Vérité (7 page)

“You’re only looking for an easy way out because I make you feel something, T. I can’t believe I got to spell this out, but I like you. You got this spunk that you bury deep inside you, but when you think no one is looking, it shines. I want to know more about you and your funky side.”

When I raised an eyebrow at the word
funky
, he said, “Stop doing that, acting like a ho because you think I won’t like you. I already told you . . . the past is the past. So, whattaya say? Wanna go eat? You can tell me what you wanna do with the econ class you’re always studying for.”

“Ha! Well, that econ class has nothing to do with what I want to do, which is to graduate. Which is also why I can’t go eat. I have to behave, keep myself in line, and show my face at study hour. There’s no room for me to make any mistakes this year. I’ve only got one more chance with the coach.”

“So, what’re you waiting for? Let’s go to study,” he said, and slid out of the booth.

I stood and hiked my backpack high on my shoulder. “Well, I guess I’ll be a good girl and go to study hall now. Since we got this out of the way and all.”

Tiberius grabbed my shoulder, his grip digging into my bony frame. “We didn’t get shit outta the way. I wasn’t raised to be crass. We didn’t have much, but my momma taught me to be a gentleman. Maybe you don’t want me to be like that, but I’m a decent friend and an even better guy. The dudes on my team, I gotta get along and have fun with them, but their job is to haze my ass. And that’s what they were doing; they just don’t gotta take it out on you. And it’s my job to make sure of that.”

Dipping my shoulder, I escaped his grasp. “Come on, tough guy, we’re gonna be late.”

“You don’t need to make everything into a joke, Tingly,” he said, urging me toward the exit.

Raising my arms up by my ears, I flexed my biceps and said, “But I’m a tough one.”

He let out a little snort. “I’m not buying it, T. You may like to act all tough, but inside that sleek runner’s body of yours is a cream puff of a heart. I saw it the very first time I laid eyes on you,” he said as we walked through the exit.

It was a good thing he wasn’t looking at me because he would have seen the tears pooling in my eyes. I didn’t respond or say anything to even acknowledge his sentiment; I couldn’t. I sniffed once or twice when we walked outside, pretending to take a few gulps of fresh air, but I was really holding back the flood ready to pour from my eyes.

We walked in silence toward Henderson. Halfway there, I realized Tiberius didn’t have his books
.
Going back over everything he’d said—he’d rushed to get to me, his little sort-of date offer, his need to protect my cream-puff heart—all of it only made me more ashamed for acting like such a bitch.

Pushing my pace up to double-time, I tried to keep up with his huge stride. I was trying to think of something to say to make it up to him, but I hadn’t a clue.

He threw open the door, its clang echoing throughout the empty corridor. When it slammed closed behind us, the silence was even more deafening. And that was how we stood while we waited for the elevator, how we sat in our seats in the classroom, and how we left the room and made our way to the lobby. Silent, except for the freshman female tennis players giggling and gossiping behind us as we headed out of the building.

The hallway smelled like bleach, and I wished the janitors had washed my brain with it instead of the floor. I wanted to forget the last two years. Even more, I needed to erase the last hour with Tiberius. My heart was whispering a silent prayer for him to ask me out again, begging with my brain and my mouth to suggest it myself, but my conscience was winning. I remained silent.

As we pushed open the door, a massive cloud broke outside, releasing huge droplets from the sky. “Shit!” I mumbled under my breath. I hung back inside the building, dreading going outside and turning into a living, breathing wet T-shirt contest.

I hadn’t realized Tiberius was still inside with me until I caught him whipping off his T-shirt, revealing his very broad chest. He was quite a specimen with smooth skin pulled tight over rippling muscles. A small tattoo sat over his heart. From afar, it looked like a pair of initials and an insignia, but I didn’t have time to explore it.

Tiberius stepped in front of me, pulled his shirt over my head, covering my white tank, then grabbed my hand and pulled me out the door. “Let’s make a run for it,” he yelled over the pouring rain, grabbing my bag and tossing it over his bare shoulder before he dragged me toward the campus bus stop, the last hour forgotten.

My feet slipped on the wet pavement in my flimsy shoes, but Tiberius held my hand tightly, convincing me that nothing bad would ever happen to me—ever. Water dripped in my face and trickled into my eyes, and I kept swiping my free hand over them, clearing the way for them to take in all that was Tiberius. Shirtless.

His muscles moved with grace and ease as we fled toward shelter. Water sluiced down his back, and all I could think about was running my tongue down his traps and up and down his broad shoulders, licking each and every drop, and wishing he would get soaked all over again.

Damn, I need to get control of my hormones, and fast.

“Here!” he yelled again as he pulled me into the shelter at the bus stop. “Guess I don’t need a shower now.” He turned to me with a smirk, and I noticed he had a tiny dimple when he smiled. God, he was such a contradiction. A muscular wall of an athlete with a hard body and clearly an iron will, yet a soft heart and the grin of a little boy.

“Thanks for the quick thinking and the shirt,” I said hesitantly, afraid my lust-filled thoughts would wiggle their way into my words.

“Sure.” He closed his eyes and ran his long finger across his eyelids, swiping away raindrops. Then he stuck his finger against his eye and removed a contact. “Fuck.”

“You okay?” I asked, wiping my wet hands on the even wetter back of my shorts.

“Yeah, my contacts are killing me, but I got nowhere to put them.” He popped the minuscule lens back in his eye, blinking hard as he looked down at me.

