CHAPTER 7

ZANDER’s POV

The sound of music blaring sends me practically rolling over from bed sooner than my body expects. Panicked, I grab blindly for my phone to silence the damn thing, but no matter how many times I swipe at the screen, it doesn’t stop.

Groaning, I peek my eyes open, only to realize it’s not my phone. I also realize from looking at the screen that it’s only five in the morning.

“Fucking Sinclair. You’ve got to be shitting me.” I groan.

Aggravated thanks to being woken up only three hours after going to bed with a serious migraine from the all-nighter I pulled doing our research. I rip the covers off my body and head to the bathroom, following the dim glow from it. The annoying echo grows louder as I reach for the door, my assumption of the source obviously right.

“You asshole, turn that shit down,” I yell through the door.

The only sound that comes from the other side is the music…and the muffled sound of his voice.

“Fucking wonderful, Jayden.”

I pound on his door so hard, I’m surprised it doesn’t actually burst down. Its hinges shaking, echoing through the apartment when I shout at him again.

“Jayden! Turn off your fucking music!”

His mumbling stops, but I still don’t hear any footsteps or the music turn off.

And I’ve completely lost whatever patience I had this early in the morning, slamming my fist into the wood like a deranged lunatic. At this point, I’m ready to go full out crazy on his ass and blast through the wall if I have to.

“Jayden whatever your middle name is Sinclair! I swear on all things holy, I will break down this door if you don’t—”

A lazy eyed, mostly naked Jayden opens the door while I’m mid-swing, and I have to physically pull myself back so I don’t slam him in the face with my fist. 

My eyes take in his body instinctively, and I clearly see he’s only in a pair of tight boxer-brief which does absolutely nothing to hide the morning wood he’s holding. Which he doesn’t care about letting me get an eye full of, because he makes no move to make himself more appear decent.

“Yes, Sinclair?” he mutters “You done fucking me with your eyes? Or would you like to help with my boner?” He asks. “There was no need to try breaking the door down.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I just wanted you to turn off that goddamn alarm,” I bite out. “Which is still going off, I might add.”

Rather than waiting for him to do it, I slip into the bathroom and swipe away the notification on his phone, leaving us in wonderful, blissful silence.

“Thank you.” I mutter as I turn and leave the bathroom.

I barely managed to close my eyes before the music blasted—this time even way louder than it was.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

My head snaps towards Jayden, who, for some reason is now in the middle of a workout, speaker blasting, sweat clinging to his skin, his biceps and triceps flexing, since he for some reason decided to do this SHIRTLESS.

“Seriously?” I grit out.

He glances up, one brow arching and a mocking smirk. “Morning to you too, Roomie.”

 Heading for class after the frustrating morning I had with Jayden. I grumble in defeat after remembering I still have to spend more than 10 months with him as my roommate.

“Fuck you, Universe. You could’ve given me literally anyone else as a roommate.” I complain to literally no one.

“As charming and bright as ever.” I glance behind me to see Tristian catching up to me, a knowing smirk plastered across his face.”

“What do you want?”

“Damn. Is that how you welcome your only friend in school?” I sigh but apologize.

“It’s Jayden.”

“I knew it.” Tristian snorts. “You’ve been roommate with him for how long? And you guys are already this incompatible.”

“I’m counting down the days until this semester ends.”

“You’re such a dramatic ass.”

“You know…..” Tristian changes his tone to a teasing one.

Not waiting for him to even finish his sentence, “I’d rather fail every class than go along with whatever crap you’re about to say.” I cut him off.

He raises his hand up in surrender, “Alright alright.”

  Tristian and I headed towards the cafeteria after our last class. The moment we stepped inside, my eye immediately caught Jayden surrounded by his usual ‘cliques’. One sat on his lap while another sat beside him, having no shame and rubbing all of him.

“How pathetic.” I felt so irked out.

As if sensing my presence, Jayden looked up at me, cupped her ass and kissed her without a second thought. As though he was starving- still holding my gaze. I rolled my eyes and kept walking with Tristian.

“Get a room.” Jayden only smirked before pulling away, looking completely unfazed by the attention he was getting.

“See? Tristian said beside me “Look at you staring.”

“I don’t care.”

“If you say so.”

We walked past their table.

“Well, well,” Marcus called out. “Look who finally crawled out of his cave with his bodyguard.”

Before I could react, his foot shot out into my path.

I stumbled.

My tray slipped from my hands, crashing onto the floor as food scattered across the tiles. “Oops,” He said with a fake wince.

Before I could say anything, Tristan stepped forward. “The hell is your problem?” he snapped.

He shrugged, wearing an infuriating grin.

“Accident.”

“Bullshit. I saw you stick your foot out.”

“So what?” He shot back, standing to his feet.

Tristan replied, taking a step closer. “It had better be an accident because if that shit happens again, I’ll make sure you don’t have your dirty ass foot attached to you anymore.”

 “So you better quit acting like a jackass, Marcus. Leave us the fuck alone.” I added.

A few students nearby stopped eating, their attention fixed on us. I placed a hand on Tristan’s shoulder.

Then Tristan clicked his tongue and stepped back.

“This isn’t over,” he muttered, glaring at the guy.

My jaw tightened as I brushed myself off, For the briefest second, my eyes lands on Jayden’s.

He wasn’t laughing.

His expression had gone strangely unreadable. His jaw tightened for the briefest second as he glanced at his phone, He stood up and walked away without a word, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

As we walked away, I didn’t bother looking back.

Scoffing under my breath, I turned and walked away with Tristan.

Asshole.