The Dare (North Woods University 2)

“Thank you, and I truly do mean it. It was very nice of you to… to do this.” My thanks is awkward, but Jules doesn’t say anything about it. She just gives me a soft smile and then a hug, as if she knows how badly I need to be hugged right now.

“It gets easier. I promise,” she whispers into my ear before releasing me. I really hope she’s right, because if it gets worse, I’m not sure what the hell I’m going to do. Vance successfully ruined the start of my first day of classes. I guess there was a silver lining in all of this. I had made my first friend. I bet Vance Preston wasn’t expecting that to happen.

My next three classes fly by and before I realize it, it’s the afternoon and I haven’t eaten a thing, the rumbling of my stomach providing proof.

Rubbing the organ, I promise to feed it as soon as possible and head toward a coffee shop I saw on the corner while leaving one of my classes earlier. Fishing my phone from my pocket, I check the time, when that one single distraction sends me colliding into another body, or brick wall. Before I can stop it, I’m tumbling backward, my ass cushioning my fall as I land hard against the sidewalk. Pain radiates up my spine at the impact.

“Watch where you’re going,” somebody sneers, but as soon as I hear the icy tone of his voice, I know who it is that just sent me falling to my ass.

And the universe just keeps shitting on me.

“Sorry,” I mumble, shoving up from the ground, ass aching as I do. I drag my eyes up his stupidly gorgeous body, stopping on his arrogant face. Tight jaw, firm lips, piercing eyes that look like daggers are growing inside of them.

Yup, that’s Vance Preston. Brooding, angry, and with a chip the size of Texas on his shoulder. I hate that I find him attractive, while also wanting to sucker punch him in the throat. While most chicks throw themselves at him, I just want to throw shit at him.

“Heard you were in the dean’s office earlier.” His eyes narrow. “Did you use that thing between your legs to get your schedule changed or something?”

First, how the hell did he know I was in the dean’s office, does he have eyes everywhere?

And two, why is he referring to my vagina as a thing, while accusing me of whoring myself out to get a schedule change.

Taking a step back, I crane my neck up at him. “Excuse me?”

I’m not even shocked to hear him talk so shitty about me, but I am shocked that he would do so in such a public place. Then again, he probably doesn’t care what people think about him, not that it matters since no one would dare say something so vile to him.

His lips twist into a grin. “Your pussy, did you use it to manipulate the dean? It wouldn’t surprise me. Master manipulators have a tendency to do that kind of thing. I wouldn’t expect anything less from you.”

My teeth grind together… don’t say anything, don’t say anything… I tell myself, but my mouth pops open anyway, because who the hell does he think he is? My resolve snaps and I take a giant step forward pressing a finger into his very firm, very well defined chest.

“What is your problem? I didn’t lie about anything and I wouldn’t have been in the dean’s office if it wasn’t for you and your cruel little joke,” I yell, drawing attention from a passersby.

His icy gaze drops down to where my finger is touching him, and he grabs said finger, tossing my hand back as if I’m a piece of garbage. He leans into my face, piss and vinegar marring his features. He’s like a bull that’s been poked with a hot branding iron and I’m the one holding it.

“You.” The growl that rumbles out of his chest vibrates through me. “You are my problem and until you leave, running back to wherever the fuck you came from, you will continue to be. Want it to stop, just say the word. Leave, and it will all end. Stay, and I’ll break you so badly you won’t even recognize yourself.”

My lips curl without thought, and even though I don’t have a mean bone in my body, I can’t help but say the first words that come to mind. “Fuck you, Vance. You don’t own me, or this school, so do your worst, you can’t break something that’s already broken.”

I’m not dumb, truly I’m not. I know I shouldn’t taunt him, push him, but it’s so hard to allow him to say the shit he is about me. His face turns emotionless and I shiver at the image before me. It’s worse than the icy gaze he was giving me moments ago.