Loving the Campus Monster

Chapter 15 (His drug)

Laura

Ross pulls out of the parking lot of my apartment building, and I stare out the window before looking over at him. I can't help but look at him. Even with all the piercings and tattoos he was still very attractive to me. With his head turned from me the sunlight coming through the windshield bathing his face in a golden glow, and his sandy hair swooped across his forehead. There is just something about him, the lighting, the perfect sweep of his hair, that made my stomach flip.

He could've been James Dean, rebelling without a cause right in front of my eyes. He even had the snug white T-shirt thing going on-beneath his zippered hoodie, obviously.

He turns on the radio and one of my favorite songs by the Artic Monky's starts playing. I like that we have similar tastes in music. A lot of things about us are similar but different. We're like two half's of the same coin.

Without asking I turn the knob up and Ross looks over at me.

I smile and he smiles back.

"I'm glad you're in a good mood again." He tells me.

"That's only because you're in a good mood again. With the way you were acting earlier I didn't think you would come to dinner or even speak to me again." I mumble the last part.

He looks at me and sighs before grabbing my hand on my lap and squeezing it. "You should know that I always find my way back to you Laura, no matter what you do or say to anger me."

I look up at him. "Really?"

He nods. "Yes, besides I was just mad earlier when you brought up the vow renewal, but now that it is settled that we're not going I'm better now." His tone is calm and sure.

My mouth falls open.

What?

"What are you talking about? This is not settled; we didn't even talk about it."

"Yes, we did. I told you I'm not going so please, drop it, Laura."

I am irritated at his bossiness and his unwillingness to talk about this. He has no right either to tell me I can't go just because he doesn't want to. I am not going to have another man run my life and make choices for me.

We needed to have a serious conversation about his high handedness, but right now we're going to talk about his aunt and uncle's vow renewal, whether he likes it or not.

I turn in my seat to face him. "Ross, I know you're angry with your uncle, but he really wants you there, as well as your aunt. He told me that he really wanted to have you and your brother there at his last wedding, but your father refused to go because he didn't agree with who your uncle was marrying. Your father got to make that decision for you back then, but now you get the option to decide to go now."

"Yes, and I'm deciding not to go."

"Ross, please... they really want you there, he really wants you there. Can't you at least think about it?" I plead with him, not wanting to give up so easily.

He snorts. "Why should I? He was never really there for me when I needed him the most."

I sigh. "Ross, that happened years ago. You need to learn to forgive him, or this anger you're holding onto is just going to keep eating you up inside until there's nothing left."

His knuckles tighten on the wheel before he turns to me, his gaze burning into mine. "Your one to talk Laura. You still haven't forgiven everyone from your past, have you?" He spat in a cruel voice.

I stiffen in my seat. "That's different-"

"It's not different. Remember what you said? Some people you just can't forgive."