LOVE AND HATE (A Billionaire Romance) (49 page)

I waited in line, patiently reviewing the menu. Finally making it to the front, I ordered a bowl of chicken noodle soup from a young, mousey cashier. I smiled at her as she handed me my change and waited for my order to be filled. Once she handed me the soup, I sat down at one of the tables scattered around the restaurant, grabbing a newspaper from the counter to flip through while I ate.

I ate my soup slowly, moseying through the paper, skimming articles and humming to myself. I was engrossed in an article when I heard a voice, deep and brooding, say my name. “Alyssa?” A guy about my age stood near me. He wore an apron and was cleaning tables, indicating he worked there. He looked familiar—dark and tall, with jet black hair and warm brown eyes.

I wrinkled my forehead. “I’m sorry. Do I know you?”

He smiled at me. “I’m Matt. I think we go to school together?”

I nodded and smiled back. “Oh, right, yeah. Sorry, I have a terrible memory. You’re on the football team, right?”

“Yeah,” he said with a low chuckle. We talked for a few minutes about school and finals. Someone called his name from the back, but before he left he said, “Hey, are you going to the afterparty for the game on Friday?”

I blinked, unsure if I had been invited. I shook my head and said, “No. I’m helping Blake study for finals all week.”

Matt’s face twisted with confusion and he said, “Really? Blake told me he was going. Weird. Well, if you change your mind, I’d love to see you again.”

I smiled and said sheepishly, “Okay. I’ll think about it.” Matt walked away, and I was confused, wondering why it hadn’t occurred to me that Blake would be going Friday.
Well, if he gets to have fun, I might as well have some, too
, I thought to myself.

It was dark out when I finally heard Blake’s car pull into the driveway later in the evening. Both our parents had returned from work and had eaten dinner. I wasn’t hungry, still full from my trip to get soup. I debated going to talk to him, but what would I say? I bit my lip and figured distance would be best for now. I flipped quietly through a book, but restlessness made it impossible to focus.

There was a knock at my door, and I practically jumped up to answer it. Blake stood there with a smirk on his face, leaning casually in the doorway. “Hey, kid. Feeling well enough to help me with some homework?” he asked, winking.

I shrugged. I didn’t have much else to do. “I guess. What do you need help with?”

“Sweet. I need you to help me write a five-page paper that’s due tomorrow,” he said with a sheepish grin.

I groaned and asked, “How much of it have you gotten done?”

He bit his lip and swiped a few golden locks of hair from his face. “Okay, don’t be mad, but I kind of haven’t started it yet.”

My eyes widened, and my jaw dropped in shock. “Blake!” I cried. “What the hell?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been busy with practice. Please, Alyssa, I need your help.”

“Fine, fine,” I muttered, crossing my arms over my chest. “Let’s get started.” I followed him to his room across the hall, even though I had just vowed to keep my distance. I couldn’t help myself, though. I wanted to be around Blake. He sat down on his bed, pulling notes and his laptop from his bag. He opened the computer and powered it on. “I can’t write for you,” I warned him. “That’s cheating.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he said, waving my comment off. “Just help me.”

Two hours later, we were a little more than three pages deep, and I was getting sleepy. I sat close to Blake on the bed, notes on my lap as I fed him sentences and points to include. He turned towards me, that familiar intensity blazing in his gorgeous green eyes. My heart skipped a beat, and my breathing sped up, my body once again a prisoner to its own desire. Without breaking our gaze, he said, “You are such a better influence on me than I am on you.”

I blinked and looked away. “I don’t know what you mean,” I said softly, staring intently at his wall.

Blake’s voice was empty and sad when he replied, and he didn’t acknowledge my response. It was as if he were speaking his thoughts out loud rather than to me. “You are better at everything,” he said pointedly. “You are so smart, and you always know what to do. When you were sick, I had no idea how to help you, but if it was the reverse, you would have known exactly how to handle it.” He let out a huff and kept talking, his voice rising in vigor. “You make my life so much better, Alyssa. You help me and nurture me. You make me want to be a better person.”

