Blinded By Destiny

Chapter 6

Colton's POV

I would be having a much better time if my eyes weren't trained on the door like it held all the answers in the world.

The party had started about an hour ago and I had spent the whole time searching for Emery. It didn't help that she had been non-committal about the whole thing. I had even tried to bribe her by saying I could give her my part of the research papers to see if she would show up.

But in reality, I just wanted to see her outside of class and talk to her about anything except the assignment. Our next class with Dr. Nappor was in the middle of the week. And that felt like a lifetime away.

Of course, on the other hand, I also didn't want her to show because I sounded like a pansy ass the last time we spoke. She had made some passing comment that she didn't know me, and my big mouth had to confess that I wanted her to. She looked flustered after that and bid a hasty goodbye. I had scared her off. Emery had no idea where that had come from. Hell, I didn't know where that had come from.

I was all out of sorts since the moment I had stepped into the library and my sights settled on Emery.

I was pissed, fucking enraged to see Caden cornering her. I knew it was no coincidence to see him asserting authority over women, but more so, I knew he had picked Emery on purpose.

I had a bad feeling since that day at practice to see him popping back up on campus. That feeling only amplified when I caught him watching Emery and me in the cafeteria.

He was harassing her to get a reaction out of me and it was working.

If she hadn't been there I would have knocked him on his ass in the library like I had wanted to do that day in the locker room. It would have effectively given him exactly what he wanted. But in that moment it felt like it was worth it. He was getting bold by daring to step on campus repeatedly. And now he was focusing his attention on Emery.

My knee bounced restlessly at the thought.

My eyes went back to the door, almost willing it to open. It had been revolving all night long as more guests showed up at the frat house for the party. It was a full house tonight with everyone crowding around the pool table or in the kitchen, refilling their cups.

The living room floor was a sea of bodies as they all mingled amongst themselves.

Yet for the first time in a long time, it felt empty to me.

My gaze glanced at the door again as if in reflex. I pinched the bridge of my nose, annoyed with myself. That was it. I had to get out of here. It felt like I was suffocating inside. A run might help to clear my head.

I stood from the stool I was perched on when the walls of the two story house rattled.

I turned toward Ryan who was trying to untangle himself from the two women sitting on either side of him.

He strode over to me with purpose. "Not this shit again," he stated. The walls shook even more noticeably. He threw his hands up. "I mean tonight of all nights. We have guests," Ryan reiterated through clenched teeth as he gestured around us.

Luckily no one else seemed to have noticed anything off yet. But that wouldn't last long.

Maybe it was a good thing Emery hadn't shown. She didn't need to see this.

I shook my head. "He must be having one of those days. You know how he gets," I grumbled.

Ryan's hard stare pinned me in place. "That doesn't mean I understand it."

Unfortunately, I did.

I let out a deep breath and turned toward the basement. "He'll be a mess. Let's go clean him up before he comes up here looking like something straight out of a horror movie."