Chapter 15: Matt

I was hard again when I woke the following day, and thoughts of Renee still poisoned my mind. This time, I didn’t rush out of bed and instead headed to the shower to relieve myself. I saw Renee’s face in my mind as my cock throbbed in my hand. I closed my eyes, allowing the hot water to brush over my face as I finally came to a release. It wasn’t the same as fucking a woman, and it definitely was not the same as fucking Renee, but it would have to do until I got the opportunity to put her in her place … in only the best of ways.

As I was getting dressed, an alert on my phone pinged, and I picked it up to read it. It was from my mom.

How is school? Things are quiet here without you.

My mom was the reason I hesitated to go to college in the first place. Because when I wasn’t there for her, nobody was. Despite myself, a stupid grin crawled over my face, and I texted her back, making a mental note to call and check in with her later.

I slipped the cell phone into my pocket and headed downstairs, meeting Aaron in the kitchen.

“Sup, man?” he said, handing me a to-go cup of coffee. The room smells like weed; he’d been toking up again. I didn’t mind it, but Jake fucking hated it. “Ready to get to class?”

“Fuck, no,” said Jake, coming down the stairs still zipping his pants. “No one actually wants to go to class, dude.”

“I do,” Aaron said, brow furrowing. “I think it’s interesting.”

Jake stopped at the bottom of the stairwell and raised his head like a bloodhound, sniffing around. Then, his eyes landed on Aaron, who shrugged innocently.

“Fucking A, dude, keep that shit to yourself. I’m going to school to be a cop, man, and you’re a fucking criminal.”

“It’s legal here,” Aaron reminded him, but Jake ignored this.

“And don’t try to kid yourself. You only wanted to go to class to see Renee.”

“Kind of like you did last night?” I asked, and that shut Jake up at once. As I watched him gather his bag from the hallway closet, I didn’t like the slight smirk playing on his lips.

He was hiding something.

Something about Renee.

The three of us walked to our Fucking Class together, and Aaron rambled about something useless the entire time. Jake was quieter than usual, and that sneaking suspicion I had about him and Renee only deepened as we got to class and found Renee already there, sitting at the lab table, head hovering over her open textbook, hair falling down her chest, brushing the tops of her breasts in a low-cut shirt.

“Damn,” I murmured with a low whistle. “That shirt does her good.”

“Who said that man?” asked Jake, scoffing. “Grow the fuck up.”

Aaron and I are too shocked to say anything to this because Jake has never tried to put me in my place, especially over a comment about a girl. Usually, it was him running the commentary.

I didn’t like it, but I didn’t push it either. Some battles aren’t worth fighting.

As we approach the table, side-stepping the other students, I take my regular seat next to Renee, and Aaron and Jake sit down quietly across from her. Renee looked up from the book, glanced at me, then swiveled her gaze toward Aaron, then Jake. I think all of us are left speechless at this. I know I am. It was the first time Renee Lyon had willingly faced us without trying to hide behind those cherry locks.

“Hello,” she said, her eyes landing back on me. “How are you today?”

“Um, good.”

“That’s great.” When she smiled, the dimple in her cheek popped against her sultry-looking skin. She turned away from me once more and looked at Aaron. “And you?”

“Great,” he said, clearing his throat. “Thanks.”

“And what about you?” Renee’s head swiveled in Jake’s direction, but he was already looking at her. I couldn't read his expression; he had a good poker face. But I could feel it. He was hiding something.

“Never better,” he said, holding her eyes. I think both Aaron and I were shocked when, after a few moments of tense silence, Jake broke their stare-down first. Renee was still smiling, as though pleased with herself, but when I focused on what was behind her eyes, I could see the same insecurity she held back in high school. It was like she was trying too hard. It was not her.

Maybe now it is. People change.

You changed.

Renee turned away from us and focused her attention on our professor as he started to go on and on about the homework I completely forgot to do. It was hard to focus, mainly because Renee’s breasts looked amazing in that shirt and because she smelled so fucking good. It was something new this time, a sultry scent I couldn't quite place, but that put me on edge. My dick pulsated hard under the table, growing as the class droned on. I could barely stand it, being so close to her. I wasn’t sure I’d survive the rest of the class, let alone the rest of the semester, being so close to her.

