CHAPTER THREE

~RHEA~

I wanted to look away but I couldn't.

My eyes stayed locked on Zander Cole as if they had forgotten how to function properly.

Water still clung to his skin, sliding down the sharp lines and tattoos on his chest before disappearing beneath the towel hanging dangerously low on his hips. Every inch of him looked unfairly perfect like he had been sculpted in a lab specifically to ruin women's life.

“I asked a question” His deep husky voice snapped me out of my trance.

I gasped and whipped around so fast I nearly twisted my ankle with my suitcase in hand.

I didn’t really expect him to remember me but I was thankful he didn't. At least, it would make things less awkward than it was.

“I'm sorry for barging in this way but I knocked and then…”

“I asked what you're doing here, not your full autobiography” He interrupted flatly and I frowned at the coldness in his tone.

So he was rude and hot? Good to know.

Well I had broken into his room so I wasn't going to fault him for his hostility.

“Can you put on some clothes first so we can talk?” I asked, keeping my gaze firmly on the dark wall in front of me and he scoffed.

“You had no issue eye fucking me earlier so why act modest now?” He questioned and I gaped.

“I wasn't eye fucking you. I just… please put a shirt on so we can talk better” I muttered and I heard shuffling behind me.

“There, I've thrown on some clothes” He told me and I let out a sigh of relief as I turned around and immediately froze.

The mother fucker had taken off his towel!

“You pervert! What is wrong with you?” I screamed as I slapped my hand over my face.

“I'm educating you” He said calmly. “Walking into random men's dorm rooms isn't exactly safe, princess”

I gaped as I couldn't argue with his logic.

“Still, this is sexual harassment!”

“You're the one who broke into my room”

“I did not break in, I gracefully walked in because you left your door open” I replied and I could have sworn I heard him roll his eyes.

“Yeah, because you gracefully walking in makes everything better,” He replied sarcastically. “Are you one of my stalkers? Is that what this is?”

I scoffed.

“You wish. Can you please put on some clothes?” A low annoyingly amused chuckle echoed through the room.

A few seconds later, he sighed dramatically.

“You can look now, Ladybug”

Slowly, I lowered my hands and although he still had a there wrapped around his waist, he had a black compressed shirt on that basically didn't help hide anything.

I let out a nervous laugh as I moved closer to him while he watched me suspiciously as I slapped his shoulder in an awkward friendly manner.

“The thing is…” I began awkwardly. “The housing office said there weren't any available female dorm rooms left…”

“And?” He asked as he swatted my hand off his shoulder and I lost my balance for a second.

I cleared my throat.

“Then she told me about you. She raved about how kind you are and how you'd be more than willing to host a homeless girl like me for a while? At least till a dorm room is found for me…” I sucked in my breath as he suddenly leaned in so close that the tip of our nose almost touched.

“Did she also Tell you that the only women allowed in my dorm room are those I've throughly fucked?” He asked and my eyes widened as heat pooled at the bottom of my stomach.

God, did all men smell this good?

I immediately jumped away from him as I wrapped my arms around my body.

What did my sister see in him except from his obvious good looks, sexy body and godlike eyes?

“I'm not that kind of girl” I blurted out and the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

“Even if you were, you're not my type, Ladybug” He uttered and for some reason, his words stung which made absolutely no sense because guys like Zander were the kind I avoided and disliked.

Why should I care that I wasn't his type?

“Ladybug?” I asked and he motioned towards the Ladybug shirt I was putting on.

“By the way, this isn't kindergarten, Ladybug” He taunted me and I glared at him.

“My name isn't Ladybug, it's Rhea” I said through clenched teeth and he smirked.

“I bet it is, Ladybug” He murmured I scoffed.

“You know what, this was a mistake. I'm sorry I intruded into your space, I'll take my leave Now” I muttered as I grabbed onto my suitcase and rolled it past him.

“Wait” He called out as soon as I had walked out the door and hope swelled within me.

I turned around and Zander stood leaning against the doorway now with one shoulder resting lazily against the frame while he watched me with an unreadable expression.

“What is it?” I asked and he tilted his head lazily.

God, he was infuriating but I had to admit that he was the sexiest man I had ever met and I knew he knew that.

He looked even better in real life. I'm sure if Lyra was in my shoes, she would have pounced on him as soon as he got out of the bathroom.

I chuckled at the thought but that just made being this close to him all the more wrong.

“Where are you going now?” He asked and I scoffed.

“Like you care?” I asked and he stared at me for a while then pushed himself off the door post.

“You're right, I don't” He muttered as his expression remained completely unaffected and then slammed the Door In my face.

I stood at the door in disbelief.

“Motherfucking jerk” I muttered under my breath before flipping the closed door off and dragging my suitcase down the hallway.

By the time I got outside the building, exhaustion had already begun settling in.

I pulled out my phone and turned it on for the first time in a week.

I ignored all the messages and calls as I dialed Heather's number.

She picked up immediately.

“Oh God, Rhea. How are you? Where are you?” She asked and I could hear some noises in the background.

Guilt twisted inside my chest.

“I'm sorry I haven't been replying…”

“None of that, babe. I'm just glad you're okay. Where are you?” She asked me but my lower lip as tears burned the back of my eyes unexpectedly.

“I'm on campus but I have nowhere to stay since I accepted my admission pretty late…”

“Where are you? I'll come get you so don't worry, we'll figure something out” She told me and I smiled.

At least I still had one of my best friends.

I sent her my location then sat by the bench and waited, ignoring the odd stares I got from people as they walked by.

Zander’s words echoed in my mind and I began to regret wearing this Ladybug shirt. Maybe I did look like a child.

“Ughh, don't think about that jerk” I muttered to myself.

My first day at college was one for the books, that's for sure.

“Rhea!” I turned to the voice and saw Heather running towards me.

Relief hit me so hard as I stood up from the bench and she wrapped her around me as she cried on my shoulder.

“Oh God, I've missed you so much” She murmured and her tears brought tears to my eyes.

Emotion clogged my throat as I hugged her back just as tightly.

“I missed you too” She pulled away seconds later as she wiped her eyes.

“Are you okay?” She asked and I nodded.

“I'm sorry I shut you out…”

“None of that. You can shut me out if it makes you feel better. For what it's worth, I slapped Sienna hard across the face and gave her a little blow when I saw her. She's such a bitch” She muttered and I pursed my lips.

“I'd much rather not talk about her or him right now” I told her and she nodded.

“Well, let's go have lunch and the cafe nearby first while I tell you all about my first day here. I have juicy fucking stories” She told me as she grabbed onto my luggage and helped me roll it down the street and I smiled before following behind her as I momentarily forgot about my predicament.

We got to the cafe and it was packed with students. That just reminded me that I hadn't even gotten my class schedules yet, had nowhere to stay and had embarrassed myself in front of the hottest guy on campus.

I groaned as soon as we took a seat.

“Are you okay?” She asked with worry in her eyes and I sighed.

“I still have a shit ton of things to do and I'm already tired” I muttered as I massaged my temples.

“Don't worry, I'm here and we'll figure everything out together” Heather assured me and I opened my mouth to speak when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Rhea? Is that you?” Every muscle in my body locked instantly.

Slowly, I turned and froze.

Sienna stood a few feet away and right behind her was Chase…