Chapter Twenty-Two
Dread, Dismay and Deterioration
Vance Shepherd
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I felt a thrill run through me as I watched Janelle glance at me and her eyes filled with panic. I let a small smile alight my features and nodded acknowledging. I watched her swallow nervously and she gripped her friends arm, turning away from me. They hurried out of the study room and I enjoyed the look she gave me just before they exited. Wary and a little bit frightened. I chuckled softly to myself. Janelle owed me and she knew I wouldn’t be patient nor swayed when it came to claiming my prize.
The stubborn bitch had been subdued by a few words from me after our “date”. She knew I was coming for her and the brilliance of it was she didn’t know when. She could be paranoid for a very long time.
The door opened again and my little blonde ballerina came in. I watched her hungrily and stood. She’d spurned me in the music class but she was about to learn that I didn’t back down easily, if I ever did.
Leah Fox
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“This is not working.”
I paused the dance technique film and looked over to Ferris. He’d been quiet for a while, mopey since he’d returned after his weekend break. He sat on my bed, leaning against the wall with his music history book rested on his lap. His eyes looked tired and his hair flopped everywhere. He caught my gaze with his own and frowned.
“Are you struggling with your homework?” I asked, suppressing a smirk. I didn’t understand why he thought it’d be a brilliant idea to study in here. We still hadn’t patched up properly and I really should be focusing on the film. I had a quiz on the different moves in my next class… which happened to be tomorrow.
He pushed the book off his lap onto the bed and shifted over to me. I raised my eyebrows in question but instead of speaking, he wrapped an arm around my waist and leaned over me. I was forced to lean back onto the bed as he moved forward.
“I really need to study this,” I said softly, a little irritated.
His eyes darkened a fraction and he planted his lips on mine, yanking my waist against his hard abdomen and placing his other hand above my shoulder on the bed to support himself. His moist tongue invaded and explored my mouth. I moved my lips to match his rhythm for a moment and then slammed my palms into his chest. Our kiss was broken but instead of moving back, Ferris grabbed my wrists in one hand and lifted the above my head, his strength holding them in place as I attempted to pull out of his grip.
“I don’t care if you’re bored,” I said with a growl. “I need to study right now, not make out with you.”
He shifted and lifted his leg over my body. I quit pulling on my hands and glared at him.
“You’re distracting me,” he said in a low voice.
“I’m not joking!”
He just chuckled and bent down, pressing his lips on my nose and then moving down, across my jaw and along my neck.
“This is not working,” I whispered, repeating his words.
He pulled back and I realised what I’d said.
“Us?” No emotion showed on his face.
There was no point in lying now. “Yeah, us.”
He rolled off me and tugged on his hair. He looked away from me and then stood up.
He laughed and it was obvious to both of us that it was half-hearted. “It never really worked from the start, huh?”
He avoided looking at me. This sucked.
“I’m sorry, Ferris, I think you’re an awesome guy and all…”
“Too awesome for you?” he remarked sarcastically. “It’s fine, Fox. I saw this coming. No worries.”
He strode towards the door and then stopped turning. I thought he was going to say something else but he pointed to the textbook next to me on the bed.
“Hand me that would you?” he asked and looked at me properly. He was mad.
‘I saw this coming’. Had that been bullshit? Did he know that I used him? It’s not like I didn’t enjoy his company though! I picked up the book and held it out for him. He stepped up to take it back but I held onto it for a moment.
“Why’d you ask me out all of a sudden? I’d hardly talked to you before…”
He stared at me and yanked the book out of my grip. “If you don’t know the answer to that yourself, take a deep look at your mirror.”
He stormed out slamming the door behind him.
I glanced at the mirror that reflected my room from the back of the door. Did he mean that I was attractive? He hadn’t seemed that shallow.
Blake Amherst
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I watched as the ferret stormed from her room down the hall, passing where I stood casually by the wall, pretending to listen to two girls who were chattering on to me about some perverted second year and how damn hot he was. Really they didn’t consider how emasculating it was to hear about the handsomeness of some other guy. I excused myself and carried onto my original destination before I’d been waylaid by the bored.
I knocked on Hazelnut’s door. No answer. Ah, the perfect excuse.
I turned Leah’s door handle – fuck yeah, it was unlocked – and popped my head through the gap in the door. She jumped startled and stood up.
“Get out,” she said without preamble.
I grinned. “Do you know where Hazelnut is?”
She glared at me and shrugged, sitting back down on the edge of her bed. “Sorry, I forgot to put the good old tracker on her today. You’ll have to go hunt her down yourself.”
I shrugged and opened the door fully, letting myself in.
“NO!” she shouted and then winced. “Look, I really need to do this homework. Will you please leave me alone?”
I glanced at the television screen and recognised the freeze frame. “Contemporary,” I pointed out.
She nodded and sighed. She looked stressed. I should offer a massage. I nearly laughed at the confusion and irritation it would bring to her face. And the fire. Damn, I could already see it. If I knew there would be no irreparable damage, I would rile her. But her attitude told me all I’d be doing is hurting and disrespecting her, as well as crumbling any progress I’d made.
I stepped forward. “You’d be better off learning those techniques if someone went through them with you.”
She shot me a scathing look. “You know better than to offer.”
