“Not all of us are so… sexual,” he grumbled a bit acerbically.
I knew I had pushed him, and it wasn’t nice, teasing him, especially something that could be as sensitive as his manhood. I may have emasculated him, but I was stung by his comment, and I bit back without thinking. When I was tired, I was cranky. When I was cranky, I tended to speak without thinking. “I haven’t always been this…sexual. When I was twelve, Heidi’s boyfriend molested me. He touched me where no little girl should be touched by a grown man. When I was thirteen I was forced to fondle a man and make sure he got his pleasure, but not before he made sure to slice me under my breast, where I still carry the scars. It’s amazing I can even be intimate with a man, let alone six. Although in my defense. I’ve only technically had sex with two of them.” I was angry as I got out of the truck and slammed the door.
I started walking towards the road, angry, hurt, and filled with self-loathing. I knew I was being irrational and overly sensitive, but I seemed powerless to stop it. I longed for my old life back, and I would be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid of the danger I was in.
“Blake!” Gavin ran up to me, grabbing my shoulders gently. “I’m so sorry. I had no right implying anything. I was just… embarrassed. I am a virgin,” he muttered quietly.
I looked at him, my chest heaving with emotions before I drew him into a hug. “I’m sorry too. I overreacted, and I shouldn’t have teased you! You’re one of my best friends, and I’m so glad you’re in this with me.”
We decided to ride around for a little while, so we could continue our conversation. Gavin decided to ride around the campus, before we finally stopped near the coffee shop. Gavin ran inside to get us some coffees, while I tried to wake up.
“How often is Bridgette around when you are practicing?” I asked Gavin when he came back. “Is she gifted?”
I had this uneasy feeling within me that wouldn’t go away.
Gavin looked uncomfortable for a moment. “She and Tamara are always around.” Then he closed his eyes and cursed softly. “And I’m pretty sure they snuck downstairs the other day when Jax and I were practicing, and she’s pretty strongly gifted.”
I groaned. “Crap, crap, crap,” I muttered. “I don’t think it’s safe for you to go home or be by yourself anymore. Now that she has an idea what you can do, you’re bound to be on her hit list as well. I just hope she thinks you can cast illusions like Jax. We need to find out what she can do.”
“Where can I go?” He seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation. “The next time I see her I will find out a way to touch her somehow.”
“I’m not sure you should be around her at all. She’s bound to be in the beginner’s class for ‘performance arts.’ If only,” I snapped my fingers. “Rachel. She’s in that class. We need to find Rachel!”
Chapter 9
I was beyond ready for bed when I got back to the apartment. I let myself in the apartment quietly because I didn’t want to have to have any discussions with Collin. I was too tired to act, and I knew my emotions were still too high to deal with him right now. It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, so I knew he wouldn’t be sleeping.
I was on my way to my room when I tripped over an article of clothing. I picked it up, confused. Collin couldn’t cook but he was a neat freak. He never left anything laying around. It took me a moment to realize it was bra I held in my hand.
I couldn’t believe Rose was still here, because I had no doubt whose bra I held. Just as I was about to let them know I arrived, for my own entertainment, I heard a distinctive vibration coming from the kitchen. I saw the screen from Collin’s cell phone light up in the darkened kitchen.
I ran over to the island as I rummaged for my sunglass case that held my new sunglasses I used for running. If Collin had ever looked through my stuff, which I knew he did, he would see the glasses I purposely asked him to get. Little did he know, I had a miniature device that would enable me to listen to his conversations, track him, and read his text messages. We had removed the lining in the case and slid the device behind it. It would probably be the last place he would think to look.
I knew I had little time to waste, so I slipped his case off and pressed the device into his cover. It was so hi tech, and I was thankful that Gavin’s dad owned a computer software company that dealt with spyware. It was fate that he was brought into my life not once, but twice.
Collin’s phone lit up once more, and I saw the message as it flashed on the screen. My hands were shaking with nerves.
Hey idiot, I hope you’re not screwing this up like normal. I’m handling mine and you only have to handle 1!!! She left here almost an hour ago, and we’ve had no status update. The name that flashed up was Bridgette. I rolled my eyes—he could have at least changed her contact info; it wasn’t like Bridgette was a common name.
Slightly panicked he might check on my tracker and realize my GPS showed up at the apartment complex a little while ago, I decided to head out once more and go down to the miniature gym located in the building. It had some free weights which Collin tried to talk me into using all the time so I was under his control more. I was tired, but the adrenaline was coursing through me, and I needed to make this look somewhat believable.
I took the steps down to the basement level, planning to change as I went. No one used the stairs accept for me. The elevator was way too convenient. I cringed as I slid back into my slightly damp shorts and tank top, still sweaty from my run earlier. By the time I got to the bottom of the steps, I just had to slip on my sneakers.
I stuck my duffel bag next to the door and pulled out my phone, thankful that the gym was empty as I turned on my music, blaring it. As I walked to the leg press machine, I remembered the iPod Drake bought me, since I used his all the time. He also got me a gift card to download the music. I felt somewhat guilty when everyone splurged on me before. I had no guilt regarding Collin’s money.
I was constantly downloading music and anything else I had a whim for. I knew he had deep pockets, I just wished I could put a deeper dent in them.
I had been working out for at least a half an hour by the time Collin came running into the gym, wild eyed.
“Hey,” he said trying to look casual.
I didn’t have to act too much right now. I had every reason to act peeved right now. He had man-handled me, after all.
“Hey,” I replied to him waspishly.
“How long you been down here?” he asked as he sat down on the bench by the inner and outer thigh machine I was working on. I could see paranoia and suspicion lurking in his eyes.
I shrugged sullenly. “I don’t know 30, 40, 50 minutes.”
“Did you come upstairs at all?” he probed.