Regardless of how I pleaded with the clock to stop ticking, it eventually reached 6:00.
Dinner time.
While it meant that Jack got to come over, it also meant Grey did as well. I didn't understand why he couldn't just leave me and my friends alone. He was a reminder that I wasn't able to save myself that night. The fact that he felt the need to go out of his way to sit next to me in class and come over to my sorority house for dinner- seeing him was like pouring salt on an open wound. Not only that, but his first words to me were that of condescension and reprimanding. Based on what he'd said since then- it was hard for me to contemplate giving him a second chance. Even though I'd told Makenna I would, he still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Luckily for me, Jack had arrived before Grey. His tousled dark brown hair fell just below his ears, appearing to be a little windblown. Allison opened the door and was immediately dwarfed in his arms. She looked so small compared to him, and she was.
"Hey, Al," he murmured into her hair and she giggled happily. It warmed my heart to see them together again.
"Hi Jack," Allison's muffled words came from against his chest and he slowly let her go. Jack dragged his eyes away from her and to me.
"How's my favorite ice queen?" He grinned cheekily and I rolled my eyes, letting out a chuckle.
"Getting colder by the minute. How's my favorite washed-up jock?" I retorted and he laughed, wrapping his arm nonchalantly around my shoulder in a side hug. I cringed at his touch, as I did with all people. "I see Allison has yet to make any progress on getting rid of that flinch," he smirked playfully and I shoved him away.
"You're awful. And so are you, why are you letting him make fun of me?" I pointed at Allison accusingly and she raised her hands in surrender, still a giggling, blushing mess from when he'd hugged her.
"Because she knows I'm right," he shoved me back and I shook my head in disapproval. There weren't many people I could joke around with like I did with Jack and Allison.
"Can we please eat now? I'm starving," Allison groaned, holding her stomach in her hands and pouting up at Jack. Jack snickered and took her hand in his, walking through the living room and towards the dining room. I followed them, grabbing a plate and filling it with pasta and salad. Allison dragged us over to her favorite table by the window. She loved people watching, it was her thing.
Allison plopped down in the seat right next to the window, and Jack next to her. I sat across from her, watching in amusement as she stuffed pasta into her mouth like a chipmunk. She looked up at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Wha-?" she tried to speak through a mouthful of pasta, some noodles falling out of her mouth and onto her plate. Jack nearly spit out the water he was drinking, and I burst into laughter. After a few moments of figuring out how to swallow after the predicament she'd gotten herself into, she stuffed her face yet again. They never learn.
"So, Jo, are you still a biology major?" Jack asked, desperately trying to ignore his girlfriend to keep from spitting out his food in laughter. I nodded and Jack widened his eyes a little in surprise.
"Good for you. What do you wanna do again? It's some long word that I don't know how to spell, isn't it," he narrowed his eyes and I chuckled.
"I know I want to do something with oncology, I just haven't decided yet," I smiled and Allison let out a deep breath, causing both of us to look at her. She had her hands rested on her stomach, a look of satisfaction on her face with an empty plate in front of her. The plate had been overflowing all of 3 minutes ago. How she wasn't nauseous, I didn't know.
"I'm proud," Jack eyed her plate and then her as if waiting for her to either throw up or fall asleep in her chair.
"You should be. I'm a beast," she grinned, yawning and rubbing her eyes. "I think I'm gonna go back for seconds." I widened my eyes in shock and Allison winked at me as she stood up, walking over to the buffet. That girl's metabolism wasn't normal. I watched her walk over, my eyes drifting from her to the groups of people just now entering the room.
Makenna and Grey.
She was wearing her short black sundress, undoubtedly in an effort to gain his attention, whereas he looked the same as he had earlier. Black leather jacket, dark jeans, heathered tee. His midnight hair somehow looked even darker in this light, his piercing blue eyes standing out even more now. The focus of the room drifted to him, as it had in Chemistry earlier today. But his eyes searched the room, landing on mine with a slow smirk growing on his lips. I clenched my jaw in irritation, scowling and turning away.
I wish he hadn't noticed me. Why did he have to notice me? Why did I have to look over there?
"Who's that guy with your big?" Jack asked, slowly turning back to face me. It seemed like even he was mesmerized by Grey.
"His name is Grey," I mumbled, angrily swirling pasta around my fork. I could feel Jack eyeing me, as if he knew there were more to the story.
"Do you know him?" Jack questioned, raising an eyebrow. I brought my pasta to my lips, taking a slow bite.
"Unfortunately," I replied as I finished chewing, angrily swirling more pasta around my fork and taking another bite.
"If you want to leave, I'll cover for you. I can see how uncomfortable he makes you," Jack suggested and I shook my head. I wasn't weak, and I wasn't about to explain what Grey reminded me of. I wasn't going to be affected by his presence and I wasn't going to let him make me leave my own dining room. This was my sorority. If anyone was leaving, it would be him.
"It's fine. He's just not a great guy. Rude. Condescending. The usual," I mumbled, stuffing some veggies in my mouth. Allison plopped back down; cheerier than ever as she eyed her refilled plate with joy. Both her and Jack's gaze drifted several feet above me, and Allison stopped her chewing. When I noticed their expressions, I turned around, looking up.
Speak of the devil. Grey.
"Is this seat taken?" His cerulean blue eyes bore down into mine, twinkling with amusement as if he were intrigued to see how I'd react.