I opened my mouth but closed it, hesitant to speak. I wasn’t sure Blake would hear me because he had continued talking as if I wasn’t there. I could feel him looking at me as he spoke, but I was shaking and would be unable to face him without breaking down. If I started to speak, all of my defenses would crash to the ground. I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from telling him how he made me want to be a better person, too, or how I had been wrong about him, or that I cared about him. So I just sat there, struggling to keep every desperate cry inside, not letting him know that I needed him, too.

He finally ended his rant. “I can see the way I torture you. I confuse you, and I take you for granted. I’m no good for you, and it’s just not fair.”

I glanced at him and watched him, unable to stop myself. He wore a pained look on his face, and he was finally quiet. It was my turn to say something, and I should have corrected him. I should have told him that he
did
make my life better and that he made me happy. Despite knowing this, I remained silent. I wanted to dispute his words, but part of me thought it was better to say nothing.

Another part of me wondered if what he said was true. Was he good for me? Were we good for each other? I was happy before he came into my life, content with myself. Now, I had no idea who I had become or what I wanted. I was a mess, and I hated how hopeless and weak I felt around him, so unlike myself. I could feel tears forming in my eyes, and I was suddenly desperate to be away from him.

Before I shut the door, I could hear Blake say quietly to himself, “You deserve so much more.”

***

I spent the next two days either in class or locked in my room. I hadn’t seen or talked to Blake since we had spoken in his room. I avoided meals and only left my room when I was sure he was gone. He didn’t try to talk to me, either, for which I was grateful. I needed my space. I had to stay away from him, and I believed it was what we both needed.

I remained cooped up in my room, studying for finals. My head throbbed, and I was tired of reading the same notes over and over again. I was relieved when I heard my phone vibrate, indicating a text message. Grateful for the distraction, I picked up the phone and read a text from Maggie, asking if I was getting ready.

I typed back,
Getting ready for what?
Maggie was quick to reply.
The party!!!
I laughed at her dramatic punctuation. I thought about telling her I wasn’t going, but I’d had enough solitude, locked away studying in my room. I smiled as I texted her back.
Getting ready now!
I felt happy for the first time in two days.

A few hours later, I stood with Maggie at the entrance to the party, a throng of loud and wasted college kids yelling around us. I was dressed in high heels and a tight black dress. I had taken my time getting ready, and I felt a little self-conscious at my boldness.

“You seriously look crazy hot, Lys,” Maggie gushed, commenting on my appearance for the hundredth time.

I smiled at her. “You look great, too, Maggie.”

We walked into the party, pushing through the crowd. For an hour, Maggie and I danced and laughed together, taking shots and acting wild. My spirits lifted as the night progressed and the stress and sadness peeled away. Leaning towards Maggie, I said, “I’m having so much fun!”

She beamed at me and yelled back, “Me, too. This party is awesome!”

I nodded with a laugh. “I’m going to get a drink.”

Maggie nodded and kept dancing, and I made my way through the crowd to the kitchen, which was significantly less crowded. I grabbed a beer, turned, and practically bumped into Matt.

He looked incredible. His dark hair was swept back, and he smiled. “Hey, you made it!” he exclaimed, looking genuinely happy to see me.

“Yeah, the party is awesome.” I took a sip of my beer.

Matt looked me up and down. “You look amazing.”

I blushed. “Thanks. You look great, too,” I added quickly, looking up with a shy smile.

Matt leaned in a little closer to me, his large body practically towering over mine. I inhaled his scent, heady and rousing. “Do you want to go somewhere quieter?” Without much thought, I nodded, and he took my hand in his, pulling me away from the kitchen and up a set of stairs. He led me into a bedroom and said, “This is my room, so no one will bother us in here.”

