I Just Need You - J. Nathan Page 0,31

was breaking protocols on so many levels. Not to mention, if Marco caught me in her room, he’d be ripping me a new one for the foreseeable future.

But I couldn’t deny her this.

I couldn’t deny her this because I was to blame.

I’d been the one to open my damn mouth and tell her the shit that had been going on behind her back. I’d been the one to put the thoughts in her head that likely kept her from sleeping. But I’d never been one to shy away from the truth. Like what I had to say or not, it wouldn’t stop me from saying it.

And as much as it sucked that she couldn’t sleep, I wouldn’t take back telling her what I knew—what everyone but her knew. She deserved the truth. She deserved to know some fucked up people out there were dead set on getting her. And, despite the fact that we didn’t know who those fuckers were, or where or when they might strike, it would still be a cold day in hell before I let anyone get to her.

A small sigh escaped Kresley, pulling my attention to her. She’d fallen asleep, but could I slip out without waking her? Or, should I wait to be sure she didn’t wake up?

Fuck me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Kresley

I heard the click of my door closing the following morning. I didn’t need to look to know it was Tristan. I also didn’t need to question if his presence had worked since I slept soundly all night. Unfortunately, I was left to wonder if I’d be able to sleep without him in my room moving forward.

I stayed in bed for a little longer before texting Marco for a shower. I wondered if he checked my camera feed last night and saw Tristan in my room. And, if he had, would he say anything about it. But when he picked me up for my shower, and then again to walk me to class, he didn’t say anything. Like, not a word.

I glanced over at him by my side, but his eyes were on everything but me as we made our way up the path toward my first class. Was he mad? Was he worried?

“I know,” I said.

His eyes cut to mine, narrowing.

“I know there was money exchanged.”

“Son of a bitch,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Don’t get mad at Tristan. I need to know this stuff, Marco. I need to know what I’m up against.”

“It’s our job to be your eyes and ears.”

“If I was your wife, would you tell me?”

He said nothing.

“Of course you would because you’d want me to be prepared.”

He remained quiet, likely considering the validity of what I’d said.

We arrived to my class and I disappeared inside, losing myself in communications before finding my seat in accounting after that for my big test.

“So, I showed up at Sigma Chi and both Reggie and Simon were there,” a girl somewhere behind me told her friend.

“No way.”

“Yeah. They both found out and neither was too happy.”

Her friend laughed. “It was bound to happen eventually.

A tinge of jealousy swarmed in my stomach, wishing just once that I could be a normal college girl with normal college girl drama.

“Hey,” Jeff said, slipping into the seat beside me, his dreadlocks pulled back into a ponytail at his neck.

“Hey,” I said, snapping out of the pity party I’d been throwing myself.

“Have a good weekend?”

If you consider finding out someone’s coming after me, then yeah, totally. “It was okay.”

“Okay?” he questioned. “You mean you weren’t triple booked for dates all weekend?”

“Triple booked?”

“Yeah. You’re telling me none of these guys has scooped you up yet?” Jeff said.

“There may be a few possibilities,” I joked.

“A few? Girl, you’ve been here for two weeks and you only have a few?”

I laughed. “Yeah, I’m totally failing at my game.”

“I’d say.” He laughed, and for a moment, I actually did feel like a normal college girl. I just wished that feeling would last.

***

“So, have you heard from Chris since you gave him the cheek?” Elodie asked over dinner.

“Don’t you have some freshman who requires your help back at the dorm?” I asked before taking a bite of my veggie burger.

Alice laughed and looked to Elodie. “They ate Italian food. He must’ve had garlic breath. Gross.”

Elodie raised a brow. “Did he?”

I shrugged, noncommittal.

“Why are you grilling her?” Alice asked, popping an onion ring into her mouth. “That’s usually my thing.”

“I want her to admit what we all know,” Elodie said.

I cocked my head. “What do