Ruin (Ruin 1)

Something close to a low growl emerged from Wes’s throat. “What? You’re going to follow me now?”

“Orders.” David sighed and shrugged. “I’m sorry, Wes. My job’s at stake. You know how it is.”

“I do.” Wes muttered a vulgar curse under his breath and turned to me. “I’m sorry, Kiersten. I need to go. My father, it seems, is concerned about my priorities.” His smile was tense. “Can I see you tonight? Seems like we have some things we still gotta take care of.”

“I don’t know.” I looked at David’s disapproving glare and back at the ground. “I, uh, I think I’m busy.”

Wes frowned in frustration.

“Come on, Wes.” David reached for his arm.

“No.” Wes didn’t move. “Not until she says yes.”

“Wes, just stop. Parents are important. If your father wants—”

“What he wants is two healthy sons,” Wes said in an icy voice. “What he has is me. He’ll take what he can get. I’ll be at your dorm tonight at seven.”

“Not tonight,” I said. “But tomorrow’s F

riday. Date night, okay?”

“Okay.” He swallowed, the color returning to his cheeks as his jaw seemed to relax. Why did he suddenly look so weak? “I’ll see you then.”

I watched Wes walk away, and I grew more curious by the second. Why did the quarterback of the football team look so pale all the time? And why, when he stepped into the shadows of the trees, did he lean on that David guy as if he was going to pass out? And if he was feeling sick, why the heck did he want to go running?

Thoughts plagued my mind as I made my way all the way back to the dorms. The last thing I wanted was to get close to a guy that made me feel as good as Wes did, only to have him ripped from my life because I wasn’t high on his daddy’s priority list.

Ugh.

I unlocked the door to our dorm and waltzed in.

“‘Sup.” Gabe waved and flipped through a few TV channels. “You can thank me later, you know.”

“Thank you?”

“For the protein shake and banana waiting for consumption on the counter. I may have been bird watching and seen you walking down the path to the dorms.”

“Bird watching?” I rolled my eyes. “And what birds were you watching, nature man?”

“The gray ones,” Gabe answered, straight faced.

“Pigeons?”

“Pigeons aren’t gray.”

“Are you colorblind?” I laughed and shook my head. “Okay, fine. So you were watching pigeons because why?”

Gabe threw the remote against the cushions on the couch and stood, raising his arms high above his head revealing more tattoos on his hips trailing up his stomach. “I was worried.”

“About the bird population?”

“You.” Gabe growled. “I know you like him, I just…” He bit down on his lower lip. “Something about him worries me, and you are only a freshman.”

“Thanks for the warning. Next time a girl jumps into your bed, I’ll be sure to give her a heads up. You know, as a thank you for all your protectiveness.”

Gabe shrugged and walked into the kitchen. “Pretty sure they all have to sign a release form anyways.”

“Disgusting.”