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Staring aimlessly at the trees before me, I try to reconcile everything that just happened and the fact that I liked it.

I more than liked it.

And “we’re far from done here” makes me way more excited than it should.

Or maybe it’s just because he left me with a killer fucking case of blue balls?

Jesus… How did I get here? I like girls… I like Avery. I’ve never seen a guy the way I see Cole.

I give it a minute before leaving so I don’t accidentally run into him, and so no one can see me leaving behind him. While I wait, I tuck the soiled part of my shirt into my waistband, hoping I don’t look like shit, and you can’t see the wet spot Cole forced on me.

When I leave the clearing, no one seems to be paying attention enough to have noticed where I came from. With a small sigh of relief, I quicken my steps toward my first class of the day.

Chapter Three

Cole

If there’s one thing I have zero tolerance for, it’s when someone doesn’t follow my fucking rules. Before I left that clearing I told Mason to forget all about anyone other than me. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to listen, so I waited outside of the math building until his class was over and followed him.

All the way to Avery’s fucking dorm.

I didn’t have to be a fly on the wall to know what the fuck happened in there. All it took was one look at Mason as he left the building thirty minutes later—hair a mess, cheeks flushed, shirt even more disheveled than when I wiped my cum all over it this morning. I knew I’d left him high and dry, but I didn’t think he’d back down on his “no casual sex with Avery” rule so quickly.

When I saw him walk in the direction of the dining hall, I turned back and headed for our house. I wanted to make it back here before he did. I have no clue if he’s going to his second class or not. Either way, I don’t want to miss the opportunity to confront him.

He’s going to learn today.

I’d only been here for five minutes before I heard the sound of his voice booming from the hallway at the bottom of the steps. I wait—arms crossed, feet planted, chin high—as I hear his footsteps barreling up the stairs.

The moment he steps into our room, our eyes lock. He’s got a sandwich in his hands, as well as a bag of chips.

“Oh good,” he spits. “Glad you’re here. What the fuck do you think you’re trying to pull with Avery?”

Looks like she finally told him about the harassing messages I’ve been sending her. No doubt I forced her hand when I switched out her paper with the one I wrote. The one that incorrectly explains the difference between free will and determinism for our Humanities class. I even used an instance of someone turning down someone else’s invitation to get coffee as an example of free will, just so she’d know exactly who was responsible for her getting an “F.” I needed something drastic to push her over the edge enough to confide in Mason.

I don’t answer him. Instead, I smack the food out of his hand and back him toward the door he just walked through.

“Hey—” He tries to argue with me, but I cut him off. Closing the door, I push him up against it with my hand around his throat. I apply pressure, but only just enough to scare him.

“Shut up.” I don’t know if it’s my piercing stare that keeps his mouth closed or my biting tongue. “What the fuck was the last thing I said to you before I left you this morning?”

His brows furrow as though he’s trying to remember. “I don't fucking know. You said a lot of stupid shit this morning. Why don’t you enlighten me?”

I sigh, exasperated.

“I’m so disappointed in you. I told you to leave Avery alone until I was through with you. You’re going to force my hand, Haywood.”

“What the fuck, Cole? How the hell was I supposed to know you were actually serious?” His indignation would almost be cute if I weren’t so pissed off.

“A note for the future, Mason. You should believe every fucking word that comes out of my mouth.” I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone. “Now, what am I going to do to rectify this situation?”

I look from my screen back to him. I watch his eyes as they dart toward it, aching to know what I’m doing.

“I could… send out Avery’s titty pic like I was going to do this morning…”

“No, Cole.” Mason’s eyes go wide as he pleads with me. “It would ruin her.”

“How? Half the fucking guys on campus have already seen her tits, I’m sure.”