I was a little nervous to be alone with him because I really didn’t know him. I looked around the room, keeping my distance from his bed. I was surprised that he had so many books, some of the same ones I had in my own room. I looked at him standing near the doorway, watching me as I looked around.

“I didn’t know you were in this fraternity,” I commented, thinking he didn’t act much like a frat boy.

He shrugged. “Yeah, my dad pledged here when he was my age, so I was kind of expected to. It’s pretty great, though.”

“Awesome,” I said awkwardly.

“You want to see something cool?” he asked, his face lighting up.

“Sure.”

He went through a door on the opposite side of the room. Confused, I followed him. I had originally assumed the door led to a closet, but I walked through and found myself on a small balcony.

“Whoa,” I said, looking out at the huge backyard of the frat house. “This is cool!”

He let out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s pretty nice. I come out here to think sometimes.”

I looked down at the crowd of people below us. I saw several pairs of kids kissing and making out around the edge of the yard, attempting to use the shadows as a disguise. A bunch of people had jumped into the pool with their clothes on. I swayed my hips lightly as fast music floated up from below us.

“Thanks for bringing me up here,” I said to Matt. “But I should probably get going now. My friend is waiting for me downstairs.”

Matt frowned. “Yeah, okay.” I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked at him, confused, and he said, “Before you go, I just want you to know I didn’t bring you up here to sleep with you. I think you’re really smart and pretty, and I wanted to talk to you.”

I smiled at him. “That’s really sweet. Thank you.”

He nodded, and before I left, I leaned in, pressing a small kiss to his lips. It was fast but sweet, and he had a big goofy grin on his face. I went back to the party to find Maggie, hoping she hadn’t been worrying about me. I finally found her amongst the crowd, dancing and yelling, completely intoxicated.

“Oh, boy,” I mumbled to myself as Maggie ran over to me, suffocating me in a huge hug.

“Alyssa! I missed you!” she screamed, her words sloppy and slurred.

“Missed you too, Maggie,” I said, pulling out of her iron-tight grip. I had to practically drag her to the car, and she managed to sober up some by the time I dropped her off at home. I laughed as I watched her walk up the steps to her house, almost tripping.

When I pulled up to our house, I was surprised to see Blake’s car. I had assumed he would still be at the party. I got out of the car and headed inside. My father and Debbie sat in the living room, watching a movie.

“Hey, pumpkin, how was the party?” Dad greeted me with a smile.

“It was good. How’s the movie?” I asked, wanting to hurry upstairs.

“Oh, it’s all right. I’m glad you had some fun. I was surprised Blake didn’t go. I told him he should have some fun before finals.”

I furrowed my eyebrows. “Blake didn’t go?”

“No, he stayed home to study,” Debbie said.

“Wow. Well, good for him. Goodnight, guys.” I headed for the stairs.

“Oh, Alyssa?” My dad called, and I groaned silently before turning back around.

“Yeah, Dad?” I asked, poking my head into the living room.

“Just wanted to remind you that Debbie and I are going on that cruise. We’re leaving next Monday,” he told me from the couch, his eyes focused on the television.

“Sounds good; talk to you later,” I called out, not really caring about their cruise.

I passed Blake’s bedroom on the way to mine, and I kind of wanted to see him, but I knew better and ran quickly to my room, slamming the door shut. I climbed into bed, remembering how nice it was after the last party when Blake held me all night. I let out a long sigh, kicking off my shoes and snuggling under the covers, wondering how long it would take for the emptiness to fade.

***

I woke up the following Monday with a rush of relief because I could finally sleep in. Today was the first day of winter break, and after relentless studying and grueling exams, I was ready to take it easy. I heard shuffling downstairs and climbed out of bed, not bothering to change out of my pajamas.

I walked into the kitchen to grab a granola bar. I ate it while I made myself a cup of coffee. My father walked in wearing a bright red Hawaiian shirt, a suitcase in his hand. I looked at him over the rim of the mug as I sipped the hot coffee.