Page 111 of The Deceptions
"My girlfriend," I spit out quickly, attempting to put my basket behind my back and out of his sight. Too bad he follows the movement with even more suspicion.
I am a seasoned agent of Veritas. But you certainly wouldn't know that right now. I feel like a noob. This shouldn't be that hard. Easy peasy. But not lemon squeezy.
"Girlfriend," Dane laughs under his breath mockingly. "Really?"
Again. Rude as fuck. "Uh, yeah. She's in town for the weekend." I cock my head. "So, remain away." Please. Stay the hell out of our room until my period is done. Or I might bite his head off and hide his body in the nonexistent closet. Besides, the last thing I need is him and all his pissy glory ruining my weekend. Not to mention the party I have to drag myself to tomorrow while pretending my body isn't attempting to murder me from the inside out.
Ugh.
This mission blows.
"Well, now I want to come back and see this invisible girlfriend." He laughs more at my expense, browsing the tampons with pursed lips.
"What the fuck are you doing buying tampons?" I ask, raising a brow when he plucks a variety pack off the shelf confidently and places it under his arm.
"I have a real girlfriend," he says, gesturing to the Rocky Road ice cream and chocolates piled in his arms. "Who happens to need these. You on the other hand?" he laughs, throwing his head back and snorts.
Right. His girlfriend.
I shrug. "Well, looks like we're on the same page again." Do not blush. Do not let your face heat while he's staring you up and down. Don't embarrass yourself.
He snorts. "Whatever, Scholarship Boy. Have a good night with your hand." With that, the asshole struts away toward the cash register, laughing the entire way at my expense.
Is it against the law to smother your roommate while he's sleeping? Yes, yes it is. But it doesn't stop me from fantasizing about it. Besides, I could get away with it. I am the authority in this situation.
"Dick," I mutter, shaking my head. Turning back, I grab a small box of regulars, too. And then some thick pads for the worst of it. With my periods being so damn ridiculous, I have to make sure I have everything before it hits and I bleed through all the clothes I wear. Because I definitely will.
With my selection in hand, I make my way through the store. Although Dane's rude appearance in the tampon aisle made me want to punch him in the nose, he had the right idea. Ice cream. Cold. Chocolatey. It'll soothe all the hurt I'm about to endure over the next week.
My mind wanders as I cruise the aisles, picking up anything and everything I'll need to survive and throwing it into the basket. Hopefully, I'll still be able to make it to class. I don't know how I'll pull off the whole "I'm sick; leave me alone" schtick for long. Simon will get concerned and want to baby me, which sounds delightful.
I'll figure it out when the time comes. For now, I want to make the walk home, crawl into my bed, and never leave. A line has formed when I make it up front to the cash registers. Dane is at the front of it with his ice cream and tampons. He smirks at me when he picks up his bags and meanders out of the store with a laugh. Fucker. For the most part, it's mainly college students, from the look of their condom purchases. Mixed with a few bottles of wine, vodkas, and whiskeys. They're ready to have a good rest of the night.
Me too, guys. Me too.
I blow out a breath. This night has been so weird. First, I get called out for a fight. Thanks for that, Macklyn. Revenge will be so sweet when I finally get my hands on him. Not only for the fight, but the fuckery from five years ago. Every time I see one of them, it's a knife to the heart. The hurt is still there, like it happened yesterday. Looking into their eyes and knowing they looked down at me when I was at my lowest and most desperate, sends rage through my blood.
I'm a professional, though. And being that, I have to keep my wits about me.I am the calm. Will revenge come later? Oh, you betcha. I'll bring it so hard, they won't know what hit them. It'll be me—I'll hit them where it hurts. Until then, I'm being a good undercover agent because there's more to this case than meets the eye. This school is a hotbed of illegal activities. I just have to figure out where it's all coming from. Franco, probably. Or hell, maybe the mysterious other gang leader.
Whoever it is, I'll find them. And when I do, they'll wish they never fucked with me or anyone else.
I sigh, moving forward in line, smiling at the older woman who is working the register. When I return to my dorm, I still need to send in my weekly notes and attach the footage from my glasses. I can only imagine what they've caught.
Finally, I pay for my items, grab my two bags, head to the public restroom and put a tampon in, and then, finally, leave the store before I run into Dane again. Knowing him, he's probably lingering outside just waiting to pick on me again. Something odd happens when I step out the door. There’s no Dane there, but all the lights have gone out in the parking lot. I’d suspect an outage, but nowhere else has lost electricity. Quickly, I inform the store of the outage so no one gets hurt and make my way back to my dorm.
The hairs on my neck stand on end as I walk down the sidewalk. It's eerie out here without the parking lot lights. Atleast there is still some lighting up the sidewalk. As I look over my shoulder, the lights flicker back on in the parking lot, illuminating the area.
"Hey, Oli!" I blink several times. How many people can I run into on my way to the store?
I stop short, turning as Wade runs toward me with a pint of ice cream. The lid is off, and a plastic spoon rests in the thick Rocky Road. Rub it in, why don't you? I can't have mine until I'm in the safety of my own bed. I mean, I could totally eat it now, but I have patience.
"Wade." I look him over as he jogs to stand beside me. "Why are you out so late?"
"Hey, man. You just came from the store? I had to stop and get something, too. The fights always leave me hungry. Besides, I think your cousin is with Simon." He snorts when I wrinkle my nose.
Ah, he's avoiding our dorm, too. I'm surprised he didn't find an alternate place to stay. Although I haven't seen him hanging around other people on campus. Maybe he's a loner. Besides, when was he at the dang store? I would have seen him. Right?
"Yeah, he is." But I doubt they're hooking up. Not in the condition Simon was in. Jordy won't do that sort of thing with anyone who's been drinking as heavily as Simon had been. He may be a little shit, but he's a respectful guy in that regard. In others, though? He's an asshole. But I love him. Just don’t let him know that.
