“Everyone’s on her side,” he grumbled.
“So? Seriously?” I plopped down on the couch. “Who was it?”
“Guess.” Gabe swore and ran his fingers through his golden-blond hair. His many tattoos moved across both arms as he flexed his muscles and put his hands behind his head.
“Publishers Clearinghouse?”
“Close.”
“Wes?”
“Huh?”
“You said close.” I laughed. “He’s like his own bank.”
“Fair.” Gabe nodded. “An intelligent answer.” He leaned down and pulled a cookie from the plate. “And now you get a prize.”
“For guessing well?”
“And being the cutest cousin ever.” He pinched my cheeks.
“Gross.” I pushed him away. “So?”
“The man in the black mask.” Gabe sighed. “Also known as asshole-of-the-day. Swear, I’d get him fired if I had that type of power.”
“Don’t you?” I asked, kind of perplexed that Gabe wouldn’t have that kind of power; I mean, it was Gabe we were talking about. He snapped his fingers, and the faculty basically panted after him. Not to mention being best friends with Wes basically meant if they wanted to run the free world, they wouldn’t have a heck of a lot of people saying no.
“You have no idea,” he grumbled under his breath, then stood. “Let’s not discuss him. He said he wanted to see if you were okay, whatever the hell that means. Please tell me he’s not one of those guys…”
“Huh?” I was still processing the fact that Tristan had stopped by my dorm. Wouldn’t that look suspicious? “What guys?”
“The type of guy who verbally abuses a girl to feel powerful and then sweetens them up with nice words, only to repeat the process again.” Gabe’s face turned serious. “I think we both know that—”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“Lisa.” Gabe reached for my hands and pulled me to my feet. “Remember the warning signs, okay? If he’s hot and then cold, that’s not good. You don’t need that again. I don’t need that again. This world doesn’t need that type of monster again, just…” He tilted his head, creasing his brow as he sighed, seeming more helpless than I’d seen him in months. “…be careful.”
I shrugged. “He’s just a professor caught in a rough position. Besides, he doesn’t want me.” And he’d certainly made that abundantly clear. Heat began in my neck and seeped into my face.
Gabe released my hands and laughed. “Which is why you’ve always been so innocent. Believe me when I say that man, your sexy little professor, wants you so damn bad he can’t even see straight. Just… keep him at a distance and call me if he gets handsy.”
“He’s old,” I argued and then snorted. “Besides, he was only handsy when he didn’t know who I was.”
“So he got scared.”
“You defending him now?”
“Hell, no!” Gabe held up his hands in surrender. “Just explaining the complicated male psyche to my confused female friend.”
“Pizza!” a voice called from the door. Wes appeared on the other side with Kiersten and Saylor in tow. “And can I just say I’m-the-bomb-dot-com?”
“We discussed your usage of that phrase,” Gabe growled. “Twice.”
“Just like we discussed your inability to spell Seahawk correctly… twice.”
“Just throwing it out there,” Gabe said defensively. “I was confused about part of it.”
“It’s Sea and Hawk,” Wes shook his head. “Spaces confuse you?”
“So pizza?” I interrupted their tense discussion. “I’m starved!”
Kiersten winked and handed me the box with the smiley face drawn on it. I was the only one in the group who liked my pizza completely plain, cheese only. I took the box, opened the lid, and inhaled.
“It’s like her drug,” Gabe whispered in an awestruck tone.
“Hey!” I set it on the table and pulled a piece out. “After getting my dorm room broken into, I kind of feel like I deserve this.”
“And having your professor hit on you then treat you like shit then hit on you again then treat you like shit in front of class, only to come and apologize…” Gabe nodded solemnly.
“My fault.” Wes winced and shuddered. “Sorry, Lis. I really didn’t think he’d react that way. He’s usually… more relaxed.”
“The man’s so uptight he probably shits diamonds.” Gabe tilted his head back and laughed.
“And once again, awesome dinner visual,” Wes commented, saluting Gabe. “Thanks, man, for that.”
“I’m a giver.” He winked and bit into the pizza while Saylor scurried to the kitchen to find napkins for everyone.
“So…” Wes looked around the room. “…who has first watch?”
“First watch?” I echoed, following his glance. “What do you mean?”
Kiersten snorted and threw her hands into the air. “You don’t really think we’re letting you stay here by yourself… do you?”
“Guys!” I pleaded, injecting a whine into my voice. “I’m totally fine. Besides, Gabe put up those expensive-looking cameras.” I pointed at the corner of the room. “And I have weapons of mass destruction—”
“Also known as a pink Taser and Mace that she still doesn’t know which direction to point.” Gabe rolled his eyes. “Do continue.”
I stuck out my tongue. “And I won’t have you guys forever.”
The room fell silent. Gabe looked down. Wes’s eyes were sad. Kiersten placed a hand on my arm, and Saylor sighed loudly.
It was something I’d always thought but never really voiced aloud. They had their own lives. I loved them; they were like my family, but it wasn’t healthy, them always protecting me, hanging out with me. They should be doing things with each other, starting families. I don’t know. Just… not babysitting a girl who didn’t even have a steady boyfriend.
Gabe was the first to speak. “Lis—”
“Forget it.” I forced a smile. “I’ll stay tonight by myself and have you guys on speed dial. If I get freaked I’ll pack a bag. Now, let’s eat!”
The room was still filled with tension, but they all ignored it, just like I did. My heart was sad, and, for some reason, I still couldn’t get the fact out of my head that he had stopped by.