Page 38 of Cruel Debts
If you're going to care about a person, then care. Don't pretend you care and pick and choose what parts of their memory you honor.
"You don't get to tell me how to honormyfriend," Liam said threateningly, stalking over to where I stood by the door with my arms crossed."You—"his finger jabbed me in the shoulder, a little roughly, too— "Arenotinanyposition to tellmewhat to do."
"Keehn would be ashamed of you. Of all three of you."
"You know what, Trin? Get fucked." He yanked open the door to the gym and slammed it behind himself, leaving me alone in here. When I went to yank it open and follow him out, I found it locked—or at least jammed so it couldn't be opened.
"I'm trying!"I shouted at the door, my anger rising. "Fuck!"
SEVENTEEN
TRINITY
I wasn'tsure how long Liam planned to leave me in there, but as fate would have it, someone else must've noticed me banging on the door, because about an hour later, it opened, and in walked a woman who looked slightly familiar. She might've been one of the girls from the commons area when I first arrived, I was pretty sure.
Her name, though, was another story. I had no idea what it was, and I wasn't sure I wanted to ask.
"You in here alone?" she said questioningly, her eyes scanning the room as if she'd find one of the men responsible for my well-being in a corner somewhere. "Where's your escort?"
"I don't need a babysitter," I snapped, instantly regretting the choice. "Sorry, I'm not great company right now."
The raven-haired beauty offered me a hand and helped me off the floor, eyeing my outfit pointedly. "You, ah, like to work out?"
"I was actually going fishing," I said by way of explanation. Apparently, it was one she understood.
"Catch anything good?" Her smile was contagious, and I grinned right along with her.
"Nothing worth mentioning." My hand shot out, and she took it willingly, shaking it with a firm, deadly grip. "Trinity."
"Harper," she said in return, her eyes dancing with mischief. "You, ah, want some company? The real refuse might be gone already, but you never know with some of these men if you're safe to roam the hallways alone."
"Do you think I can't handle myself?" I strolled right out the door, hands on my hips and head held high. "I'm a big girl. I'm sure there's nothing in these halls that's going to kill me for simply existing."
"Well, not anymore, at least," she hedged, her eyes skirting to the side. "But there are things in here that might fuck with you for looking like that. Well, and not being able to defend yourself."
"Who says I can't defend myself?"
Her foot darted out so fast, I was left reeling as I hit the floor, ass first. "I says," she muttered, offering me a hand again. I took it, but not very willingly. "Listen, why don't you come hang with me for a little while, and I'll teach you a few things?"
"I don't need charity," I snapped, hating that I really did. I was reliant on the generosity of others, and as much as I resented it, she was my only option so far, and without her, who knew how long I'd have been stuck in that room? "But I suppose if you let me pay you back somehow, I might be willing to learn a few things."
Which ishow I ended up in her dorm, thankfully empty for now, shoving furniture against the walls to make room for her lessons. When we cleared the living room space, she clapped her hands and declared class in session.
I didn't know what hit me.
I lay on my back, on the hard floor, staring up at a woman with a grin of victory on her face and traces of skeleton makeup on her lips. She stared down at me and frowned.
"There's room for improvement, but you're going to need a lot of work. You're hot garbage at this right now." Her feet planted, and she hoisted me to mine, dusting off my ass when I got my balance. "I started out pretty shit, too, and then someone pushed me off a bridge and tried to kill me."
"Oh my god!" My gasp would have been audible in a tropical storm. "Did you ever pay them back?"
"No," a grumpy voice in the far corner said slowly. "She's sleeping with him. Well, him and his two brothers."
Another voice joined the fray, immediately setting me on edge for reasons I couldn't explain. "I'm not claiming you two idiots as brothers this week." This one belonged to a bigger, more muscular man with dark skin and braids. "Hi there. New friend, Harper?"
Harper tossed her hair over a shoulder and smiled as the tall man moved closer, leaning in to give her a kiss. "Hey, Ro. Plans today?"
"Just cleaning up some loose ends for our last contract." His eyes fell on me, and he waited patiently for her to say something.