Finally, after a painstaking fifty minutes, time was up, and the lab ended. Aaron and Jake gathered their things and waited for me, but I hung back because Renee did, carefully putting her things away in the backpack. I nodded at Aaron and Jake to go ahead without me. Both of them hesitated, but only for a moment, then Aaron walked away, and after a few tense seconds, Jake’s jaw tightened, and he followed.

Renee and I were two of a mere handful of people left, and she pretended not to notice me hovering by the door as she finally zipped her backpack and secured it over her shoulder, heading for the exit.

“You forgot your boyfriends,” she said, passing me without slowing. Her tone was snotty, but I caught that same hint of an insecure tremble in her voice. “Aren’t you three always together?”

“Basically.” I followed her because I didn’t know what else to do for the first time in my life. Renee’s demeanor was in the process of changing, even if it was difficult for her, and honestly, I didn’t know how to approach this new girl. She was suddenly confident; dare I say … cocky.

It was hot. I liked it.

“Is there something I can help you with, Matthew?” Renee said as she walked. My eyes were on her ass as she moved, hips swaying back and forth to a beat only she could hear. I wanted to wrap my hands around her waist and never let her go.

“I think you know what I was doing,” I told her. Renee didn’t stop. She didn’t even slow down. I didn’t mind. If she was playing hard to get, she was playing it with the master.

“You’re following me,” Renee said over her shoulder. “Or are you stalking me?”

“I guess it depends on what turns you on,” I said with a smirk. Renee finally slows until she comes to a complete stop in the middle of the empty hallway, turning to face me. I was pleased to see that her cheeks were tinted red, and those green eyes glowed like emerald fire. She was chewing on her lip, and I wanted to take her, right then and there, in the middle of the floor in a public place.

I wanted to make her mine.

“What makes you think I am interested in you after what happened with Jake and Aaron?” She tilted her head like a curious animal, and my heart skipped a beat. Once again, she sounded so confident, so sure of herself, but two could play that game.

“Because you haven’t been with me yet,” I said softly, taking a step in her direction. When she didn’t automatically move back, I took another step until we were less than a foot apart. Her eyes dropped for a moment, but just briefly before she re-challenged me, raising her chin in the air.

“And you’re special in what way?” she murmured, so soft that I could barely hear her.

“Baby, I’m special in ways you’ve never dreamed of.” My hand reached in her direction, and Renee didn’t shy away. I leaned in closer until I could smell the Spearmint gum she was chewing and caught the subtle scent of coconut in her hair.

“You were it, you know,” Renee said suddenly, and a tight edge tinted her voice. “You were the guy every girl wanted in high school, including me. Do you remember that, Matt? Do you remember pretending to be interested in me just so you could make fun of me?” She let out a shuddering sigh that vibrated her whole body as though she was trying to shake off those bad memories. “The party, remember that? Do you remember that party?”

“Yes.”

“Good. That’s good, Matt, because I do, too.”

As my hand was about to meet the soft skin of her neck, footsteps clattered around the corner, and a group of students thundered past us, laughing and joking and effectively shattering the mood. Renee took a step back, and so did I, reeling. She opened her mouth to say something, but another person came around the corner at that moment. This one, however, stopped right by her, his eyes on me.

“I’ve been looking for you,” he said to Renee, eyes still scoping me out. “I thought we were going to meet in the library?”

“Um, yes, we are,” Renee said, and the fire on her face was apparent now. Her confidence was shaking.

So was mine.

“Hey,” the guy said, offering his hand to me. “I’m Jason, Renee’s boyfriend.”

I don’t shake his hand. I only smiled at him until it fell back to his side because if I didn’t smile, I’d probably bloody this dumbass guy’s face until he resembled nothing more than a smashed melon.

“Boyfriend,” I repeated, rage sizzling just below the surface of my skin. I fought hard to keep my voice steady as I turned to Renee. “You’re quite the popular one, aren’t you?”

“You know what, Matt? Fuck you.” If I thought she couldn’t blush any redder, I was wrong. Her eyes cast to the floor, and she mumbled something I couldn't make out to Jason as he took her hand and kissed her cheek. The entire time he did this, his eyes were on me.

A personal challenge.

But I didn’t care.

I didn’t care about him.

Nothing would stand in my way, especially not this fucking guy.

“I guess I’ll see you around,” I said to Renee, ignoring Jason. “Have fun at the library.”

Before either of them could say anything else, I winked, turned around, and walked away, unable to keep my lips from curling into a smirk. Jason was all wrong for her. He was the douchebag. And within time, she’d figure that out.