A few hours later, several of the university's clubs had set up tables in the main lobby. Jo's previous mention of balls was in reference to parties; specifically, planning them. I wasn't a party girl by any means, and had no idea where to begin with planning, but Jo still insisted that I join.

"Come on, please."

She was standing between me and Connor, giving us big puppy dog eyes.

I sighed while Connor rubbed the back of his head.

"I dunno, Jo. I only know how to get wasted at parties. Besides, I'm more interested in the boxing club." Connor looked over his shoulder at the table behind us. It was surrounded mostly by guys, with a couple tough-looking girls, chatting about fights and weight classes.

"Fine," Jo pouted. "What about you, Audrey? Will you join?"

I watched Connor walk over to the boxing table before turning to Jo. "I don't know the first thing about party planning. What if I screw things up?"

Before she could reply, the girls running the booth chimed in.

"Everyone does when they first start out."

The girl standing across from me grinned.

"Yeah, you should've seen Jo last semester. She was a mess!"

The other girl exclaimed.

The girls started giggling while Jo wore a playfully incredulous expression, then they jokingly bickered back and forth. From there, they moved on to discussing past parties and their levels of epic-ness.

Suddenly I felt uncomfortable and out of place, just standing there listening--without really hearing--the girls' conversation. As a distraction, I glanced over at Connor to see how things were going. He was bent over the table, signing up for the boxing club, when I realized I never returned his jacket.

The last place I remembered having it was outside the laundry room. I cringed internally, recalling everything that happened there, but resolved to go back.

Excusing myself, I left Jo to chat with her club friends, and headed outside.

It was mild out, the clingy humidity from earlier having vanished completely. In fact, it was a little cool. Nero popped unbidden into my mind, and I wondered if he'd be able to stay warm on his nightly swim.

I shouldn't worry about him. I thought pitifully. It's pointless. I'm probably the furthest thing from his thoughts.

Ignoring the twinge of hurt that last thought carried, I walked around to the back of the building and spotted my quarry. Connor's jacket was lying a few feet away from the door, a lump of blue fabric, seemingly undisturbed.

I started toward it but froze when Dean Lachlan exited the laundry room, followed by Aiden and Duke. They stood in a circle, deep in conversation, oblivious to the neglected jacket near their feet. I idly pondered what they were discussing while weighing the possibility of sneaking over to retrieve Connor's jacket. I didn't have time to do anything though, because a firm hand abruptly snaked around the bend of my elbow.

"Does your nosiness know no bounds?"

Nero hissed, pulling me out of sight and spinning me around to face him. He glared down at me, his hand still on me, the space between us less than a foot apart.

I returned his glare, my heart thumping wildly, both from the scare he gave me and his close proximity.

"I wasn't being nosey," my voice was a small, irritated snap.

Nero raised a brow, a smirk playing at his lips. "Really? Then what were you doing?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because it's my job," he spoke low, his hold on me relaxing. "I have to help keep you guys safe...even if that means saving a certain troublemaker from her own meddlesome ways."

Troublemaker? Me?

In regards to Nero, I supposed that label made sense. All I've done for him since we met was cause him trouble. But I wasn't doing anything now; certainly my standing there didn't warrant his actions.

Glancing down at the pale hand still wrapped around my arm, I glanced up into Nero's amethyst eyes and said, "thanks, but I don't need saving. Now if you don't mind..." I tried to wrench out of his grip, but he held on tight. "Seriously? Come on, let me go."

Suddenly he released me, letting his hands glide slowly up my arms. I gasped at the unexpected contact, my heart jumping into my throat as he gently pushed me against the wall. It was warm, still damp from the earlier rain, and effectively held me in place with its rough stones.

"Nero, what are you--"

"Shh,"

He was leaning in, holding a long index finger to his lips.

I was paralyzed, my frantic heartbeat resonating in a deep, unfamiliar part of me. My lips parted, my breathing shallow and quick, as he came to stand flush against me. Wide-eyed, I gazed up at him, shocked to see he was breathing like me--quick, shallow.

"Nero--"

He placed a cool finger gently against my lips, silencing me. Deliberately, he dragged his finger down my lips, stopping at my chin. Then, he slowly ran his hand along my neck, my jawline, to cup my cheek.

His eyes focused on my mouth, and he licked his lips, causing a wave of desire to crash into me. Instinctively, I put my hands on his chest, though I wasn't sure if I wanted him to stop or keep going.

Before I could decide, Nero closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine. He inhaled deeply through his nose and exhaled slowly through his lips, his eyes still closed, and eventually let the hand on my cheek drop.

"Okay," his voice was husky, dark. "I think they're gone now."

They who?

He looked around the corner, then stepped away from me. "Alright, you can fetch the boy's jacket now."

Wait, what? How did he..?

"I overheard you earlier, telling Aiden that the jacket didn't belong to you." He shrugged sheepishly. "And I saw you, sitting with a boy during lunch, and I just assumed it was his."

"So you knew what I was doing out here?"

I asked, confused.

He nodded, but didn't speak.

"Then why didn't you let me go get it? Why did you..?" I trailed, unwilling to admit that he turned me on.

"Because," he began, taking a step closer to me. "You're a distraction. The Dean, Aiden and Duke--they can't think straight when you're around." His words were deceptively soft, trying and failing to hide the acid behind them. "In order for this school to function properly, they need their wits about them. Stupidly pining after a little girl who's too damn nosey for her own good, isn't productive. And it's going to cause someone to get hurt."

His words left me angry, the disdain in them confirming his negative feelings for me. But they also made me sad, guilty.

I didn't mean to be a distraction; I just wanted to get an education. And I certainly didn't want anyone to get hurt because of me, though I wasn't sure how that would happen...unless I broke one of their hearts, or they mine.

Too overwhelmed to say anything, I pushed past Nero, and walked over to get Connor's jacket. On the way back, tears began to fall, and I angrily brushed them off with the back of my hand.

Damn Nero! Damn him for leading me on, for making me cry. I thought bitterly, keeping my head down as I walked by him.

"Miss Ridley, wait," he grabbed my free hand, freezing me in place. "Don't cry. Please."

He sounded remorseful, genuine. But I didn't care. I was done with his shit.

"Fuck you," I growled, jerking my hand out of his. I stormed off, not looking back, and silently vowed to never speak to him again.

*