Breaking Fences (The Breaking Series) (38 page)

“Wait.”

“Let me go,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Just dance with me. One song. We’ll talk and you’ll see I’m not a monster.”

I jerked my arm, but he held on to it. “Take your hands off me.”

“Bia—”

“Oh, now I have a name.” Something past Jonah’s shoulder caught my attention. Garrett, entering the bar. He scanned around and found his friends right beside us. I glared at Jonah again. “I don’t want to have to scream. Please, release me.”

“Not until you agree to dance with me.”

I jerked my arm and he finally let go. “Don’t touch me. Ever again,” I hissed.

I turned to leave and found Garrett standing beside Jeff, not ten feet away. He watched Jonah and me, his eyes narrowed. I let out a long sigh and forced myself to push Jonah and all the bad feelings he brought me from my system.

I focused on Garrett. He was here and he looked incredible in jeans, a plaid shirt, suede jacket, and his cowboy boots. A small smile tugged at my lips, but he remained passive.

I was about to walk over to him, when I remembered I still had Phoebe’s beer in my hand. I darted to find my friend. She was sucking face with her boyfriend, so I grabbed one of her hands and put her fingers around the bottle.

She pulled back from Kevin. “Hey, thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” I stood on my tiptoes and tried finding Garrett through the crowd.

Phoebe took a sip from her beer. “Looking for something? Or someone?”

“Someone,” I said.

“Oh, who?”

I found him. He had moved to the other table, and was now speaking with Jonah. His brows were furrowed, and I could see the lines of tension in his neck. Jonah didn’t look much different.
Droga.

“You know who,” I said before downing my entire drink.

I threw my empty plastic cup in the nearest trash, and weaved toward Garrett and Jonah. For some reason, I believed they were arguing about me, and I wanted to hear what they were saying. Not to mention, I would love to see Jonah’s face when Garrett put his arms around me, and I let him.

Still arguing with his half-brother, Garrett glanced in my direction. The frown deepened and, keeping his arm down, he showed me his hand. What the hell did that mean?

He said something else to Jonah, causing the guy to close his eyes for a second. Garrett glanced at me again and slightly shook his head, his hand still turned to me. Was he asking me to wait?

I halted a good fifteen feet from them, hating the mass of bodies coming and going, covering most of Garrett and Jonah from my view. I was growing impatient. Until Jonah finally threw his hand out, as if throwing a towel, and marched to the bar.

Garrett’s eyes locked with mine, and I couldn’t help but smile. He didn’t smile back. Not even that half-grin of his. I took a step toward him, and he raised his hand again. What the hell?

Subtly, he nodded his head to the back before turning around and walking that way.

Something like annoyance and wariness made its way into my chest. I followed him to the back of the bar, past the tiny stage, and into a squared hallway that led to the restrooms. A wooden bench ran along most of the walls. A couple sat in a corner, kissing as if the world was ending. On the opposite wall, a group of girls chatted too loudly and giggled every three seconds.

Garrett leaned in a corner, the darkest one. Still wary, I halted in front of him, my arms crossed.

I stared at him. “What’s going on?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “Bia, I know how it looks, but I’m not sure you want to be seen with me.”

My heart faltered. “What I’m hearing is that you don’t want to be seen with me.”

“It’s not that. I’m just worried about your reputation.”

“That my reputation will taint yours?”

He shook his head. “I don’t care about my reputation.”

I took a step closer to him. “Then why, Garrett? Why don’t you want to be seen with me?”

He opened his mouth, but nothing came out. On purpose, I uncrossed my arms and let my hands slide down my waist in a seductive manner. I had chosen this outfit with him in mind. He better look at it.

His eyes followed my hands, but he didn’t stop at my waist. Slowly, his gaze ran down my legs and back. His eyes found mine and he swallowed hard. Seeing he was losing the battle, I took another step toward him, leaving two inches between us.

“I don’t care about what others think.” I tilted my chin up, angling my mouth to his. “Kiss me,” I said, my voice low and throaty.

He groaned. “Fuck it, Bia.” He clasped his hand around my neck and pulled my mouth to his.

His lips were soft and he tasted of mint, as if he had just chewed gum. However, there was where the subtlety ended. He kissed me with hunger and desperation. His fingers knotted in my hair, and his other hand splayed on my lower back, pulling me against him. I felt his erection coming to life and fought against a moan.

He slid his lips to my neck and inhaled deeply, as if savoring my scent. I wasn’t done ravishing his mouth though. I tilted my face to capture his mouth with mine, but he stilled and pushed me back.

“What the—?”

“I told you, Bia.” He glanced over my shoulder before meeting my eyes again. Pain flickered through his hard expression. “I’m not interested.”

A pang ran through my entire body, from my head to my toes and back to my stomach, where it gutted me.

With his head low, Garrett marched around me and exited the hallway.

“But …” I started, following him out until I bumped into Audrey.

Oh,
puta merda
.

She stared at me with her mouth hanging open, and her eyes wide but full of wonder, as if she had been given the best gift in the world.

She sneered. “I see you’re not attacking only my man. You’re after his brother too. Isn’t one man enough for you?”

I shook my head. “Go to hell.”

“Oh, mad someone turned you down?” Her smile fell. “Wait. Why did he turn you down? He’s in it. He wouldn’t turn you down.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“There you are!” Phoebe said, smacking into me. “I was looking for you, hon.” Her words slurred and she swayed. How many beers had she had after I left her? “You know Ben, Kevin’s friend. He said he’s in love with you!” She squealed, and the amused expression returned to Audrey’s face. “Isn’t that so freaking adorable?” She grasped my hand. “Come on. I’ll introduce you to him.” She started to turn and saw Audrey. “Oh, hey, it’s the bitch we hate.”

