Then it clicked with me. My RA’s boyfriend was roommates with Jesse. No wonder she seemed surprised that I knew Cord.

“How do you know Cord so well?”

When my gaze shot to hers, I was startled from the sudden fierceness in them. And then I had a conundrum. Did I tell her the truth? That Cord was just playing with her because I wasn’t really like family to him? Or did I tell the other truth, that he was only looking out for me because of my connection to Jesse. My gut was telling me that she’d have an even bigger reaction if she knew that last part.

So I lied.

“I don’t. We went to the same high school and I looked him up. I had a friend who wanted me to keep tabs on him.”

“Oh.” Her shoulders loosened and she looked back down to her clipboard. She lifted her head again. “So he was just teasing me? Because I know Cord does that sort of thing. He’s roommates with Derek, after all. I’m good friends with him.”

My head lifted up and down in a long, drawn-out motion. I was getting what she was giving. She wanted me to know how well she knew Cord, and I was struck again by how small I felt next to this girl. She was important. I was not. I got her message.

Then she frowned and shook her head. “I’m sorry. That was a really bitchy thing for me to say.”

“Um.” No idea what to say, but I knew I wasn’t going to say anything about Jesse.

“Kara?” An annoyed tone came around the corner and then I heard, “Oh, f**k me. Really?!”

I turned and gulped.

It was the girl who’d been straddling Cord an hour ago.

The corners of my mouth lifted, and I said the first thing that came to mind. “At least you’re wearing clothes this time.”

CHAPTER TWO

Kara’s eyes widened and she sucked in her breath, but she pivoted to her friend. “Chandra, this is Alex.” Her eyes held a special meaning as she stressed to her, “She knows Cord.”

The hostility doubled. “I’m aware. How do you know him?”

I opened my mouth, unsure what to say, but Kara forced out an awkward laugh. “They went to the same high school together.” She was mum on the rest, which piqued my interest. Her friend must’ve been a jealous sort.

“Really?” Chandra’s eyes snapped to attention. “So you know Jesse Hunt as well?”

Okay. I was really backed into a corner now. I hadn’t expected to be linked with him this quickly. I wasn’t going to hide that I knew him, but I wasn’t ready for everyone to know right away how connected I really was to him.

Cord saved the day.

He popped out of the stairwell and handed me his phone. “Call for you.” Then he saw who had joined the conversation and groaned. “You’re here too?” Disappearing into my room, Chandra followed him inside.

Kara motioned to the hallway behind her. “I’ll leave you be. I should get back to the other girls. Oh, before I forget, we have a floor meeting in my room at six tonight. So, I’ll see you in three hours.” She started to leave. I started to lift the phone, but her head appeared around the corner. “And we’re all going to eat in the cafeteria tonight. I want to show everyone how to get there and register your identification card. That’s all. See you in a few hours.”

Then I heaved a deep breath. I knew who was on the phone. My stomach took a sudden dip and I pressed a hand against it. Was I ready for this? The nerves had my hands shaking, but I swallowed tightly and croaked into the phone, “Hello?”

There was silence on the other end.

I closed my eyes and turned into the corner. My forehead rested against it. Though he couldn’t see me, a part of me was cowering from him. A storm swept through me and left me shaking. I felt like vomiting as I asked, my voice hoarse, “Can you please say something?”

“You went to the house?”

There it was. Jesse’s voice slid over the phone, smooth and sensual, but I heard the edge in it. He was angry with me. My chest tightened and my heart pounded against it. Would it ever lessen? He held so much power over me. Already, even with how he had ignored my calls, a flame ignited in me for him. It was simmering in my depths, and I knew the longer I talked to him, the more it would become.

“Zala gave me your address. Nice place.”

I hadn’t paid attention, but now I remembered it, hidden behind trees and a curved driveway. I hadn’t noticed other houses near his, only the golf course across the road. Even though I had only seen the kitchen, foyer, and living room, I knew the house was deceptively large. It was like Jesse in some ways.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming to Grant West.”

I sucked in my breath. His tone was so biting. “Would it have mattered?”

“No.”

I fell silent. My hand tightened its hold on the phone. I was pressing it against my ear; I knew there’d be an indentation from it. Then I asked, ragged, “What do you want, Jesse?”

“What do you want?” he lashed back. “I haven’t heard a word from you since Vegas and now this? Cord texts me that you were at the house? You’re the one playing games, Alex.”

“What are you talking about?”

He laughed into the phone, harshly. “I might not have been the nicest to you in the past, but there were reasons. What’s your reason? Are you doing this on purpose?”

My back straightened and my voice rose, “What are you talking about?”

“Stop it. Seriously.”

“Seriously,” I bit back. “Tell me what you’re talking about. I called you. I called you for almost a month. You’re the one who didn’t call me back. You ignored me. You don’t think that hurt me?!” My voice dipped as searing pain ripped through me. I had needed to know what happened. He’d been on the phone with Ethan that night, but he hadn’t said a word. There’s been no response and that hurt more than I could’ve imagined.

He grew quiet again. Then he softened his tone, “What are you talking about?”

I bent over and drew in a shuddering breath. It hurt to breathe now. “I talked to Barbie. She told me about Ethan. You called him that night, Jesse. Why didn’t you tell me that? I called you over and over again. I left messages. I texted you, but you never replied to any of them. Do you have any idea what that did to me?”

Agony stabbed at me.