Breaking Fences (The Breaking Series) (27 page)

“Audrey, that’s enough! Stop inventing lies. I didn’t do anything.”

“Friends, she’s Brazilian. If the university regulations allowed, she would probably parade around wearing those carnival clothes women down there wear. Those shiny, feathery things that cover
nothing
!” I gritted my teeth. It was
Carnaval
, not carnival. She didn’t even get the facts straight before accusing me. “Don’t you all know Brazilian women are easy? This one isn’t just easy; she also goes after our men.”

Nothing I said would make this situation better, so I pushed away from the wall and walked away. However, she didn’t leave me alone.

“Yes.” Audrey chuckled, a sick sound that knotted my stomach. “Run away and don’t come back. Take that big ass of yours and stay away from our men, whore.”

Oh, that was it.

I spun around on my boots and was in her face in three steps. Her eyes widened. She wasn’t expecting me to turn back. Well, she wasn’t expecting what I was going to do next either.

I pulled my arm back and punched her pretty, plastic nose.

She yelled, putting her hands over her face.

Screams, laughter, and hoots filled the hallway.

Droga
, what had I done?

“You’ll pay for this!” Audrey yelled as I rushed out of the building.

***

On Wednesday, I walked into the history class with ten seconds to spare. I knew the campus was abuzz with news that the crazy Brazilian girl had broken precious Audrey’s nose, so I didn’t give them time to talk to me, to ask me about it, to bother me.

The professor eyed me with a frown. Maybe he noticed I had always been here and ready for class by the time he entered the classroom, and this time was different.

I approached his desk and handed him a thick stack of paper.

“What’s this?” he asked, taking the papers.

“Our essay. Phoebe’s, Jonah’s, and mine.”

“But it isn’t due for another month.”

“I know. But we wanted to cross off our long to-do lists, so we worked hard this weekend to finish it.”

He glanced at Phoebe and Jonah, seated in the back row. I fought the urge to glance back and hoped they didn’t look surprised.

“All right,” the professor said. “Very good.” He faced the class. “Everyone should take that as an example.”

Phoebe watched me with wide eyes, but I shook my head and, instead of sitting beside her as I usually did, I took a seat in the first row, beside a nerdy kid. He stared at me as if he was thirteen and seated beside Gisele Bündchen.

I ignored him and class started.

My phone vibrated in my pocket.
Ainda bem
that I remembered to put on silence mode.

Phoebe:
Why did you do that? And why are you sitting there?

Me:
I’ll explain later.

Phoebe:
You better.

Like yesterday, this class went by in a blur. The professor dismissed us and, five seconds later, Phoebe was by my side.

“What’s going on?” she asked.

I stood, glancing to the back. Jonah was still in his seat, but his eyes were on me. “Can we talk outside?”

“Sure.”

Side by side, we walked through the hallways, and out the building.

Ten steps after, Phoebe held my arm and stopped. “Tell me—” Her eyes widened. “Haven’t you been sleeping well?”

“Um, why do you ask?”

“You have dark circles under your eyes.”

I pressed my fingertips under my eyes. “I didn’t sleep the past two nights, trying to finish the essay.”

“Why? Why weren’t you in our first class? Why did you do it all alone? And why didn’t you ask me if that was okay?”

“I’m sorry, okay. I’m really sorry. I just …” I sighed and told her about Monday and Tuesday—about Jonah’s plan and how I punched Audrey—as fast as I could. I didn’t want to spend much time on details, reliving it.

“I can’t believe he did that!” she said, her voice louder. A few students walking around turned their heads to us, and she slapped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay.” I shrugged. “I just wanted to be done with it, so I don’t need to spend any time with him.”

“Do you think he’s telling everyone that you slept with him?”

I shuddered in disgust. “I don’t know, but Audrey heard about it, so I’m assuming more people heard about it too.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Bia.”

I heard Jonah’s voice—calling me by my name for once—and stiffened.

“Oh, boy,” Phoebe whispered.

He stopped beside us. “We need to talk.”

I glared at him. “Um, no, we don’t.”

“Yes, we do,” he insisted, shooting out his hand toward me.

Phoebe pushed his hand away. “Hey, creep. Stay away from my girl.”

I smiled at her.

Jonah glowered at her. “I don’t take orders from anyone, little girl.”

She gulped. “Well—”

“Jonah.”

My heart skipped a beat. It was Garrett and he was approaching us fast.

“What are you doing here?” Jonah asked.

Garrett jaw tensed. “Can I talk to you?”

“I’m busy right now,” Jonah said.

“I wasn’t talking to you,” Garrett said. He faced me. “Can I talk to you?”

I opened my mouth and closed it again.

Jonah clenched his fists. “Why do you want to talk to her? Because she hasn’t brought you coffee in the mornings?”

“How do you know that?” I asked.

“Wait.” Phoebe raised her hand. “You’re bringing him coffee?” She pointed to Garrett. “And you didn’t tell me about it.”

“It’s not like that.”

Jonah crossed his arms. “It isn’t? Then what is it like?”

I glowered at him. “This is none of your business, creep. Keep your distance from me, or I’ll find a way to get a restraining order.”

He laughed. “Right.”

I took Phoebe’s arm and started walking away. “I’m dead serious.”

Phoebe stayed close to me, and I glanced at Garrett. He was watching me with a hard expression, but he didn’t stop me from leaving, and he also didn’t come after me. Again.

When we were out of hearing range, Phoebe leaned into me. “What is happening with the cowboy?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Sure you do.”

