Pretending (Westshore Series #1)

Chapter Three: Warner Brooks is Stalking me

Warner's entire expression changes when he sees me and I am not the only one to notice. He goes from cool and suave talking to a girl to just staring at me. It is kind of funny to see him like this, for once he looks stunned.

"Jules?" my name leaves his mouth as a question. I forgot how sexy his voice was, it was deep but hoarse. He had nicknamed me Jules when we were 8 and it stuck. I suppose it was better than Jiggly Juliet.

Seeing him up close makes my breath catch in my throat. My heart begins to beat erratically, blood rushing to my cheeks. My reaction was supposed to be cool and composed. I was meant to be this new hot version of myself and here I was ogling the boy I was supposed to hate.

Get it together Juliet

"You don't look like my Jules" Time moves slowly all while Warner stares at me arms crossed, flexing his biceps in his tight, white t-shirt, looking confused.

His Jules?

"Oh my god, no way you two know each other?" Abby looks a little too excited raising her eyebrows at us.

Before Warner can speak I cut him off.

"No we don't I think he is mistaking me for someone else" my lies come out before I can even think of them. For a slight second Warner looks actually hurt but he composes himself quickly and in a split second his cocky grin is back.

"Jules and I go way back." Warner was not going along with my whole 'let's pretend we don't know each other' thing. My heart raced at the thought of him telling them embarrassing stories or showing old pictures of me.

I shut my eyes and wait for it, the moment when he tells them all who I really am but the moment doesn't come. He just looks at me with curiosity, almost challenging me but says nothing else. I can't stand to be here with him one second longer.

"I am sorry Abby I don't feel good I need to leave" I ignored her confused and concerned look, hug her and walk off without another glance back in Warner's direction.

I start walking and waited till I am a good couple of meters from the house and then let out a frustrated yell.

"Fuck Fuck Fuck" I say over and over to myself thinking I am alone but I hear a laugh behind me. I whip around to none other than Warner grinning at me.

"Geez you really know how to make a guy feel special, I had no idea you missed me so much" his sarcasm annoys me.

"Seriously leave me, alone Warner. I thought going to college meant I would never have to see people like you again and yet here you are. God, are you stalking me or something?" I was being mean but I didn't care, he was mean to me my whole life he deserved it.

He looks annoyed at the comment, it's a quick flash of his eyes but I know him well enough to know that it bothered him. That's a point for Juliet.

"People like me?" He asks and when I don't answer he answers himself, "Ah yes sorry people as in...stalkers because that's clearly the logical reasoning for why I am here. Not because  I got a full ride soccer scholarship to Westshore, which was common knowledge amongst our entire high school." His voice drips with sarcasm but I hold my ground. I didn't know he was going here and if it was some sort of news, it's not like I was caught up on the high school social scene gossip. I had one singular friend and she was just as lost as I was on that stuff.

"I had no idea you were going here," he pauses to give me a long once over, "then again had I known you looked like this, you would have been a top contender for stalking."

My cheeks flush, he just hinted he found me attractive. Yes, it was also an insult because he was only referring to my present day looks, but it's fine because Warner Brooks thought I was hot. A win is a win.

"Listen, I just really want a new start, okay? I was tired of being Jiggly Juliet and I was tired of being a joke. Please don't tell anyone okay I will do anything." I am begging at this point and don't realize how close I have gotten to him.

He stiffens at the use of my nickname and looks angry, frustrationshines in his eyes.

"You were never a joke." The words that leave his lips are so quiet I almost think I made them up.

"Please Warner." I touch his arm and he pulls away like my touch burned him. God, was I that repulsive?

"Fine I won't tell anyone but you owe me, in fact, I believe you said you would do ANYTHING" he emphasizes the word and I am scared. Who knew what embarrassing task he would make me do? Anything was better than him showing people the old me or telling stories.

At this point, he had almost walked me all the way back to my dorm. He pulls out a key to get in and opens the door to the building. I stand there connecting the dots ... Warner lived in my building? Why did the universe hate me?

"Now you must be stalking me because this is my building" he laughs at my shock but I just trudged past him to the elevator. I try to close the doors before he can get in but he is too quick and before I can hit level three he hits the same button.

"Oh this is going to be so much fun" he smiles.

Going to the same University as Warner Brooks was one thing but living in the same Dorm? This was going to be hell.