Fame

Chapter Ten

We slid into the silver car parked out front, Amy in the front seat while I sat in despondent silence in the back as Sawyer reached around and hugged Amy as if he hadn't seen her in years.

"Are you okay? Did you get a good look at the guy? What did the cops say?"

"I'm fine, I'm okay. No, all I saw was his hoodie and just noticed how short he was and how freakishly strong he was...and the cops just said to follow them to the station."

"Okay. Did he take anything from you?"

She shook her head in response.

"Just my security and sense of safety on this campus..."

"We can have you un-enrolled within the hour, if that's what you want?"

The thought of Amy not being at school with me anymore was depressing, so I didn't voice my opinion on that matter.

"No... I need to stay here. I can't let the fear control me."

Wow. She was stronger than I was.

After the incident with Ryan at the party, I couldn't bear to look at all the familiar faces from my old high school. It just brought back memories of that night, so I had to transfer schools in the middle of the school year as my anxiety had become far too extreme to handle.

I would have panic attacks in the middle of class and everyone would watch as I rocked back and forth on the ground and label me the freak who lost her brother.

"Thank God Felicity and her friends were there, they were so brave chasing after the guy like that!"

Sawyer glanced back at me through the rearview mirror and the heated anger in his eyes was palpable, but at least it wasn't pointed towards me...this time.

"Yes, so lucky that Felicity hangs out with multiple guys at once." His voice held a double meaning to his words.

"Hey, that was rude! And there were two other girls there, too!"

I held his gaze in the mirror until he had to look away to watch the road, and for a moment everything was normal.

Sawyer was insulting me and I still hated his guts. Everything was right in the world.

But then his arm muscles flexed as he gripped the steering wheel as if it would kill him to let go, and that simple movement sent a shockwave through my system.

I was mortifyingly, utterly, desperately attracted to Sawyer Reeves, and he hated me.

No, nothing was wrong with that. You can hate something and still appreciate the way that something looks.

Denial, my favorite avoidance tactic.

"It's fine, Amy."

"No, it's not. You need to stop behaving like this. Felicity was there for me and came to my rescue, and I owe her for being there for me, so you need to treat her better!"

His eyebrows quirked up in surprise at her outburst, as did mine, and I saw a slight twitch of his mouth that let me know he was about to break out into his signature smirk that always pissed me off.

Or, looking back, did it actually just turn me on?

Nope. Still hated his guts.

"Fine. I'm sorry for implying you enjoy the intimate company of multiple men...and women at the same time. Happy?"

I chuckled and rolled my eyes.

"Only if you return my dorm keys and wallet from earlier."

Amy turned her head sharply to look back at me.

"What?"

"Oh, your brother tried to give me a ride back from the gym earlier, but he pissed me off so I walked back and left my stuff in his car."

"Seems valid."

He rolled his eyes but I could tell the anger had stilled within him, at least until we made it to the station.

He pulled on his incognito gear and walked in front of us the entire way into the station and I jumped when a blue light flashed at us until I realized where we were and tried to relax myself a bit.

We were seated in a waiting room and Sawyer had just taken off his glasses and hood when the cop with the mustache came strolling in...and stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed who we were with.

"Oh. You weren't kidding when you said you'd explain later... Hi-hello, sir. I am Officer Lindburgh, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Reeves!"

Sawyer shook the officer's hand and I rolled my eyes as Amy picked at her fingernails, clearly used to her brother getting the superstar treatment.

"So, what can we do to catch the man responsible for attacking my little sister?"

Officer Lindburgh pulled out a chair and discussed the following steps we could take. A sketch artist came and took Amy to describe exactly what she saw...which ended looking up like a shadow in a hood but his height and build was a good start.

I sat towards the back as the officer explained what Amy should do to stay safe around campus.

"Always have a buddy walking with you to and from class, to the cafe, to the gym, library, and especially back to the dorms and especially at night. Do you have a roommate?"

"No."

The officer frowned at her question.

"It might be safer if you found one..."

"Felicity! You said you basically hated your roommate! Would you want to room with me for a little while?"

I peeked my head up from where I'd been staring at her sketch that reminded me eerily of the one I'd been forced to make, except where hers was a shadow under the hood, mine had been a man with evil piercing eyes and a glare that could set fire to flowing water.

"Huh? Yeah, sure, whatever you need from me."

"Great. Here's our phone number and my personal cell phone number is on there as well, feel free to call any time you think you need extra help or if you think you see your attacker. Mr. Reeves, it was such a pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, sir."

We all stumbled back into the car and I finally realized how late it was. I had gone through most of my classes, a rigorous gym workout, cried my heart out and escaped Sawyer through a rainstorm only to save Amy from an attack and be stuck yet again with Sawyer...in the very car I had been trying to escape.

It was two in the morning and I was wiped out to say the least.

"Sawyer, can I stay at your condo tonight? I know Felicity will be staying with me for the time being but I really don't feel like going back to the dorms tonight even with her staying..."

"Of course you can. I'll just drop Felicity off at-"

"No, she can't go back there tonight!"

"Why not?"

The protest in his voice was evident, and I honestly didn't blame him there.

"If I'm too scared to go back there then surely she's too scared! Right, Liss?"

"Uhhhh..."

"Great! It's settled! Oh my god Felicity you are going to die when you see his place, it's got the most gorgeous kitchen you've ever seen! And it leads out to a back patio with a heated pool!"

I just couldn't get over the fact that I'd be staying the night in the same home as my sworn enemy, but for Amy I probably would've done anything for her that night just to make sure she felt safe, and if that meant having to stay with Sawyer, then so be it.