The hostility doubled. “I’m aware. How do you know him?”

I opened my mouth, unsure what to say, but Kara forced out an awkward laugh. “They went to the same high school together.” She was mum on the rest, which piqued my interest. Her friend must’ve been a jealous sort.

“Really?” Chandra’s eyes snapped to attention. “So you know Jesse Hunt as well?”

Okay. I was really backed into a corner now. I hadn’t expected to be linked with him this quickly. I wasn’t going to hide that I knew him, but I wasn’t ready for everyone to know right away how connected I really was to him.

Cord saved the day.

He popped out of the stairwell and handed me his phone. “Call for you.” Then he saw who had joined the conversation and groaned. “You’re here too?” Disappearing into my room, Chandra followed him inside.

Kara motioned to the hallway behind her. “I’ll leave you be. I should get back to the other girls. Oh, before I forget, we have a floor meeting in my room at six tonight. So, I’ll see you in three hours.” She started to leave. I started to lift the phone, but her head appeared around the corner. “And we’re all going to eat in the cafeteria tonight. I want to show everyone how to get there and register your identification card. That’s all. See you in a few hours.”

Then I heaved a deep breath. I knew who was on the phone. My stomach took a sudden dip and I pressed a hand against it. Was I ready for this? The nerves had my hands shaking, but I swallowed tightly and croaked into the phone, “Hello?”

There was silence on the other end.

I closed my eyes and turned into the corner. My forehead rested against it. Though he couldn’t see me, a part of me was cowering from him. A storm swept through me and left me shaking. I felt like vomiting as I asked, my voice hoarse, “Can you please say something?”

“You went to the house?”

There it was. Jesse’s voice slid over the phone, smooth and sensual, but I heard the edge in it. He was angry with me. My chest tightened and my heart pounded against it. Would it ever lessen? He held so much power over me. Already, even with how he had ignored my calls, a flame ignited in me for him. It was simmering in my depths, and I knew the longer I talked to him, the more it would become.

“Zala gave me your address. Nice place.”

I hadn’t paid attention, but now I remembered it, hidden behind trees and a curved driveway. I hadn’t noticed other houses near his, only the golf course across the road. Even though I had only seen the kitchen, foyer, and living room, I knew the house was deceptively large. It was like Jesse in some ways.

“You didn’t tell me you were coming to Grant West.”

I sucked in my breath. His tone was so biting. “Would it have mattered?”

“No.”

I fell silent. My hand tightened its hold on the phone. I was pressing it against my ear; I knew there’d be an indentation from it. Then I asked, ragged, “What do you want, Jesse?”

“What do you want?” he lashed back. “I haven’t heard a word from you since Vegas and now this? Cord texts me that you were at the house? You’re the one playing games, Alex.”

“What are you talking about?”

He laughed into the phone, harshly. “I might not have been the nicest to you in the past, but there were reasons. What’s your reason? Are you doing this on purpose?”

My back straightened and my voice rose, “What are you talking about?”

“Stop it. Seriously.”

“Seriously,” I bit back. “Tell me what you’re talking about. I called you. I called you for almost a month. You’re the one who didn’t call me back. You ignored me. You don’t think that hurt me?!” My voice dipped as searing pain ripped through me. I had needed to know what happened. He’d been on the phone with Ethan that night, but he hadn’t said a word. There’s been no response and that hurt more than I could’ve imagined.

He grew quiet again. Then he softened his tone, “What are you talking about?”

I bent over and drew in a shuddering breath. It hurt to breathe now. “I talked to Barbie. She told me about Ethan. You called him that night, Jesse. Why didn’t you tell me that? I called you over and over again. I left messages. I texted you, but you never replied to any of them. Do you have any idea what that did to me?”

Agony stabbed at me.

He choked out, “What? When? Wait—I lost my phone. I had to get a new one. When did you call me?”

I shook my head as I felt tears sliding down my cheeks. “You got a new phone, but not a new number. My calls would’ve come to your new one. Stop lying to me, Jesse.”

“I’m not.” His voice rose and I heard a twinge of desperation. “I’m not. I swear. It took me almost two months before I finally got one. The guys talked me into it. I didn’t want to, but I figured if you ever called me again, I needed to keep that number.”

A harsh laugh ripped from me. “You got a new phone because of me?”

“Yeah.” He sounded serious. “I see Coach every day. The guys live with me. Who else do I care about? Zala learned how to use the internet, so that’s all she does now. I keep a chatting window up just for her. I don’t give a damn about my dad. If he wants to talk to me, he can come see me. I got the phone for you. You don’t believe me?”

I wanted to believe him. So much. It was killing me. “Are you serious?”