Stupid Girl(39)

I forced a smile, and shook my head. I was grateful for his concern, but I didn’t want it to become an issue between us. To be an issue would draw attention to the real thing, the real hidden issue, and I wasn’t going to let that happen. As Brax followed me out of the classroom, I threw him a goofy smirk over my shoulder. “I’m not helpless, you know. As a matter of fact,” we stopped outside the classroom, “I’m probably the least helpless female you’ll ever encounter. Besides,” I said, and lightly elbowed Brax in the ribs. “Kelsy is an arrogant idiot, but he’s not dangerous.” I lifted a brow. “You’re sure protective over a girl you barely know.”

“Brax, my man!” A guy wearing a Silverbacks ball cap shouldered into him. “Is this the Betty, bro?”

Brax’s eyes were still trained on me, even as he ignored his friend, who shrugged and walked off. Betty? I could tell by the way Brax’s jaw clenched he was completely ignoring his teammate and still a hundred percent focused on me, deciding whether to believe me or not. In the depths of his eyes I could almost see wheels turning as he thought things over. “I know you all right, Gracie. In case you missed it, I hate shady pricks.” He inclined his head. “But I’m still headed that way, so let’s go.”

“Not until you get that horrible mean frown off your face,” I said, and tugged my mouth up. “You’re scaring people.”

Brax’s face softened then, ever so slight of a shift that I was pretty sure only I could detect. “You’re so smart, aren’t ya, Sunshine?” A ghost of a smile pulled at his lips. “Come on, then.” Smaht.

We stepped out into the early morning Texas sun and blended with the other Winston students as we made our way across the dewy lawn. The air wasn’t sweltering, which was a good thing. At least every other person spoke to Brax. Some he acknowledged, others he didn’t. For some reason I couldn’t explain, his full attention was still on me. We were nearly to Conner Hall when we stopped, and he faced me.

“So you work tonight,” he said. “Wanna grab a bite after?”

“There you are!” a tinny voice said behind me, before I could answer.

Tessa rounded on me, giving Brax one of the evilest dirty eyes I’d ever seen in my entire life—and I’d seen plenty of them. “How was class?” she asked me.

I tried not to laugh at Tessa’s ferociousness. “Class was fine. Tessa, this is Brax Jenkins. Brax, Tessa’s my roommate.”

Brax turned that ghostly blue gaze on Tessa, and amusement made his lips turn at the corners. I stared at his side profile, watched the muscles pull in his jaw. “I play ball with your brother.” Brotha.

Tessa’s brows folded. “I know that. So Livvy,” she said, and dismissed Brax immediately. She half-turned, facing me and giving Brax the back of her shoulder. Behind her, he shook his head and smiled. “You’re coming with me and Marcie and Kelly tonight, right?” When I gave her a confused look, she lifted both brows. “Remember? You said you would?”

I’d said no such thing and Tessa knew it. When my eyes lifted to Brax’s, he cocked one brow and grinned. “I’ll pick you up after work, Gracie. See ya later.”

Before I could answer, he’d turned and began to swagger through the crowd, heading to his next class. He’d shut Tessa’s negotiations right on down.

“Gracie? What the hell’s he calling you that for?” Tessa asked. When I met her gaze, and gave her a little shrug, her brows knitted into a disapproving frown. “Seriously, Liv? You’re going out with that beast again?”

I shifted my backpack and gave my roommate an uncomfortable glance. “He’s been nothing but respectful to me so far, Tessa.” I glanced over my shoulder, then back to my roomie. “I’m not getting a sketchy vibe from him. Do you think he’s that good of an actor? Or possibly the rumors are wrong?”

Tessa’s frown deepened, and she shifted her weight. “I don’t know but the fact is you’d better watch it, Liv. Sincerely. People are already starting to notice Brax is all up in your biz. You’ll be the talk of Winston before you know it. Is that something you want?” She started walking, then looked back at me. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

I stared after my roommate for a few frustrated seconds, considering her words. While I tried to convince myself Tessa was over-analyzing the situation, I wondered if she was right. About everything. About nothing. Did I want to become the talk of Winston? Of course not. I wanted to go as unnoticed as possible. I highly doubted that would happen by going on friendly dinner dates with Brax Jenkins. So what to do? With a sigh, I jogged up the steps and found my next class.