Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79781 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 399(@200wpm)___ 319(@250wpm)___ 266(@300wpm)
3
Roman
For the first few days that Tate is on campus, tailing him feels too easy.
I get up early the next few mornings.
I sit on one of the wooden benches across the lawn from the Wallendorf dorms to see when he heads out, and I do what I do best, watching him like a stalker would. I need to get into the mind of what his real stalker could be capable of.
His blond hair is always easy to spot.
Sometimes he wears bright neon green or pink tank tops, like he’s trying to be seen.
The beast inside me wants to hunt.
Chase him down.
Take him like I’m a wolf and he’s a fucking gazelle, because I know exactly how easy it would be to overtake him.
But he gives me no chase.
Following him is so easy it puts me to sleep. Tate isn’t even being careful, the fool.
He comes out of his dorm around nine each day. He goes for a run in a long loop around campus, the same run that many of my Onyx Society brothers make all the time. He always wears tank tops. His class schedule is simple to memorize, with a course in the language building in the morning and two in the general studies building in the afternoon. He listens to music as he walks down hallways in the buildings, an earbud in one ear, humming along to melodies with a surprisingly good voice.
The first day I follow him, my curiosity is mild.
With each passing day, it grows stronger.
Because I don’t fucking believe him.
So far, Tate’s been acting like a perfect angel, and I’m starting to think it’s an act.
He never once looks back toward me when I’m following him. Not that I would try to hide myself if he did.
Is he hiding something?
Or… maybe just waiting for the right moment to flee?
His brother told me he wouldn’t enjoy having a bodyguard, and that he would try to slip out from under me whenever he could. But so far, he hasn’t seemed to do a single thing out of place.
It feels like I’m playing a game.
Waiting for his move.
Joke’s on you.
I could do this for my entire fucking life.
Right now, he’s in Colossus dining hall, sitting alone at a table with a sandwich.
I take a booth a few rows back, observing.
The pendant light above the table showcases the pale blond highlights throughout his hair.
It’s been about a week since he arrived on campus now, and I’m still not used to the way I’m fixated on his looks. It’s like a sore spot I can’t keep poking at, inside myself. The hair… his lashes… his fucking lips, when he takes a sip from a bottle.
What is it about him that bothers me?
All week, I’ve gone back to my phone, re-reading the messages he sent me that night.
Calling himself a cock slut.
Telling me he’d let me fuck him.
So mouthy, and so irritating.
My phone buzzes on the tabletop, startling me.
Nata
Coming tonight?
Roman
Can’t.
Sad. I miss you when you aren’t at dinner.
Have to stay on campus tonight. Will you be ok with Yegor?
I’ll try not to punch him.
Be good.
Natalia is a friend of the family. Our mothers used to be very close friends, until my mother’s death changed everything.
The phone buzzes again, and this time it’s a selfie from Natalia. She’s smiling, showing me the dress she’s picked out for the formal dinner. A glittery, champagne-colored tight thing, with a plunging neckline to reveal a good portion of her tits.
I suspect Natalia has had a crush on me for longer than I’ve known about it. She finally dumped her awful ex a few months ago, and since then she has flirted with me anytime she can.
It used to bother me that I felt nothing when I looked at Natalia.
Numbness, where there should be… something. Lately, I’ve found it harder to care.
I lock my phone and slide it back in my pocket.
And when I look back up I do a double take.
Tate’s table is empty.
Fuck.
Not possible.
I lost him.
I glance around the dining hall, trying to locate his blond hair. But the crowd is thick with students milling around, and I don’t see him anywhere.
I get up and do a loop around the large hall.
He’s not in line at any of the food stations. I duck into the bathrooms, checking that all of them are empty.
I knew any distraction would be too much.
I was lulled into a routine, but I should have fucking known.
I get another text, yanking my phone out of my pocket.
Blondin
Miss me yet?
Roman
Tell me where you are.
It’s not like you can tail me 24/7 to begin with. Don’t you have your own classes? And… sleep?
I skipped those for a couple of days to learn your schedule.
Dedication.
Tell me where you are.
You fucking know I’m not in danger, Roman. Why do you care? You’re just upset I finally slipped away, and you didn’t catch it.