Chapter 3.

Chapter 3

Darcy

 

For one long second, nobody said anything.

Then someone whistled. “Damn.”

“Don't do it, Captain. I like having a hockey team.”

Another guy laughed. “Apologise before her dad buys Easton.”

“Hold that L, Captain.” Someone else cut in with a sputter. 

Killian’s eyes darkened and his jaw flexed. He walked forward until there was barely an inch of space between us. Then he leaned down a bit.

“I’m going to make you regret this a hundred times over.” He snarled. “And there's nothing your Daddy will be able to do to stop it.”

He brushed past me and disappeared into the crowd.

My stomach dropped. My hands wouldn’t stop shaking either. Fuck, I was actually scared.

 I hurried back to the dorm like I was being chased. When I checked my phone, I saw a text from Sunny:

HER: Chase isn't going but I found someone else to take us. We're out front, where are you?

That was over twenty minutes ago. Killian would already be there.

ME: I'm not feeling too well so I'm going to bed. See you later.

I placed my phone beside my pillow and sighed. He wouldn't do anything, would he?

By the time I woke up, Sunny still wasn’t in the room. But I spotted the shoes she wore last night so that meant she probably came then left.

I checked my phone and saw that I had two hours till my History lecture, one of the classes I have with Killian. The image of him pummeling that hockey player flashed in my mind and I shivered immediately.

“No no no.” I shook my head. “He wouldn't.” I repeated that to myself for the entire morning, even when I pulled out my laptop to try to write. My mind couldn’t focus.

With a deep sigh I slammed my laptop shut and left the room. I thought a walk and some fresh air would calm me down.

It did not.

I was jittery and I kept glancing around, scared I'd run into Killian. I was walking through the quad when someone tapped my shoulder.

“Hey.”

I nearly jumped out of my skin, and out of the area but someone stopped me by gripping my upper arms.

“Darcy, it's me. What's wrong?”

“Chase?” I said breathlessly.

“What’s gotten you so worked up?” He asked with worry etched on his face.

“Nothing. It's…” I sighed and squeezed the fabric around  my chest. “Someone’s threatening me.”

Chase's eyes darkened immediately. “Who?”

“No one.”

“Darcy…”

“Look, it was probably nothing serious.” I stepped back. “But I can't help but feel a bit worried. Plus I slapped him first.”

“That’s no reason for him to make threats. You’re shaking.” Chase said, exasperatedly. “You still won't tell me?”

I shook my head. “It really isn't anything that serious.” I was almost certain nothing good would have  come out of me saying the person I was talking about is Killian.

“Fine. But if you're still scared, you should probably go to the Students Affairs Office. They can give that punk a warning.”

My eyes widened. “Right, the Students Affairs Office. I should go there right now.”

Chase held my wrist. “Let me walk you there.”

***

In the Administration office, the woman behind the desk looked up when I said his name. “Killian Callahan?” She sounded annoyed.

I frowned. “You know him?”

She let out a  breath. “Unfortunately. Athletes like him tend to forget that talent doesn’t put them above university policies. What happened this time?”

I explained everything. The argument, the slap and his threat. When I finished, she folded her hands on the desk.

“A threat is serious, Miss Grayson, but without physical harm, it becomes difficult to take action.”

“You can't even give a warning?” My voice came out small as I twisted my cold hands together in my lap.

“If we did then we’d give warnings for every little thing.”

“Are you saying he has to hurt me before something can be done?”

“Not exactly.” She took off her glasses. “But when he threatened you, did he at least grab you? Shake you around a bit?” She tilted her head to the side. “He at least did that much, didn't he Miss Grayson?”

“Yes.” I swallowed. The second the words leave my mouth, I wanted to take them back.

“I thought so.” She nodded and started to type. “Did it leave a bruise?”

I shook my head stiffly. There was still time to take it back. But I remembered the look in his eyes and my mouth went dry. Maybe just a warning, a little warning might get him off my back.

When she finished, she printed  the document and slid it across the desk. “Read through this carefully,” she said. “If everything is accurate, sign at the bottom.”

My eyes fell to the page. Killian Callahan. Physical assault.

When she handed me a pen I took it and signed on the line right next to my name.

“Thank you for coming forward, Miss Grayson.” She put her glasses back on. “We’ll make sure to give him a sound warning.”

I got up and started walking away. I hadn't taken up to three steps when I heard her mutter, “I knew that attitude of his would eventually catch up with him.”  She sounded satisfied.

A few days passed, and my father was still serious. 

I  was still broke. 

My savings disappeared faster than I expected. A coffee here, a snack there, replacing serums I could no longer afford. Soon, I was surviving on the cash hidden in my wallet and Sunny's habit of making "too much" food.

I hated accepting it. Especially since I knew she didn't have money to waste either. So I came up with a solution. At the time I thought it was genius.

But finding someone willing to fake date me was surprisingly harder than I expected. Apparently, most people don't want to risk Alpha Grayson's daughter accidentally ruining their lives. But the saying, “Money makes the world go round" has some substance. The promise of a few thousand dollars was enough to sway even the hardest of hearts. I just had to pay Josh— or John— when my allowance comes back. That might probably be in a month or so.

For three days, I convinced myself I'd solved the problem. Then he texted me.

It was quite hilarious and somehow disappointing that I forgot the name of my supposed boyfriend-to-be. 

Well, Josh or John text read:

JOSH/HN: Sorry. I can't do this anymore. Please don't contact me from this moment on.

What the fuck?

I stared at the message until the screen went dark. But then it lit up again almost immediately. Dad was calling.

This can't be good.

“Darcy.” He said once I picked up.

"Yes, Daddy?”

“Please tell me you did not try to buy yourself a boyfriend.”

Fuck. Do I really have to get a job?