The Next Contestant (22 page)

I push him back. “Stop. Please. Just stop.”

He stares down at me, confusion washing over his beautiful face. “Why?”

“Get off!” I shove at his chest.

“No. I want this. You want this. Stop fighting it,” he says, all confusion lost and replaced with a smirk.

A cruel laugh escapes me as I continue to fight him, working my knees between us to keep him from grinding against me.

I manage to stand and he pushes up to stand in front of me. He raises his arms, leans on his bent elbows on each side of my shoulders, and cages me in. I need to get away from him before he notices the moisture in my eyes. I dip low and step out from under his arms. I’ve got to get out of here before he takes control of me because I’m not sure I’d be able to stop him again.

He presses his forehead against the wall and pounds his fist. “Goddammit,” he says and slowly turns to face me. “What? Is there something wrong with me? You find me unattractive? ’Cause that’d be a first. There are plenty of willing—” He laughs, but it’s a bitter, cruel sound.

Whores
? I think it, and want to shout it out, his fuckup. I feel heat in my cheeks but it’s no longer a pretty or sex induced heat. I button my jeans, fix my bra, push my shirt down, and then grab my purse, slinging it over my shoulder.

I’m mad and hurt. His words prove I’m nothing to him. Nothing more than some sick sordid whatever the fuck they have going on. I desperately want to call him out on it, on
her,
but I can’t. The words are knotted at the back of my throat. I shrug, take in a deep breath, lift my shoulders, and push the knot down my throat.

I should run and never look back, but my mouth gets the better of me.

“You know what you can do, Jax? You can just fuck off!” I step around him but he comes at me as I rush out the door. He’s not quick enough and I run down the hall.

“Kimber!” Jax shouts, but I keep moving, weaving into the crowd until I reach the entrance of Muze and escape.

I tear out of the parking lot and speed home. I’m fuming, confused and hurt, and rip my clothes off. After crawling under the sheets, I lie in bed, unable to sleep as visuals of Jax with the bitch slip into my thoughts. In fact, I not only wonder if he’s been with her, but others as well. I think about the PRIVATE door and what goes on upstairs. Has he taken any females up there, would he have taken me up there had I allowed him to continue to ravage me?

I HAVEN’T FORGOTTEN
the key I swiped from Kolby, but then I wonder if it’s the right one because he hasn’t asked or stalked over here to threaten me into giving it back.

There is only one way to find out.

The following evening, I head to Blaze and enter Muze. It’s busy and I slip easily into the crowd, work my way toward the famous back door. I choose the gold key, the
only
gold key in the mix of silver. My hands are shaking so bad I have a hard time slipping it into the deadbolt, but lo and behold, I turn it a little and it’s
the
golden ticket, or key.

I enter, close the door, turn the lock, and then lean on the cool metal. After my heart stops racing, I notice an elevator straight ahead—I guess I was too wrapped up in Jax to notice it last night—but deem it unsafe. I bypass it and take the stairs to release some of my nervous energy. I reach the fourth floor and take in a deep breath before turning the knob. Then I think about Jax and reconsider. What if he’s with…
her
? And if they’re up here….

I slip through and halt when I notice a familiar face. Kolby’s best friend, Jaden, is sitting in a maroon wing back chair, his ankles crossed, a pencil wedged between his teeth, his fingers stroking madly over the keypad of his laptop. He has an ear bud in his ear and it’s plugged into his laptop. His eyes widen and a grin spreads across his lips. By the look on his face, I’d swear he’s watching porn. He reaches for a pad on the table, his mouth drops open dislodging the pencil, and it falls into his lap. He’s definitely watching porn! The rising tent in his sweats gives him away. Perv! Okay, so maybe I’m a perv too because I watch him dip his hand down, reaching for the pencil, but instead of retrieving the pencil, he rubs his palm over his erection.

I bet I can scare the shit out of him, and embarrass the hell outta him, and I will, but for now, I think I’ll stay put and see what he’s up to. I move in closer, slink behind the marble planter with some fancy fake tree in it.

Jaden moves the laptop, covering his erection and then taps the mouse-pad, probably pausing his porn video. His head snaps up just as the sound of a door opening echoes down the hall. I pull back so he won’t see me in case he turns in my direction.

Laughter.

I hear male and female laughter.

“Go on, Sugar, I’ll meet you downstairs in a few. I need to have a few words with my buddy, Jaden.”

Nick?! I think I’m going to barf in my mouth. I can hear the shuffling of his feet as he closes in. Hands slap together and I know Jaden and Nick are hi fiving. I don’t even want to know what that was all about. Darcy’s right. Something is going on with the Kappa Alpha Omega.

“Fifty points. You got that, right? All fifty filthy fucking points,” Nick says. “You gonna give me the scores? Am I topping Jax? That fucker knows how to work ’em, but fuck me if I’m not gonna give him a run for his money, Kolby included. Doubt that weasel, Warren, has scored anything more than a kiss and a titty twist,” Nick says, but my head is reeling, and I suddenly feel sick. I don’t know what kind of shit they have going on, but it’s not good. Chicks, scores, more chicks and the mention of topping Jax means only one thing for me. Jax is a liar and he’s used me. Oh my freaking god. Oh my go—has he been bringing others here after our dates?

