Page 12 of Pretty Little Fears

BeforeIknow it, the lecture has ended andIdidn't learn a damn thing.Great.Iblame the green eyed snake searing a hole into the back of my head.

Igather my things quickly, not wanting to spend another minute in the same vicinity as him.AsIbolt out of the lecture hall and through the doors,Ilet out a sudden squeak of surprise whenIalmost run into him again.Fuck.

Hetilts his head to the side, looking down at me.

“Wereyou looking for me, baby?”

Baby?Again?Whatis it with this guy and his nicknames?

“Absolutelynot,”Isay sharply.

“Huh, that’s funny,” he draws out, eyes sparkling with amusement. “Icould have swornIsaw you looking for me.”Thelow rasp of his voice paired with his intense stare causes the same blush to stain my skin and heat to build in my core.

Clearly, he notices because his lips start to tip up.BeforeIcan respond, he cuts in.

“Yeah.Youwere, baby.”Heleans into my space, so much that his masculine scent of cedar and sin, with a hint of minty tobacco, wraps around me, making it hard to focus on anything other than him.

“Don’tworry.Iwon't tell anyone.”Hewhispers. “It’llbe our little secret.”

Withhim so close to me, every ounce of oxygen leaves my lungs and it feels likeI’msuffocating.Asquickly as he invaded my space, he leaves it.Leavingan icy cold emptiness in its place.Istraighten, trying to compose myself.

Itseems like this is becoming a pattern asIturn to storm off from another flustering encounter withEmmett.Ican't deny the feelings of desire skittering down my spine, butI'llbe damned ifIlet him know that.Hedoesn't need anything else to hold over my head.

AsImake my way out of the building and down the wide stepsIchance a look behind me to see if he’s still there, but to my surprise he's already gone.Fortunately, economics is the only class we have in common, so the rest of my day should go by quickly andIcan grab another coffee on the way home.

Thankfully, the rest of my classes go smoothly.Bythe time my last class ends,Idon’t even care to grab coffee anymore.I'mexhausted and just want to head home.Makingmy way out of class,Ilet out a sigh of relief at the day finally being done.

Onmy walk home,Ican't shake the feeling that someone is watching me asImake my way back to the house.Goosebumpsline my arms and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.Certainmy mind isn’t playing tricks on me,Ido the only logical thingIcan think of.

Reachinginto my bag,Ilocate my mace.Withmy finger on the trigger,Iwhirl around, ready to face whoever may be following me.Tomy dismay,I’mmet with the rustling trees, a few students who aren't paying me any mind, and nothing more.

Eventhough there’s nothing for me to fear within eyesight, my instincts tell me that someone is out there.Iremember my mom’s words of wisdom from earlier, “Trustyour gut.”Irepeat it to myself asIpick up my pace to a light jog.OnceIreach my front porch,Iunlock the door, close it behind me, and double check that it's locked.

Checkingonce more for good measure beforeImake a beeline to my room,Idrop off my bag and head to the bathroom.Immediatelyripping off my clothes and turning on the piping hot water,Istep in and scrub my frustrations and worries away.

Aftermy shower,Idress in a tank top and shorts then jump into bed.It’snot late andIhave assignments that need to be completed butIdon’t care.Sleepcomes to me easily andIhave a feeling betweenEmmettand the too many missing students,Iwon’t have this privilege for long.

CHAPTER SEVEN

BLAIR

Feelingthe excitement of it finally beingFriday,Iexit the business building with a huge grin spreading on my face.Iscurry home to see the girls and get ready for our night out.

Thefaint thump of vibrations hit my ears asIapproach the house.Openingthe door,I'mgreeted with the sound ofTheSpinsbyMacMillerfilling our living room and kitchen while the girls are making drinks.

“Blair!”Aspensqueals, running towards me, drink in hand. “Here, we’ve already had our first drink so catch up!”Laughing,Itake the drink and put the straw to my mouth.Thefruity flavor of berry with an underlying taste of tequila floods my tastebuds.

Drinkin hand,Imake my way to the bathroom and set it down on the counter.Iopen the cabinet underneath the sink and pull out my makeup bag.

Placingit next to the sink,Igrab the productsI’mplanning to use.Onceeverything is neatly arranged on the counter,Ijump into the shower.OnceIget out,Idry off and dress in comfy clothes, then delve into my makeup routine.

Aspenwaltzes into my bathroom carrying her own cosmetics bag and a wide grin, “Ican't wait for tonight, we are going to have so much fun!”Shesqueals.

Asmall smile starts to tug on my lips, “Metoo,I’mreally excited.”

Finishingwith my base makeup,Istep back to assess my progress butI’mnot yet satisfied.Usually, my makeup is subtle, understated, and natural.ButtonightI’mfeeling adventurous and a little daring.Wantingto try something different,Icreate two matching wings with midnight black eyeliner.HowdidIachieve the symmetrical look on the first try?Theworld may never know.Iapply mascara and continue with my bold choices tonight, opting for a dusty mauve colored lip gloss rather than my regular clear.

Takinga long sip of my beverage, a feeling of euphoria fills me as the drink warms my blood.Ilook over atAspenas we get ready and her icy blue eyes meet mine in the mirror.Withquickly widening eyes, she gasps.

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