Boarding with the Bad Boy [COMPLETE + BONUS published edition]

THE BOARDERS: 09

Sam

It feels like only moments have passed when I wake with a start to the sound of gasping and whimpering. It takes me a second to realize where I am: at school, bitchy girl sharing my room—but once I do, I find my anger flaring again. Seriously? She weasels her way into my dorm and now she's going to keep me up all night with her whining?

"Somers," I snap, looking at the ceiling in annoyance. She doesn't seem to hear me, her thrashing only increasing.

"Dude, Somers. Cool it." I'm louder this time. It has the opposite effect; the girl begins muttering rapidly, moaning words that sound vaguely like "stop," "drunk," and "dad" before the mumbling turns unintelligible. She quiets, and I close my eyes again, glad she could walk it off without my interference.

Two minutes later, it's happening again, and this time she's really screaming, crying "no" in a high-pitched whine that actually makes me look over to verify no one's attacking her. She's alone in bed, but she's freaking the fuck out, kicking and tangling herself in her sheets. In the moonlight, her face is all anguish and pain.

As if I hadn't just resolved to move past my stupid feelings toward Somers, my brain flashes again to last week's end-of-summer party, to the look on her face when she was coming down the stairs with Seb at her back. The memory brings back the same intense need I'd felt then, but it also reminds me of the other thing I'd felt overwhelmingly: protectiveness. Something in Somers' eyes had made it clear she had seen some shit, that she wasn't all sunshine and butterflies. Her eyes are closed now, but the expression on her face says it all. Whatever this nightmare is, it comes from real life.

Suddenly, I'm sliding out of bed and moving to her, putting my hand out to still her shoulder where she tosses in bed. She's burning up.

"Somers," I say, my loudest yet. "Come on, man, you're having a nightmare."

"No," she murmurs, but she settles against my fingers, slumping into her bed. I cross my arms over my chest, watching her work her way out of it. She's sweating, her hair plastered to her forehead, and I can't help giving her a once-over in the moonlight. It is seriously too bad she's made such an enemy of my best friend; there's no denying the girl is hot. And there goes my dick again. Come on.

I've just adjusted myself in my sweats when Somers opens her eyes. She's so vulnerable and scared, and she's clearly forgotten where she is. She jolts back as her eyes land on me.

"What the hell?" She glances around the room wildly and a low chuckle escapes my throat.

"You were having a fucking fit over here. I had to wake you up."

It's clicking with her now, that she's at Remington, living with me. I can see her process it all, and it's even more obvious that this dream isn't new.

"Sorry," she mutters. Then, "fuck." She puts a hand to her sweating head and closes her eyes to the ceiling. "That happens sometimes. It's a long story."

"Yeah." Now that she's come out of it, I'm realizing there's no way in hell I want to hear what happened to have her all wigged out like that. I don't need another reason to see Somers as anything other than the enemy. Though I'm not doing myself any favors shaking her awake just because I can tell she's in pain and I want it to stop.

We stay as we are for a moment, both of us awkward for our own reasons. Finally, Somers shifts under her sheets. "Sorry," she grunts, ducking her head out of view. "I'm sweating to death." She struggles under the covers until she pulls off her heavy sweatshirt and deposits it on the floor between us. I can see her shoulders now, the thin straps of what could be either a tank top or a sports bra roped over her tan skin. My cock flexes against my waistband and I suppress a groan. Seriously? Since when do shoulders get me going?

"You need anything?" I find myself asking. She looks to me in surprise and I hate myself a little for the question.

"No." She hesitates. "But thanks." Her brow's furrowed in confusion, and she's watching me like maybe she doesn't quite have me pegged. I turn back to my bed and throw myself into it, furious once again. I may have broken a ton of bad habits over the years, but it's looking more and more like Logan Somers might be my greatest challenge yet. And if my dick thinks it wants this chick, I'm going to make damn sure my brain keeps things in line. As soon as Somers' breath settles into a rhythm again, I lean across her nightstand and swipe her cell phone.