Jaden chuckles. “Yeah, well, Jax hasn’t been active for a while so if you keep it up, you could win the jackpot.”

Nick’s voice erupts, and assaults me further, temporarily taking me out of my mental hell.

“I had her calling it out. Hell, I didn’t even have to ask her to tell me what she wanted me to do to her. She practically screamed it. Dude, did you about fuck yourself when she told me she was gonna suck my cock down her throat?”

“Jeezes, Nick. Shut the hell up. We don’t want this shit leaking out. You know what that could do to our professional careers? We won’t have one, dick-wad, so keep your trap shut,” Jaden clips in a harsh undertone.

“That’s two so far, and the night is young. I’m ballin’ at a hundred points in less than three hours. Fuck yeah, asshole,” Nick hisses and then I hear the sound of his footsteps padding down the hall. The ding of the elevator, the sound of the doors sliding closed, tells me he’s finally gone.
Pig
.

I squeeze my eyes closed, forcing the tears back. My lips are quivering so hard from holding back the sob, but a rush of air slips past them, sounding like a wet fart. I shove my hand over my mouth, squeezing my eyes tighter, and pray Jaden didn’t hear me.

My heart is in my throat as Jaden reaches back, tugs on the cord, shoves it in his computer case along with the laptop, and then stands up. I scoot against the back of the chair when I see him next to the door turning the handle. I let out a sigh of relief when the door closes behind him.

The floor is so quiet it’s almost creepy. Ten minutes have passed since Jaden packed up and left. My phone lights up and it’s a text from… Jax.

J: I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you, but you hurt me too. Can you meet me at Muze?

I scramble to my feet, push through the door, careful not to let it slam shut just in case… and rush down the stairs. After pressing my ear against the door and assuring myself nobody is standing on the other side, I turn the lock, exit, and then slide my key into the deadbolt to lock it.

I have to hold it together. Have to find out if… was he using me? He’d been with me most of the nights he was free, up until he learned the truth. Is he part of it again? Was he part of it when… no, Jaden told Nick Jax hasn’t been active, so—

“Hey you,” Jax says and startles me. He’s here, already? Thank god I made it to the stage before running into him.

One glance at him and I melt. Oh god.
Keep it together, Kimber. Play him. You can do it, and do it better.

I ignore him and storm off.
Is he here to… what? Will he take someone upstairs?
I can’t let myself go there. I rush out of Blaze and go home.

I’VE SLUMMED AROUND
my dorm long enough. It’s been two excruciatingly long weeks since the incident at Blast, the frat house, my discovery of the upstairs at Muze, and running into Jax. Or the bitch.

He’s texted me a few times, but I delete his texts without reading them, not wanting to hear about Timber, or how I lied. But who was the first to jump at the opportunity to go to a party at the frat house? Guess I’m up for more torture. Yes, I want to see him. Yes, I’m secretly hoping he will say he can’t be without me, how much he misses me, but I doubt there is such a thing as hope.

A few hours later, I’m dressed to impress, preferably Jax. I ride with Erik, a classmate, and yeah, I’m going to play it up in front of Jax. Of course we’re meeting my girl, Tiffany there. Then I wonder… what if Jax is with Timber, or another girl? Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Erik’s nice and makes small talk. I think I make him nervous with my lack of response, other than a yes or a no. I can’t help it. My mind is conjuring up all these horrible thoughts about Jax and who he might be with. It makes me want to hurl when I imagine him with that whore, Timber.

I’m slightly nervous as Erik and I enter the fraternity house. The party is obviously in full force. There are people everywhere. I play nice with Erik for a bit, but eventually, I wander off, manage to ditch Erik, and fortunately avoid Jax, and the bitches I’ve noticed leeching on him. Wonder where the biggest bitch is and why she’s not here wrapping herself around him.

Doesn’t matter. I’m stressed, and wander into the kitchen, the only place in the house that isn’t packed with sweaty bodies.

And wouldn’t you know it? Who walks in to the kitchen? His eyes lock on mine, but I refuse to be held there. I turn slightly, avoiding him and begin searching my phone, pretending to be occupied, as if I could give a crap that he’s in the same room with me.

I feel heat spread across my cheeks, knowing he’s staring at me. I don’t want to look at him but he brushes up next to me, grasps my chin in his hand, and forces me to look at him. There’s daggers in his eyes and I know what he’s going to say.

“You should have never lied to me. We could have worked it out, you know,” he says somewhat remorseful. Then his face contorts and he whispers, his words severe, and unforgiving. “But now I’m stuck parading that bitch around because of your lie. Do you have any idea what you’ve done to me?”

I slap his hand off my chin, step back, and walk away from Jax. I head toward the living room, and startle at the sound of fists slamming against a cabinet, but I continue toward the front door. I need fresh air before I go back inside… to find my… date… and lots of alcohol.