“I feel so short every time I’m with you,” I blurted.

“Well, you are,” he said with another smirk, revealing more dimple.

“Not really. Compared to most girls, I’m a giant. Well, except for my two new roommates who play basketball, but I hardly ever see them. They got their own thing going on with their team. They’re tight, I guess.” I went to sit on the bench, but thought better of it. My slick legs would only stick to the aluminum. “I’m kind of a loner too,” I added, trying to make amends for my hot-cold behavior earlier.

“Really? I hadn’t noticed,” he joked again.

Just then the bus pulled up and we hopped on, the driver giving Tiberius and his bare chest a dirty look.

We stood for the ride, holding on to the oh-shit straps hanging from the ceiling as the rain slowed outside. At my stop, I started to say good-bye, but felt Ty’s hand on my lower back pushing me off the bus in front of him.

“It’s wet and starting to get dark. I’m not gonna let you walk alone,” he whispered into my ear.

We made it to the front of my building, his hand on my back the whole way. I wanted to keep walking so he didn’t have to take it away.

“Wanna come up?” I asked, my heart pounding, my mouth its own boss, only taking demands from my racing heart. I stripped off his enormous T-shirt and handed it back quickly before I clutched it to my chest like a toddler holds on to her security blanket.

The rain had stopped, and tension snaked around our damp bodies as I waited for a reply. Tiberius brushed his knuckles along my cheek and I leaned into them, branding myself with his strength. He didn’t bother putting his shirt back on, and I really needed him to cover up.

“You remember, I said we all got demons?”

I nodded, a huge lump of regret lodged in my vocal cords.

“Well, you got yours and I got mine, and they’re . . . different. And yeah, I wanna be friends with you, Rex, but like I said, I kinda want more. I know you’re hesitating, and if I come upstairs and we make a mistake, then what? Then I don’t even got you as a friend anymore.” His light eyes stared into mine, the moonlight reflecting in their crystalline depths.

“We’re adults, Tiberius. I don’t think we need commitments or anything like that,” I answered, zipping up my hard shell.

If I could have a one-night stand or an affair with my teacher, of course I could sleep with a younger guy. So, what gives? I certainly wasn’t going to admit I wanted more, that I yearned for commitment or for someone to love me unconditionally. But I was charged up, thanks to the man in front of me, and for some odd reason I didn’t feel the need to apologize for feeling that way.

“Well, I do.” His hand continued to stroke my cheek. “You wave your sins around, blaming having a past or some bullshit like that for not getting close. Well, I got no past like that. I got little experience because if it doesn’t mean anything, why bother?”

I stared at him, waiting for him to change his mind as the floodlight in front of the building cast a warm glow around his body.

“First we’ll have that dinner like I wanted earlier, then I’ll come up.” He gave me a small smile, then kissed me on my cheek and walked away without another word.

Little experience? And he wants me?

S
ince I’d lost my hiding spot at the Union and Tiberius knew where to find me, I’d gone back to eating in the dining hall with Ginny for the last week and a half. Of course, this meant listening to her constantly giggle over “Bryce this” and “Bryce that.” I had to keep from laughing out loud at what a lovesick puppy she’d become, but she was happy, so I swallowed any negative feelings and smiled at her.

I had to give it to the guy. Bryce had moves, showing up at her practice with flowers and taking her for romantic Italian dinners in town. As for me, I was running at an excruciating pace, punishing myself with every footfall, and sneaking in and out of study hall with ten minutes to spare on both ends.

I wasn’t sure if Tiberius was happy with the arrangement or just letting me have my way. We were back to not speaking, and rightfully so. Everything was weird now that he went and called attention to my whorish tendencies. Who the hell was he, some kind of altar boy?
Apparently
.

The following Friday, while munching on a few carrots, I half heard Bryce approach our table. “You better eat something more than that, Tingly. You’re fading away to bones with all that running,” he taunted me.

“Yeah, yeah, Bryce. You just worry about yourself and fitting into those tight spandex pants of yours,” I shot back, returning his sarcasm in earnest.

He turned to Ginny, saying, “Hey, babe,” and leaned in to kiss the top of her head.

Blech.

“What’re you girls up to this weekend? Last weekend before classes, you should live it up a little. Or a lot.” He squeezed in next to Ginny on the bench. He was as wide as Tiberius was tall.

“Nothing. Running.” That was me.

Ginny sat quietly, waiting for an invite to whatever Bryce came over to hype up.

Laying his enormous arms on the table, Bryce said, “Well, good thing, I got something for you to do. Big party over at the Commons Apartments. Saturday, top floor, ten p.m. until the next morning. Gonna be a rager, so come ready to get down.”

Fireworks were practically going off in his green eyes at the prospect of a
rager
. God, he reminded me so much of the guys back home, all about booze and babes. And incredibly boring. But Ginny really liked him, so I had to be nice.

“Not sure, but I’ll sleep on it,” I said, going back to my carrots and eyeing my pasta.

“Come on, Ting, it’ll be fun. You can’t sit in the dorm all weekend, and you have meets starting soon,” Ginny pleaded, both with her words and her eyes.

Looks like I’m going to be a wingman again.

I simultaneously chastised myself for agreeing and consoled myself for having to go as I got dressed for the party on Saturday. I wasn’t wearing anything fancy. Jeans instead of shorts, a navy tank, hoop earrings, and my hair down. That was as dressed up as I got unless my mother had anything to do with it.