“I— It’s complicated, I guess.”

“Lucky for you, I have the next two hours open, and we’re going to the coffee shop, where you’ll tell me everything.”

I opened my mouth to tell her I had to study for a test. With all that had happened, my mind had been elsewhere, and I hadn’t really paid attention in my classes. However, wasn’t it yesterday that I was complaining about not having anyone to talk to? Here Phoebe was, offering me her time and attention.

I hooked my arm with hers and smiled. “I’m in.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Telling everything to Phoebe had done wonders for my soul. I still felt restless, frustrated, and upset, and I was still lusting after Garrett, but at least now, I had someone to run to, to call, even to text when I needed to talk. Shame on me for not telling her any of this months ago.

It was past nine when we walked out of the coffee shop and to our dorms. Approaching my building, I rummaged through my tote, looking for my car keys. It was late, but I wanted to go out and grab something to eat. Preferably not fast food. I could stop by Olive Garden and order something to go.

I looked up, watching the sidewalk so I wouldn’t trip and fall on my face, and saw Garrett leaning against the wall a few feet from the front door. I halted. He had his hands in the pockets of his jacket and his eyes fixed on mine.

“What are you doing here?” I asked.

“We gotta talk.”

Now he wanted to talk? Or had he just come here to kiss me then disappear? I looked around. A few students walked past us. I jerked my chin toward the dark parking lot and walked to my car. Garrett followed me.

I opened the door of my car, threw my tote inside, and leaned against the frame. “About?”

He stopped two feet in front of me. “What were you doing in Jonah’s room?”

His question caught me off guard, and my mouth fell open for a second. Then I clamped it shut and my hands closed into fists. “He didn’t tell you?”

“His version doesn’t make much sense. I want to hear yours.”

“What did he tell you?”

“Your version first.”

I clenched and unclenched my fists. Anxiety and rage filled my chest. I didn’t want to relive that moment. “He tricked me into believing Phoebe was at The Bat working on our project with him. I went there and …” I pressed my lips together and crossed my arms.

“He tried something with you,” he finished for me. I nodded. “Son of a bitch,” he said through gritted teeth. “What happened then?”

“I kneed his goods and fled. That’s when I bumped into you. I was fleeing.” Garrett closed his eyes, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. “What did he tell you?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “That you showed up at his door, offering yourself. He refused because he wanted to take you out on a date first, but you kept pushing him. That’s what I mean about not making sense. Knowing him, he doesn’t really care about taking girls out on a date before taking them to bed.”

I shuddered. “I’m sorry, but his version is twisted.” However, Jonah was his brother. He would probably defend the guy before believing a Brazilian slut.

He erased half the distance between us. “I know. I believe you.”

“You do?”

He reached for me and uncrossed my arms. “I do.”

“But why?”

“Because I think I know you better than they do.”

The old Bia would have done one of two things. One, she would have kissed him right then, or two, she would at least start the we-kissed-now-what conversation. But this Bia? This Bia was afraid of blinking because it could be interpreted the wrong way.

I wrapped my arms behind my back and entwined my fingers on my lower back. “How is Midnight?”

Garrett cocked his head to the side, and his expression told me he was calculating if I was bipolar or not. “Recovering. If he keeps making progress, he should be back at the ranch by Friday. Or, if it slows down a little, next week.”

“I might visit him.”

“At the vet?”

“No, at the ranch.”

“Why wouldn’t you? I mean, you’re there every weekend,” he said, making it sound so casual. I averted my eyes. “Wait. What is it? You were thinking about not going to the ranch this weekend, weren’t you?”

“I still am,” I whispered.

“Tom will be disappointed.”

Once more, he talked about how Tom would miss me, or how Midnight would miss me. But not him. No. The only time he mentioned something like that was to help him with his chores.

“Tom will survive.”

He sighed. “Is it because of me? If you don’t want to go because things are awkward between us, I have a solution for that. I’m going to Santa Fe tomorrow morning to look for a new horse for Delilah. You should bring breakfast on Saturday to Tom and spend some time with Midnight, if he’s better.”

“Wait. What? Delilah is buying a new horse? What will happen to Midnight?”

“I don’t know yet. Right now, the only thing we know is that he can’t compete and she needs a new, trained horse ASAP.”

Needs a new horse
. Couldn’t she sit this one out and help her horse recover?

“When will you be back?”

The lopsided grin split his lips. “Why? Will you miss me?”

I rolled my eyes. “No, so I won’t be there when you come back.”

The grin faded. “Why are you avoiding me?”

I could shrug and tell him he was a pain in the ass, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Deep down, in a dark place inside me, where I didn’t like to admit things to myself, I had hopes that Garrett really liked me for me, not just for my pretty face and nice body. I had hopes of Garrett and me together, making it work even through all the lies Audrey spread. That was only a dream. Yet, if I never opened up, it would never come true.

I sighed. “Because I don’t want to give you the wrong impression about me. It’s enough what Audrey put in everyone else’s minds.”

He braced his arm on the doorway and leaned closer, his eyes on mine. “The only impression of you right now is that we kissed, and I wouldn’t mind doing that again.”

My cheeks flushed and I averted my eyes. “Tell me when you’ll be back.”

“Sunday night, if I get a new horse fast. Otherwise, I’m staying there until I find one.”

That meant I could go to the ranch Friday after my classes, and Saturday and Sunday all day.

“Tell Tom I’ll be there Friday.”