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twenty-eight
PHOENIX
The guyseventually walked me back to my dorm after breakfast. I probably ate as much as they did. I was stuffed to the brim with all the food they cooked.
They were reluctant to have me leave them, and I get it. But I didn’t give them a choice. Of course, when they finally relented to letting me go home, then they wanted one of them to stay with me, like a goddamn bodyguard.
Not going to happen.
I needed my space, time to think and process everything. We went from hating each other to fucking each other in under sixty seconds. We needed a cooling off period, a chance for us all to breathe. Everything happened so damn fast.
I also needed to get some fucking laundry done. And there was no way I was having them around while I was doing that. I can see Mason now, playing with my underwear, asking me to model in them for him. Daxon growling and wanting to rip them off. Colton would probably stare at them and hope they combust into flames so I had nothing to ever wear under my skirt ever again.
So, they left me to let me do what I needed to. Plus, Liz was there. We both decided getting a pedicure was probably not the best thing to do in light of what happened last night. Not that I was thrilled about getting one, but I was semi excited to do something normal for once. Still, a new normal doesn’t seem to be in the works for me. So, our day became us ordering in and being domesticated and shit.
“Hey, washer is free,” Liz calls out as she comes back in.
I grab my basket and run out the door down the hall to the laundry facilities on the floor. I throw a huge load in, not caring what I mix with what. I don’t own anything pink, and I don’t wash anything in hot water, so one-stop-shop in this washer.
After dousing my clothes in soap, I put my card in, and it starts up the washer. I place my basket on top of it and head back to my dorm.
“So, the kings,” Liz throws at me the minute I walk back in the door.
“How long have you been waiting to say that?” I smirk.
“Oh my god, since you walked through the door! But I wanted to give you time to see if you would tell me. You didn’t. I can’t take it anymore! Spill!” She grips the chair in front of her.
“Um, there’s nothing to spill.” I shake my head and saunter towards my room.
“Oh, whatever! Those three have been assholes non-stop to you and now are suddenly your knights in shining armor? Nope, not buying it. What’s going on?” She crosses her arms as she stands in my doorway.
I slowly sit on my bed as I bite my lip. Rubbing my face, I let out a strangled sound. “I don’t know. Okay? I’m just as confused as you are. I want to hate them with every bone in my body, but I can’t. They have, oddly enough, been there for me. For some reason that I have yet to uncover. And as strange as it is, for now, I’ll soak up whatever they’re giving me.”
“So, who did you have sex with? Was it Daxon? Oh, it was Mason! Colton’s the quiet one, so I doubt it was him.” She taps her chin as her mind works out which one I seemed to have slept with.
“Mind your business. I have enough going on in my life, and I don’t need any more drama.” I roll my eyes. “And this school sure is fucking filled with it.”
“That’s what I’m worried about.” She pauses and takes a deep breath. “You haven’t had it easy since you stepped foot on this campus.”
“I know,” I say as I run my fingers through my hair.
“Phoenix, they set the school on you.” Her voice deepens with concern, and she frowns at me.
“Yeah, I know, Liz. Everything is just a mess. It’s all so confusing how all this has just played out. I don’t understand any of this.” I rub the back of my neck.
“What if this is part of their game?”
My eyes shoot to hers. “What?”
“What if this is just another way for them to mess with you? Like, get you to like them? I mean, I don’t know, Phoenix.” She bites her lip.
Could it be? Could this be just a cruel joke? Another way for them to mess with me? I mean, it’s entirely possible and not completely out of the question. I put my walls up with all the shit they threw at me, and then they did a one eighty and I dropped my walls in an instant. The kings went from hating me to fucking me.
And I let them.
I let them all have their way with me. My eyes widen as I try to process everything. I can feel my throat drying, and I feel like there’s a weight on my chest.
“Hey, Phoenix? What’s wrong? You look like you’re starting to panic.” Liz starts to reach out, but I jump up and move away from her.