"Yes," I replied dismissively, turning back around to face Jack and Allison. I clenched my jaw as I felt the table move a little when Grey sat next to me anyways. I looked up at them, hoping they might distract me. I didn't want to run away from my problems, which had somehow manifested as an angsty guy in a leather jacket. To my dismay, it seemed as though Jack and Allison would be of little help, given that they were still staring at Grey like dumbfounded idiots.
"I thought you were here with Makenna," I grumbled annoyedly, giving up on the two idiots sitting in front of me and trying to play nice.
"Jealous?" I didn't need to see him to know he was smirking, wanting me to fluster at the accusation.
"It was a statement, Grey, I couldn't care less," I replied in a monotone voice. Allison and Jack's eyes turned to me, wide. What was their deal? There was a moment of silence, and for a second, I'd wondered if maybe Grey had realized that I didn't want him here and was leaving. I made the mistake of turning and looking at him, only to find those eyes already staring back at me.
"You know my name," he narrowed his eyes at me, the incessant flirtation replaced by a sudden suspicion. I made a face and swirled my pasta lazily around my fork.
"Again. Makenna. Speaking of, where is she?" I scowled at him, waiting for him to make up some flimsy excuse as to why he bailed on the person who had invited him.
"Don't know, don't care," the suspicion in his eyes disappeared and he turned to focus on the pasta in front of him. As if on cue, Makenna pulled up a chair at the end of the table, out of breath. I watched her curiously while Grey pretended he didn't notice her arrival.
"Where were you?" I chuckled lightly in amusement, ignoring Grey's presence.
"Grey told me to meet him by his motorcycle, that he-" she panted, "-wanted to show me something. Then I went to the backlot, and there wasn't a motorcycle, so I ran back." I narrowed my eyes accusingly at Grey.
"Sorry, I meant the front lot," he huffed coolly, eyes trained on his food as a knowing smirk grew on his lips. He was toying with my friend, and found it funny?
"There is no front lot. And you drive a Camaro," I clenched my jaw.
Grey shrugged. "Oops."
At that, my temper reared its ugly head. I stood up from the table, eyes blazing. Mess with me, whatever. I won't like you, but it was trivial drama. Mess with the people I care about, however-
This guy was in for a treat.
"Grey. Get up. Follow me," I said angrily, starting to walk out of the dining hall when I heard him from behind me.
"You do realize I don't have to listen to you, right?" He shot back and I turned around.
"Get. Up. Grey," I growled through gritted teeth. Grey paused for a moment as if he were deliberating. Then, he stood up and followed me out of the dining room, through the front doors and into the dark night.
Well, actually it was the front lawn, but it was dark outside so same thing. We walked over to the side of the house, where I hoped that no one could hear me yell at him.
"Wanted me all for yourself?" I heard his snarky comment and spun to face him, placing both hands on his chest and shoving as hard as I could against the brick wall of the house. He mustn't have been expecting it, because I knew there was little chance I would've been able to shove him at all had he seen it coming. His back hit the wall, darkening eyes signaling that now, he was pissed too. Ah, the fragile masculinity. Sucks being pushed around by a girl when your ego can't handle it.
"I'm only going to say this once. You leave Makenna alone. You leave my friends alone. You were rude as hell to me the night you saved me, and I forgave you because you saved my life. Toying with my friends' feelings? Stringing her along just so you can piss me off? That is where I draw the line. I don't care that your ego is so fragile you feel the need to string girls along just to feel better about yourself. I don't care that you love pissing me off because it makes you feel stronger. I. Don't. Care. But leave my friends out of it," I spat angrily. Grey simply raised an eyebrow.
You've got to be kidding me. In one swift move, he had switched our positions. He grabbed me and slammed my back against the wall, his arms cornering me in.
"You know, I really don't like you," he seethed and I let out a cackle.
"Touché, asshole," I retorted. He narrowed his eyes at me and clenched his jaw, the moonlight casting shadows on his face that made him seem positively unearthly.
"Why aren't you afraid of me? Or in love with me? It's always one or the other," he scowled and my brows shot up in surprise.
"Wow. You know, I've gotta say- I've met loads of conceited people in my life, but you may just take the cake," I spat. For a split second, surely I must've been imagining it, but it almost looked like his eyes had begun to glow.
I didn't know what it was about Grey. The fact that he was rude to me the first time we met, the fact he was toying with my friend, the fact he was arrogant and conceited and had seemingly been following me around all day- the list is endless. Whatever it was, every single thing he did pissed me off. Him speaking pissed me off. Him breathing pissed me off. I never should've gotten in his car. Why did I get in his car?
"I've met a lot of prideful people in my life, but you may just take the cake. You've known me for one day and you've already made your judgment on me. Are you that great at judging people's character, or do you just think you are?" He challenged and I tightened my jaw, biting back all of the disgraceful names I'd like to call him. "Or, better yet, maybe you're too afraid to let someone into that stone-cold heart, so you pretend to hate everyone around you. Tell me, mea bellator, which one is it?" His eyes twinkled in devilish satisfaction, knowing he had me in checkmate.
The air was so dead silent, you could hear a pin drop. The tension was thicker than the clouds above us. I'd never felt so much irritation in a single moment as I did right then. I held Grey's gaze, showing no sign of backing down.
"Is everything okay here?" I heard a satiny voice to my left, a tall figure casting a moonlit shadow between Grey and I.
I recognized that voice. It was Riel.