed and pass out.
I wake up in my dorm bed with Sawyer Masterson leaning over me, my hands tied to the bedposts. “Oh my God. What are you doing?”
“Do you see how fucking easy it is to take advantage of while you’re fucking wasted?” he growls, staring at me with those caramel eyes. My body doesn’t have any shame and melts on sight when I should hate him for dating anyone else. I’m putty, but my mind knows he’s hurt me.
“I…I…only had one drink,” I cry.
He reaches up and wipes the tears from my cheeks with his tender hands, infuriating me because he’s not the man I want him to be. “You were drugged, Jilly Bean.”