It was this contradiction I wanted more of — that had me hooked like a fucking junkie. I wanted to discover every facet of her.
I could handle her defiance and prickly behavior in public—but I wanted to be the one to break down her walls. To uncover the soft side I knew was buried deep inside her.
Graduation couldn’t come fast enough.
This town with its peeling paint, familiar faces, and suffocating expectations, felt more like a cage than ever before. What used to feel like home now felt like a place I was outgrowing by the second.
Eight
Sierra
I leaned forward, my elbows braced on the table, and fixed the freshman opposite me with a piercing glare. At the sight of her vivid, dark-red hair, my mind wandered straight back to …nope.
We’re not going there, not now. Totally the wrong time. It had been days already, and I was still anticipating a run-in with Dom at any moment — even though I knew he’d only visited.
“Let me be clear — if you think you can opt out of contributing to this project or do a poor job on purpose, then you’re dealing with the wrong person. Don’t fuck with me. I promise you, it won’t end well for you. I willnotbe sitting here again next semester. Aside from the fact that I can think of better things to do, I have absolutely no time for that.”
She just looked at me with slightly raised eyebrows, the muted light from the tall library windows casting soft shadows across her face.
Around us, the faint rustle of pages turning and the occasional soft thump of book covers closing on tables filled the quiet air. The scent of old books mixed with a faint traceof polished wood and worn leather hung in the space between stacks.
I continued, my voice low and steady. “We’re each doing our part and putting our best efforts forward. Have I made myself clear?”
The fact that I was in this class at all was down to bad luck, considering I should’ve finished it last year, if not before.
’Should have’ being the key word, and consequently, not only was I stuck in a class full of freshmen, but I was also stuck in a mandatory group project.
She pursed her lips, but I could have sworn the corners of her mouth had twitched a moment before. “Nice speech.”
Unimpressed, I returned her gaze. “I know. And I meant every fucking word.”
She shrugged, flipping a loose strand of her ponytail over her shoulder as the soft library lighting caught the sheen of it. “No problem for me. I’m Ella.”
“Sierra.”
“What unfortunate circumstance landed you in this class?” she asked, scanning the shelf-lined walls while toying with a strand of her long ponytail.
I eyed her for a moment, deciding if I wanted to keep this collaboration strictly academic or if I was willing to add a personal component. Ella obviously didn’t pull any punches, and I appreciated that she didn’t back down when I confronted her.
In high school, I would have taken it as a challenge, but thankfully I was past that.
“My own stupidity, I guess,” I sighed, smoothing out my skirt. “I kept putting it off, and now it was kind of my last chance. It’s a requirement before I can take certain upper-level classes. I have a packed schedule my last year of school, and this one just wasn’t going to fit in with all my other commitments.”
She nodded, her ponytail swaying slightly with the movement. “Sounds like you have a lot on your plate. I’m definitely not going to give you any trouble.”
“Very comforting, indeed. Ready to get started?” I flipped open my laptop and glanced at her over the top of the screen.
“Let’s do it.”
***
As I walked across campus, my phone buzzed for the umpteenth time. David’s name flashed across the screen. It had been over a week since I’d caught him, and he wouldn’t leave me alone.
As usual, I declined the call.
Sure, I could just block his number, but where was the fun in that? I was petty enough to let him know that I was seeing his calls and messages and deliberately ignoring them — every single time.
It was the least he deserved.