Audrey glowered, and I matched her stare until we were out of sight. I let Phoebe take me, mostly because I had no idea what to do, what to think, what to feel. On instinct, I looked for Garrett, but couldn’t find him anywhere. It didn’t mean he wasn’t here though. He could be seated around the table with his friends, or at the bar.

A lump rose in my throat. I had been considering changing my plans again, so I could be here next semester, so I could be with him. However, he had just told me he didn’t want to be seen with me,
and
he had pushed me away in front of Audrey. My chest hurt; my head spun.

Phoebe turned me around to face Ben. “Here she is,” she said. “Now you can profess your love for her.”

He looked at me with a smile. “Hey, um, I was wondering if you want to get out of here.” He ran a finger over my arm and leaned into me. “You know, go to a place more private, where we can—”

“Excuse me?” I stepped back.

“Why not? You’re Brazilian, right? That’s not what they do—”

Something in me snapped, probably the rage mixed with frustration and disappointment, and I slapped him hard, cutting his words.

His face jerked to the side.

Phoebe gasped. “Bia!”

Kevin shouted, “What the fuck?”

His other friends looked at me as if I was crazy, and the rest of the people around us stared.

Ben turned his eyes to me, glowing with anger. “Why you little—”

Phoebe pulled me back. “Hey, don’t talk to her like that.”

Kevin turned to her. “Why not? The chick just hit him.”

“She’ll pay for it,” Ben spat.

My head spun and my heart raced. This was getting out of control. I took Phoebe’s hand and leaned closer. “I’m sorry about this mess,” I whispered in her ear. I squeezed her hand and let go, stepping away.

“Bia, where you going?” I heard her calling me.

Keeping my head low so I didn’t have to see all the disgust, the outrage, or the curiosity on everyone’s faces, I all but ran from the bar.

Chapter Thirty-Two

I almost didn’t get up the next day. However, finals were calling me. I didn’t want to go, but I knew that I would regret it later, so I kicked myself in the butt and got up. Since I barely studied, I wouldn’t get an A, or even a B, but getting a C or a D was better than failing the class.

For the first time since I arrived here, I had to put on makeup in the morning to hide the dark circles around my eyes.

After I left the bar last night, I ran across campus, trying to hold the tears until I was safely in my dorm room. I almost made it, but I broke down in front of the building.
Graças a Deus
, there weren’t many people around and I was able to drag myself inside almost unseen.

I kept glancing at my phone or my door, expecting Garrett to come and explain to me what the hell happened, but the only messages and calls I got were from Phoebe. I messaged back, saying I was fine—what a lie—and that I would talk to her soon.

I fought hard, but the tears won and I cried until I fell asleep.

In the morning, I calculated the time so I didn’t spend one extra second outside. I arrived in the classroom right when the professor handed out the exams, left as soon as I finished, and then dragged myself to my dorm again.

Of course, I noticed some students looking my way. The new lies from Audrey must have spread with the wind. Although, this time, I knew they weren’t lies. Whatever she told the others, there was probably truth in them.

She probably told them I threw myself at Garrett, I begged him to take me, but he brushed me aside as if I were a cheap whore, one who he couldn’t get away from fast enough. Where was the lie in that?

Phoebe called in the afternoon, but I didn’t answer. Instead, I sent her a message, saying I wasn’t ready to talk yet. Truth was, I was counting the hours until Friday, when I would leave right after finishing the last exam, and I wouldn’t come back.

Good riddance.

At night, knowing everyone was at a party in the main courtyard, I took advantage of the almost empty building to start loading my car. The more I did now, the less I would have to do on Friday and the earlier I could leave.

I opened the trunk of my car and placed a box with books inside it. I turned to pick up another box when I saw someone approaching.

My heart stopped for a second.

His head low and hands inside the pockets of his jeans, Garrett walked toward me. I rushed to shove all the boxes in the trunk and close it before he got near. Shaking with nervousness and hurt, I dropped one of the boxes and books scattered on the dirty pavement.

“
Puta merda
,” I cursed, placing a hand over my eyes. Luck really wasn’t on my side lately.

“I like it when you speak in Portuguese, even if it’s cursing.” Garrett’s voice came loud and clear.

I spun around to find him right there, standing four feet from me.

I shook my head and crouched down to pick up the books. “Go away, Garrett.”

He knelt beside me and started helping me. “We need to talk.”

Hadn’t I heard that before? And what good did it do?

I glared at him and took the books from his hands. “I don’t think so.” I threw the books in the trunk. I would organize them later. Right now, my mission was to pick them up so I could get away from here.

He reached out, but stopped himself. Instead, he grabbed another book from the ground. “I need to apologize for the way I acted last night, and I need to try to explain what happened.”

“Try? Try to explain?” I shook my head. “I don’t care. I don’t want to hear it.”

“Please, Bia.”

I stared at him. “Once you told me you didn’t believe the lies, but last night, you helped start a new mill of them. First, you tell me you don’t want to be seen with me, and then you turned me down in front of Audrey. Audrey! Of all people in the world, you know she is the worst. You humiliated me, Garrett.”

Frustration crossed his face. “I’m so sorry for that. I wish we could go back in time. I wouldn’t have gone to the bar. But I thought you weren’t coming. You said you had to study. If I had known you would be there, I wouldn’t have gone.”

I gaped. “
Meu Deus
, can’t you see you’re making it worse? You just said that if you had known I was there, you wouldn’t have gone. Why Garrett? Because you just wanted to fuck me in the dark. Is that it?”

His eyes flared and he leaned over me. “What we did was more than a simple fuck, and you know that. You were there; you felt it too.”