His face softens seeing my tears. Taking off his gloves, he encases my face in his warm hands wiping away my tears with his thumbs.
“Don’t cry, Ten. I don’t want to see you hurt anymore. These are not good guys. They are arrogant, self-entitled, campus Gods that only care about themselves. For some reason, they have set their sights on destroying you and I can’t watch it anymore. First, it was Masters; now it’s Black, then what Raines, Holly, and Clem?”
“What happened with Chase is my fault. I should have known better than to think he would be interested in me. But Kohl seems different. He’s been nothing but polite. I won’t get fooled again. I’m questioning everything he does. We’re talking, Wren. I’m only wearing this because coffee was spilled on my sweatshirt and I didn’t have time to get another shirt before class.”
Sighing, he says, “You’re gorgeous, Ten. There is no reason why any guy wouldn’t be interested in you. Masters had an ulterior motive. I’m not sure what it was but there was a reason he targeted you; a reason he did what he did. Just like I’m sure there is a reason that Black is being nice to you now. Stick with who you know. It’s safer that way.”
“Sticking with who we know makes us no better than them. We’re judging all of them based on who we think they are. Maybe they’re not all assholes. College is supposed to expand our horizons and lead us to meet new people. They can’t all be bad.”
His jaw ticks, anger rages in his eyes, “What-the-fuck-ever,” he curses, “That optimism is what got you in this situation, to begin with. When he stomps on you too and makes you the laughing stock of campus, again, don’t come crying to me. For once in your life I won’t be there to pick up the pieces.” he hisses. His words slice through me like a sword, gasping I fight the hurtful hot tears filling my eyes.
* * *
Kohl
If I appear enough in Tensanne’s rear-view mirror, I may be enough of an annoyance that she will miss me when I’m not around, at least that was what I was thinking when I decided to wait outside her class in hopes of taking her to lunch.
That little troll of a man-child, Wren, is giving me the stink-eye and causing Ten to cry. I don’t like it and I don’t like him.
“You do anything to hurt her, Black, and I’ll find a way to hurt you. She’s better than you’ll ever be and you better treat her that way,” he growls, pointing his finger in my chest.
This dude has some serious balls. I top him by at least a foot and out weight him by at 100 pounds but he’s not afraid. I respect him for standing up for her, even if he’s pissing me off.
“I know she’s better than me, Wren. We’re friends, or at least I hope we will be. I promise I won’t let anyone hurt her, including you. Between the two of us right now, which one has made her cry?” I smirk pushing his hand away.
Throwing his hands up with his jaw clenched tight, he grits, “FINE, I’m the bad guy. See you later, Ten,” he fumes, stomping away.
Ten covers her eyes with her gloved hands and takes a deep breath in. Wrapping my arm around her shoulders, she shivers. “Come on, pretty girl, let’s go get something to eat.”
She frowns to my hand resting on her shoulder then meets my eyes. “Pretty girl? Don’t patronize me, Kohl,” she snaps pulling away from me. “Where do you want to eat?”
Damn, she’s a tough nut to crack, “We’ll just go to The Common’s and get something,” I say placing a hand on her lower back, I lead her across the Quad toward The Commons.
“You sure you want to be seen with me, Kohl?” I hate the timid, unsureness in her voice.
But I love the way my name sounds coming out of her mouth. She adds the ‘h’ sound at the end so you hear each letter.
“I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t. There is nothing about you that would ever make me ashamed to be seen with you. If anything, you may be at a loss for intelligent conversation if you spend very much time with me,” I grin giving her a wink. My charm doesn’t work, her symmetrical face is still etched with sadness and she is staring at the ground while picking at her glove covered fingernails, shuffling her feet along beside me.
“Why didn’t you tell me what these shirts were? A heads-up would have been nice before I ran into the Barbie cheer squad outside of class, and then Chase in class. Why would you give me a special shirt reserved for certain people?” she questions. “I’ll make sure you get it back but I told you the chest will be stretched now; it won’t fit anyone right unless they have watermelons for boobs,” she rambles. I love it when she rambles, it means I make her nervous. Which means I’m getting inside her even if it’s only in nerves.
Lifting her chin, I bring her eyes to me, instead of fixed to a spot on the ground, “I told you I don’t want it back. It’s yours. Keep it, wear it or use it to clean the toilet, I don’t care; but I want you to have it,” her chocolate brown eyes melt as some tension leaves her body. “I’m sorry if it caused more problems for you; that was never my intention. I liked the idea of you wearing something with my name on the back.” Taking her hand and placing it inside my looped arm, “I don’t know about you but I’m starving, let’s go eat.” She leaves her hand where I placed it and we once again begin walking toward the cafeteria.
Just outside The Commons,
