The Devastation You Reap by Tracy Lorraine

9

Macie

"You gonna tell me where you were last night yet?" a familiar voice says from behind me before Charlie steps up beside me as I walk across campus after my last class of the day ready to head home.

"I… uh…"

"Don't say you were at the library, we know you weren't."

I blow out a frustrated breath.

"Why does it matter? I was out."

"Hmm…" she mumbles, her eyes focused on the side of my face. "Your cell broken or something? I messaged you to meet for lunch," she says, thankfully diverting from interrogating me about last night. She already tried before class this morning. I thought she'd get the message that there wasn't anything to talk about.

"No, I think I left it in my room," I lie. I know it's not in my room, although I don't actually know where it is. But the last place I remember having it was sitting on that blanket with Leon last night. Thoughts of it falling out and lost in the grass somewhere fill my head.

Even if I found my way back there, it rained all morning so it's probably ruined now anyway.

It's no big deal. There’s nothing on it, and I can count the people I talk to on it on one hand.

"Well, you got a million messages from me."

"Great, I'll look forward to them," I deadpan, already knowing that I'll have a stream of totally inappropriate memes if I ever do find it again.

"Yo, Charlie," a guy calls the second he emerges from the building in front of us. He smiles as he blatantly checks her out and she squeals in excitement.

"Hate to love you and leave you but…"

"Go. Go. Just maybe don't bring this one home."

"Aw, you know you love it."

"Oh yeah, the highlight of my week listening to you scream for God." I roll my eyes at her as she bounces off toward whoever the guy is.

It makes my mind wander to last night. To him.

Even after what could possibly be described as the most romantic date ever, I'm still completely confused by the whole situation.

The naïve little girl inside me who wants to be liked wants to believe that maybe he did just want to spend the night with me, get to know me. But the rational, more sensible side of me knows that there's no way it can all be real.

Boys like Leon Dunn just aren't interested in introvert nerds like me. Not in a million years.

My life isn't like the movies. And I'm under no illusion that I'm about to buck the trend and be that shy geek who gets the popular boy in the end. That is not real life.

I trudge up to our dorm, knowing that I'm going to have to go back out and get a new cell and see if I can get the number switched over in case of emergencies.

The place is empty with Charlie distracted with her latest bed buddy and the guys are at training, so after grabbing a giant bag of chips and a can of soda from the kitchen, I make my way to my room ready to get to work while I've got some peace and quiet.

Juggling my snack and bags, I manage to get the door open without dropping anything, and I'm just about to turn and dump everything on my desk when a figure in my room scares the crap out of me.

"What the hell are you doing?" I squeal as everything clatters to the floor around my feet.

"Surprise," Leon says, a wide smile curls at his lips.

"Jesus, you could have warned me," I say, covering my racing heart with my hand.

"Sorry," he says, pushing up from my bed and coming over to help me.

Well, that's what I expect him to do, but when he gets to me, he ignores the disaster around me, takes my face in his hands and instead just stares down into my eyes.

"Hey," I squeak.

"Hey, Red." His lips are on mine before I even have time to think about what I might say next.

His kiss is brief, almost innocent but I can feel his need to make it more. Hell, my own need is almost too hard to ignore. I remember all too well how good it felt making out with him last night.

"So… uh… how'd you get in here?" I ask when he pulls back and eventually helps me pick everything up.

"Now that would be telling," he says with a wink. "But I do have something that belongs to you."

He places my bags on my chair and turns to me, pulling my cell from his pocket.

"You left it in my car."

"Ah, thank you."

I light it up to see if I've missed anything, but exactly as I was expecting the only message alerts are from Charlie.

"Popular as always, I see."

Ignoring her messages, knowing they'll be pointless, I place it on my nightstand.

"So you just broke in to return my cell?"

"And to see you."

I stand in the middle of my room, staring down at him sitting on the edge of my bed like he belongs, and wonder what the hell happened to my quiet, reclusive life.

"Shouldn't you be training or something?"

"Trying to get rid of me, Red?"

"N-no, I-I just… I wasn't expecting this."

"What did you have planned for the night?"

My lips part but I hesitate because my plans make me sound like the most boring person on campus.

"Party for one with my chips and law assignment."

"You really know how to party," he says with a smile. "When's it due?"

"T-the assignment?"

"Yeah."

"Umm… in four weeks."

"And you're doing it tonight?"

"Well, it was assigned today and—"

I cut my words off when his smile only gets wider.

"You're cute."

"I'm not. I'm focused. I've got plans, and I want to stay ahead."

"I noticed." He nods toward my cell, or more importantly, the quote I'm sure he read that's my screensaver.

I know that most people usually have a photo of friends or family on theirs, but seeing as I'm mostly lacking both, I went with a reminder of what I'm trying to achieve.

"I know you think I'm boring. But I—"

"I don't," he says, reaching for my hand and pulling me onto the bed with him.

My heart jumps into my throat as he sits me across his lap and places his giant hands on my denim-clad thighs.

"I don't think you're boring, Red. I think you're dedicated and passionate. I like that."

His hands slide up to my waist, slipping under the fabric of my shirt and burning my bare skin.

"Leon," his name rips from my lips as a moan. A plea, maybe.

"Don't apologize for being you, Red."

His fingers tighten against me with his words and I melt.

Sitting forward, he brushes his lips against mine.