I gave her my most charming grin. Oh boy, I wanted to add fuel to the fire and at the same time kiss her senseless. Actually, thinking about it, both could add up to the same thing; her eyes alight with rage and her lips seductively swollen. My heart throbbed and I felt the sensation through my whole body. I wonder what she would do if she could read my mind. Stay cool.
“No, actually, I don’t. May I help you towards an A grade?”
She ran her hands through her hair, gripped, and pulled.
“Hey, hey!” I quickly stepped forward and grabbed her hands, prying them open and slowly pulling them away from her head. She glared at me the whole time but I noticed the weariness in her eyes more than the spite. I linked my fingers with hers, despite their rigidness and unwillingness to comply. I pulled her hands forward to her lap and then crouched down in front of her. Our eyes were level. Damn she was short.
“I will remain professional,” I said, bringing one of her hands to my lips, almost unconsciously. The skin of them was so smooth and warm.
“Your actions contradict your words.”
I looked up at her, trying to keep myself calm as she shot daggers. Perhaps I was kinky. “I have respect for your body, this is how I show it. To help you, I don’t even need to touch you, although that could help even more. I know your boundaries however.”
She grimaced and I felt her hands shiver. I looked back down at them to hide my frown. What was wrong with me right now? She was doing everything she could to repel me and I was usually compliant with women’s wishes, especially women who I had feelings for or who were upset. She was quite obviously both but I wasn’t doing right by her. I was being selfish and I was being pushy. And I didn’t care if she didn’t want me here. I looked back up at her face. Her complexion was paler than usual, despite her anger, and it was tense. I rubbed circles on the back of her hand with my thumb. I wanted her to relax near me.
“Blake, let me go. Please,” she said in a strained voice.
That I could do. I released her hands but stayed at her feet. Moving from here was something I couldn’t do, unless she wanted me closer.
Perhaps my patience had been used up.
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Janelle Deveraux
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I was still jumpy from making eye contact with Vance. I smiled and chatted, laughing with the girls and modestly brushed off compliments but there were goosebumps on my arms and my heart was racing twice its regular pace.
He’d been perfect at the date, good enough in the looks department that my brother’s girlfriend hadn’t been able to sneer at me. He was charming, he’d made my brother laugh. He’d opened doors for me and drawn back the chair for me to sit. He’d ordered and paid for my food. He’d pointedly ignored Jess, my bro’s girl, and he’d made all the rights moves to send the message to anyone in sight that we were very affectionate and intimate.
We’d barely made it a few blocks away from the restaurant when he’d mashed my face to his and forcefully kiss me, using aggression and strength to make me comply. Then… I felt my face heat up in shame just remembering. He’d taken my hand and pressed it against his crotch. I felt sick just thinking of it. With his eyes intense on mine he told me that what I was touching was now my boss and I owed it a favour that he’d pick up at any time.
I couldn’t scorn him and brush him off. I couldn’t laugh in his face. There was just enough wildness in his eyes for me to realise how dangerous he was.
It was a rare moment in my life when a man had the upper hand. I didn’t like it one bit. But Vance inspired just enough fear in me to stop me from being able to scheme. Every time I thought about him, my mind went coldly blank.
Vance Shepard scared me to death.
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Greg Shannon
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I huffed impatiently when I found Haezel’s room empty. After our date and the few times I’d seen her since, the mere sight of her had wiped away my thoughts to get her number. I needed her number. I couldn’t find her anywhere and I was starting to get worried. I looked across at Leah’s room and stomped over there, rapping my fist on the wood.
“Go away,” a deep voice came from within. I knew that voice well and despite my love for the guy, I didn’t want him picking on the little Leah. Those two were constantly fighting, which I thought was adorable, but I wouldn’t allow him to bully her in her own room.
“I’m coming in, Blake.” I twisted the knob but before I could push it forward, it was wrenched open wide enough for Blake to poke his head through. His eyes were stormy as he glared at me.
“I’m making progress,” he hissed at me, his eyes darting back into the room.
I raised one brow. “Really. Leah!” I called out.
“What do you need Greg?” she answered. Her voice sounded like she was a little congested. I narrowed my eyes at Blake.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She answered shortly and sounded irritated. So she was lying.
Blake’s eyes warned me not to say anything that would get him kicked out and lucky for him I was in just enough of a hurry that I’d let him be.
“I need Haezel’s number. Unless you know where she is?”
I shifted from foot to foot and Blake looked down, amused.
“Need to piss?” he asked drily.
I flipped him off while my other hand got out my phone.
“Ready?” Leah called.
“Yeah.”
She rattled off some numbers and I recorded them on my phone.
“Thanks!” I shouted through the door, giving Blake one last glare before dialling the number.
He winked at me and then slammed the door shut without another word.
It went straight to voicemail and I nearly groaned as her voice flowed down the line. I left an abrupt message telling her who it was and to call me and hung up.
Ten seconds later I redialled, pacing up and down the hallway. When it went to her inbox again I cut off the call and tried again immediately. I was edgy and I didn’t know why.
In case you couldn't tell, this is a pretty packed chapter but it's kind of the central turning point, the mid-section, the part where things start to happen.. is what I'm trying to say, I guess. Like I've said many a time, this is not my priority but I will continue it whenever I get a brainwave.
I appreciate your patience more than words can get across.
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