All Chapters of BULLY ROOMATE: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

“A virgin?”I pressed my palm against India’s mouth and tossed her a death glare. It was one thing to be a virgin, I wasn’t ashamed, but I didn’t need the world knowing about it.She chuckled, swinging her feet from where she sat on the computer desk beside me. The writing center cleared out for the day, but we still had forty minutes before our shift ended.India smiled while looking at her cuticles. “I mean, it’s not a bad thing, Josie, and to be honest, I’m not shocked. You’re so sweet—,”“Ugh,” I said. “I don’t want to be cute or sweet. I want to be sexy. I want him to really want me.”India lifted a pierced brow. “Josie, he does want you, he’s exclusive with you. I know so many girls that want him, and he is with you. You don’t have to change for him to want you.”I shrugged, playing with a string on the hem of my t-shirt. “I don’t know, India. I just don’t know what to do. All I’ve ever done is kissed, and only him.”“You’ve only kissed Maverick? Whew girl, you’re very inexperie

In all my years of living, I never imagined myself being caught doing anything by the police. Especially not in the bed of a truck with Maverick Booker. If Waverly hadn’t crushed the mood before, the police officer surely did. And I mean crushed by a garbage truck and tossed into a landfill to die.Maverick was quiet on the drive back to the apartment. The distant look on his face grew the closer we got. It had to be King or Waverly that called, but how would they have known where we were if they hadn’t followed us?I glanced behind us on the road, seeing no one. Maybe it was a fluke. Zachary kids spent a lot of time in that field in high school, not that I ever went, but I knew they did. Maverick parked his truck, and sat still, looking out at the woods across from our apartment building.“I’m sorry,” he whispered.Turning to face him, I cocked my head. “Why are you sorry?”He sighed, scrubbing his face with the palm of his hand. “That was humiliating. My mother caused most of my pro

The art studio was bright, with large glass windows and art hanging on the walls created by Derek’s students. I’d been happy to get an email about helping out with one of his classes during the week.I felt giddy sitting at the front of the room painting for everyone to see. After what my mother said, and how Maverick spent the entire morning holding me, I needed something to lift me up.Unlike Derek’s classes at the university, the ones at the studio were more diverse in gender. I hadn’t realized the hour passed so quickly when Derek tapped me on my shoulder. I glanced up from the distorted mess I’d created based around my mother’s harsh words and into Derek’s dark eyes.“I’m so sorry,” I said. “What time is it? Has everyone left?”Derek chuckled as he grabbed a stool and sat down. “This is different from the ones before. The ones about your … friend,” he said. “Are you two fighting?”I swiped a bead of sweat from my forehead. “No, actually it’s from my mother. She doesn’t understand

The bittersweet taste of the truth hung heavy on my tongue the next day. After Josie confessed to wanting to bring justice down on Derek, my head spun during all of my classes. I couldn’t let her risk her life for me.I hadn’t seen Derek since that night. He disappeared from my mother’s life and my own. I’d spent most of the next two years looking over my shoulder, scared that he’d try to come back and finish the job. It was the reason I decided to start football and begin working out. To be able to defend my family and myself.After a while, I stopped thinking about him coming back. Which meant I didn’t know what he was into, or what he would do now to Josie or Frankie. If she started digging around in his life, he may hurt her—or kill her. Look what he did to a thirteen-year-old boy who asked too many questions.I pressed my eyes closed on the bus ride back to campus. Most of the guys were sleeping since it was after ten, but sleep hadn’t come as easy to me this time. Every time I c

Something is wrong.I felt it in my blood before the hour passed and students began to trickle out of the buildings and into the quad. I stood up from where I sat around the fountain, searching overheads for Josie but she didn’t show.Sweat began to build on my hairline from the Louisiana sun, drenching my t-shirt and hindering my breath. Five minutes passed before I walked toward the writing center to find India sitting at her desk.“Where is Josie?” I asked.She snatched an earbud from her ear. “She left about fifteen minutes ago.”I dug my phone from my pocket and called her. It went straight to voicemail. “She isn’t answering.”India gave me a strange look. “She probably went to the cafeteria or ran into someone—,”“No,” I barked. “She was supposed to meet me at the fountain.”India stood up. “She did say she was meeting you to exchange notes. I’ll try campus security, but it’s only been like twenty minutes and she’s an adult—,”I barreled from the room, knowing India was right. I