"I need to study too," he confesses, "but I was planning something much more… hands on than a law textbook."

His tongue delves past my lips as I suck in a shocked gasp and I'm powerless but to respond despite the fact my body is damn near trembling with nerves.

I don't do this. I don't have boys in my room.

I don't—

"Oh God," I sigh when he kisses down my neck and sucks on this spot that makes my entire body erupt in goose bumps.

"L-Leon," I stutter, fighting like hell to keep my head and not let my body take over this situation.

Pressing my hands to his chest, I push lightly and he pulls back.

His eyes are so dark they're almost black when he stares into mine, his lips swollen from our kiss.

"Wanna go and get dinner?" he asks, clearly sensing my need to slow this down a little.

"D-dinner?"

"Yeah, you know, food that people eat in the evening."

"I know what dinner is, you fool." I swat at his chest. "I just… you want to go and get dinner with me?"

"Why are you finding all of this so hard to believe, Red?" He reaches up and cups my cheek. "You're beautiful, smart, funny. Why wouldn't I want to go to dinner with you?"

All my insecurities come rushing forward but I force them down because he really doesn't need to see that side of me. He knows I'm confused by all of this, I really don't need to keep bringing it up.

"O-okay. Dinner." I smile at him, part of me regrets agreeing because it means we'll no longer be alone and I can't deny that there's something a little thrilling about being in a room with just the two of us.

"You're going to need to get off me then," he says with a wink.

"Crap, yeah. Sorry."

"Red." The dominance in his tone makes me stop my escape immediately. "Never apologize for wanting to get on top."

"Oh my God," I mutter, my cheeks burning with the image he plants in my head. Heat surges through my body, my lower half clenching with need. "I'll just be a few…" I trail off as I head for my bathroom but when I'm at the door, something makes me turn and look over my shoulder.

My eyes almost pop out of my head when I find him rearranging himself. Rearranging himself because of me.

I'm not stupid, I know I don't have the appeal of Charlie or any of the girls I grew up around, but knowing I've affected him in that way causes a wave of pride to wash over me.

Maybe I am more than the shy geeky girl I've always tried so hard to be.

As if he senses my attention he glances up through his lashes at me.

He looks too damn beautiful. It should annoy me that he knows it too, but I can't find it in myself to care.

"What?" He smiles at me, not having a care in the world that I just caught him.

"W-we could order in," I offer.

His smile widens more, a dimple appearing on one side and I realize that I could have just made a mistake.

It's clear what he wants from me. But after two days of knowing him, that is not going to happen, no matter how much he looks at me like I'm the only woman in the world.

Leon Dunn might make my head spin, but it's going to take more than a wicked smile and a few hot kisses to get anything else out of me.

I haven’t waited this long to just give it all away on a whim. And certainly not to a football player.

"I'm easy."

I can't help it, I snort out a laugh.

"Yeah, most of campus is aware of that, Dunn."

His lips part as faux hurt covers his face.

"Oh please, don't even try to look offended. I might not go to all the parties and see you in action but I know your rep just as much as anyone else."

"I didn't come here to hook up, Red. I came to hang out, to get to know you better."

"I thought you came to bring my cell back."

"Yeah, that was the perfect excuse."

"Ah, so you stole my cell so you had a reason to see me again."

He holds his hands up in surrender, with a playful smile on his lips. "Guilty."

"You're a goofball."

"Your call, Red. Takeout, or go out?"

I hold his eyes for a beat, while my head and body is at war with my decision.

"Out. Give me five."

I slip into the bathroom, close the door behind me and lean back against it.

My heart is still racing from when I first found him here and my whole body is burning up, just two of the reasons why the decision I made is the right one.

The less time we spend locked in a room and on a bed is probably for the better. At least until I do figure out what this is.

I use the toilet and refresh my hair and makeup before sucking in a steeling breath and stepping back into my room.

I find Leon exactly where I left him, sitting on the end of my bed only now he has his cell in his hand, scrolling through something

"What, no basketball jersey?" he deadpans.

"Not tonight. Ready?"

"Sure."

He follows me out through our still empty dorm and in only a couple of minutes, I'm in his car once again.

"Where to tonight then?" I ask, completely confused as to how sitting in Leon Dunn's passenger seat now almost feels normal.

"Burgers?"

"Sure. I'm easy."

He glances over at me, amusement sparkling in his green orbs.

"I thought that was me."

"When there's food involved, it's a different story."

"Good to know, Red. Good to know."

He puts the radio on and we drive through town chatting about nonsense until I realize that we've once again passed almost everything.

"Where are we going?"

"To the most insane burger place in the state."

"Oh? And here I was thinking you were taking me somewhere we wouldn't be recognized," I confess, allowing a little of my insecurity out. I can't help it, I'm too intrigued to know his reasons for coming this far out of town.

"Never. I just want to make sure you're satisfied."

"I'm sure you've more than got that covered, Dunn."

He laughs as he pulls into a parking lot behind a diner and kills the engine.

"You're still coming to the party Friday night, right?"

"Um…"

"Now who's the one who's hiding?" he raises a brow but I know he's only teasing.

"If I thought you wanted it, I'd tell the world, but something tells me that's the last thing you'd ask me to do."

"You’re right. I like my life in the shadows," I confess.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to coming out a little."

Before I can respond, he's out of the car and I've got no choice but to follow.