6. Asher

I let the music play. I have to. It’s not like I can speak. If I do, I’ll end up spilling some filth that I might regret later.

She hates me?

She fucking hates me.

Well, that’s just great.

I experience a kiss that blows my head right off, and she slaps me for it.

I’m still reeling over her sweet taste while she’s telling me I’m not worthy of breathing the same air as her.

Fucking fantastic!

I thought she was into it.

Dammit, it felt like she was so into it. And then she just pulls away with no warning and cracks me across the face.

Fucking psycho!

She’s surprisingly strong, and I can still feel remnants of her stinging slap on my cheek. I bet I’ve got little red finger marks on my skin.

Witch.

She should be in Slytherin, for fuck’s sake. She’s pure evil.

Clenching my jaw, I drive the rest of the way back to her dorm without saying a word. Thankfully, we were over halfway home when we stopped for dinner, so it doesn’t take too long.

It’s raining again when I pull up outside Huxley Hall, but it’s only lightly spitting, so I don’t offer her my umbrella from the back.

Maybe that makes me an asshole, but let’s not forget that she hates me. She probably wouldn’t take the offer anyway.

“You need a hand with your stuff?” The words come out of me before I can stop myself.

Dammit! Curse my parents for raising me to be a gentleman.

“No.” She unlatches her belt and nudges the door open.

“Can you get inside safely?” I mutter.

“Yeah, I’ve got my card.” She unzips her purse and pulls it out of her wallet, then reaches across the seat to grab her overnight bag.

My finger taps against the wheel as I fight the urge to carry it for her.

The second her feet hit the curb, I hover my foot over the accelerator. There’s no need for pleasantries when you’re dropping off someone who doesn’t like you, so as soon as the back door is shut, I punch it, rocketing away from her with a screech of my tires.

I don’t bother looking in the rearview mirror.

Maybe she’s standing on the curb watching me drive off.

Maybe she regrets what she said to me.

Part of me hopes she does.

And then the sensible part of me decides not to give a shit, because there are plenty of gorgeous women at Nolan U, and I don’t need one who’s gonna give me so much fucking trouble.

My phone starts ringing and I growl, wondering if I should ignore it. It’s probably Caroline, checking that Lani got back okay.

But then I see my cousin’s name flash across the screen and I punch the console.

“Harvey, how’s it going, man?”

“Yeah, cool, cuz.” He sounds drunk.

I roll my eyes. He always does this to me. He gets drunk, then gets weird, and I have to talk my way through a bullshit phone call.

“Where you at?” I ask, hoping he’s not after a rescue somewhere.

That’s another thing he’s pretty good at. He gets plastered (or arrested—that happened last year), and I have to sweep in with a pickup so he doesn’t have to call his parents.

I’m closer, right?

Lennox is only an hour away for me.

Denver’s like a three-hour drive for him, and I doubt Uncle Hayes would be that impressed having to drive all that way because his son was too wasted to even order an Uber.

Although, he would. He’d drive across the country to help his intoxicated son get home safely. Uncle Hayes is the best.

My whole Denver family is, which is why I smile at the phone and try to shake off the frosty chill of my evening.

“I’m at a party. You wanna join me?”

“Nah, man.” I shake my head. “Can’t be assed driving up to Lennox.”

“Come on…” He drags out the words. “I drive to Nolan all the time for you.”

“No, you don’t,” I laugh. “You drive to Nolan for the girls. I just happen to be here too.”

His laughter is sloppy and loud. “So right, man. Nolan’s got great girls.”

“It does.” I nod, reminding myself how true that is.

Lots of great girls who aren’t mean bitches. Lots of great girls who like me and want to hang with me, because I’m fucking awesome.

The words ring hollow in my head, but I shake them off and mutter them under my breath. It doesn’t matter that one chick hates me. That doesn’t make me any less than any other guy at this school.

I clench my jaw, wishing it was easier to believe that.

“Well, you’re missing out,” Harvey slurs. “I’ve got myself some honeys here, and they are ready to par-tay. You know what I’m sayin’? Party, brah. Par…ty!” His voice pitches, and I end up laughing, then shaking my head.

Glancing at my console, I look at the time. It’s only nine thirty, and what kind of loser would I be if I just went back to Hockey House and sulked my ass off?

I should go party with Harvey and his honeys.

“Okay, man.” I nod, pressing down a little harder on the gas. “Send me your location, and I’ll see you soon.”

“That’s my man!” Harvey whoops, and I crack up laughing.

I’m feeling better already. Time to put Lani out of my brain and get myself some Lennox sugar… though I can’t ignore the thought that it probably won’t taste as sweet.