Page 5 of A Little Bit Reckless

I knew why. But the callswouldstop, the texts. They’d stop because I was taking action and meeting someone who’dmakethem stop. He would without even having to do anything.

I just had to be brave enough to see him.

Forgetting about my phone, I headed toward the entertainment section of the library. They had all the media articles like magazines, movies, and music. It wasn’t a great place to study, but I hadn’t chosen the location.

Where is he…

There, at a table in the corner, and though I’d been seeking this person out, it didn’t mean I didn’t hesitate.

He always made me hesitate.

Wells Ambrose, my brother’s best friend, took up a lot of space. He physically occupied a lot of the table he sat at, but he also consumed the entire environment he was in. All my brother’s best friends did that, and they were known around campus as Legacy. All our parents donated a lot of funds to this school, and though I was considered Legacy too, no one bowed to me like they did my brother and his friends.

They simple avoided.

I was like a pariah everywhere I went and had been since high school.

Because of Wells.

Wells Ambrose sat with a stack of books around him, but not one of them was academic. They were all cookbooks, and I wasn’t surprised. Wells was a great cook and came from a long line of them, chefs. I used to love coming over to Wells’s house for his dad’s omelets. They were always so good.

Walk toward him.

I had to tell myself this, and, though I did make my feet move, I also felt sick. People avoided me, but that was very much because of Wells.

Keep walking.

I had to, and that space he took up consumed me as I got closer. Wells was surrounded by cookbooks, but he had a graphic novel in his hand. That was fitting since he looked like he was plucked off the cover. He had electric blond hair he fashioned in a messy style, and the only thing that gave away he was a brunette was his roots. He was also jacked like an anime guy and was only missing one of those long swords out ofFinal Fantasy.

Just a few more steps…

This technically should be easy to do, but, with each step, I felt like I was walking into the devil’s den.

I never actually made it to Wells’s table before he glanced up. It was like he knew I was approaching, and I immediately froze in place.

The way he stared me down had something to do with that.

An icy glare ignited his green eyes. Almost instantly, his focused gaze peered down the length of me. I almost wished I didn’t wear a skirt, but Ialwayswore a skirt. I was kind of into the dark academia aesthetic. I loved the romantic and polished look of a crisp, button-down shirt and knee-high tights. I wore both today, and they could be seen well beneath my open wool coat.

A muscle clenched in Wells’s jaw when he noticed those knee-highs. I wore them with my heeled Mary Jane shoes, and he always made fun of me. He said I looked like a little schoolgirl out of a porno.

Wells was always cruel to me. Actually, he’d been doing that so long that I nearly forgot he hadn’t always been that way. That was such a long time ago, though.

I could handle the heat of Wells’s eyes, but when he sat back and crossed his arms, a smirk followed. Wells never laughed with me, onlyatme.

Bile heated my throat, especially when he placed his book down. He draped an arm across the chair next to him. “’Sup, Squeak?”

Squeak.

Ihatedwhat he called me. He also made fun of me because my voice cracked sometimes. It was high-pitched, and I couldn’t help it.

Leave.

But I couldn’t leave. I had to move forward.

Steeling myself, I strode right up to Wells’s table.

“Hi.” I took off my coat, then set my stuff up, ignoring the curious look he was giving me. I just took my books out and put them right next to his cookbooks.