Loving Lisbeth Salander (XIV Series #1)

The Troubled Boy III

“Take this. It won’t be much of a help but it’ll keep you warm at least. Get home safe, Four.”

The f**k is this guy talking about, and what’s this good-smelling jacket? It smelled like it was washed, dried, and got soaked with a fabric softener. Smells like rich people. f**k.

“Hey,” I called out before he could even walk away, and thankfully, he stopped walking to my call. I unwrapped the jacket he wrapped around me and clenched it tight, before glancing back at him with a glare. Did he really f*****g think that I was going to let him make me owe him something? Hell no. I threw the jacket at him and he caught it. Of course, he caught it. I doubt this was a measly dollar jacket he wears. He doesn’t look like he wore cheap clothes, after all.

He gaze back up to me in shock. “Wh—”

“I don’t need your stupid jacket.” I mumbled despite knowing the loud music would overpower my voice. “Giving me the jacket doesn’t make you less annoying but if it did, I’d gladly embrace it.” I replied sarcastically, freezing from the breeze from outside, touching my wet skin.

He smiled and suddenly, he was walking closer to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders. It was a tight embrace. It was a warm embrace. It was an embrace I thought I didn’t need. I could feel his heart beating against me loudly, and it warmed me up.

When I realized he was embracing me far too long, I pushed him away with creased brows. “I don’t need your sympathy.” I muttered under my breath, glaring at him heavily as he returned the favor with a soft smile. “I can handle myself. I don’t need a f*****g jacket, or your f*****g embrace to keep me warm.” Although it did keep me warm. “I have my own body heat to keep me warm. Everyone f*****g has it so f**k off.” I bumped his shoulder as I passed by, rolling my eyes in frustration. f*****g boys trying to get into every girls’ pants with their stupid personality switches. f*****g assholes. The beer was stinging my head – it’s making me a lot angrier than normal.

“But you’re drenched in water.”

“How else would someone be drenched?” I replied, stopping from my tracks, turning back to the kid hastily lifting my arms in the air to let them fall. His dumb questions were getting to my head. It was making me fuzzier than I already am.

“Oil? Sweat?”

“It’s a rhetorical question.” I rolled my eyes at him and he still grabbed me by the arm despite knowing how pissed and tipsy I am right now. “Get your f*****g hands off me.” I ordered him. “How many times do I have to f*****g tell you that?!” I exclaimed but he just f*****g stood there and kept his hands over my arms like he didn’t hear anything. His hands were just as warm as his embrace.

“If you take it, I’ll really stop nagging you.”

I glared at him before pulling my wrist out of his tight grip. I didn’t know how bad I was staring at him but it seemed to tick him off a bit. “I’m not falling for the same bullshit you pulled last time, you f*****g fraud.” I said leaning closer to his face, jaws clenched tight as I remembered him playing with me. “Now get out of my face before I smash a glass over your stupid f*****g face.”

“It really should have been romantic if you let me let you borrow my jacket, but you gave it—”

“Stop thinking that everything you do is f*****g romantic!” I exclaimed in frustration, trying to make my pace faster than he does. But he was good at keeping up with me. “It’s not!” I yelled. “You know what’s romantic?” I finally stopped walking so I could tell this to his face.

He stopped beside me, waiting for me to speak. Confusion was written all over his face but he still looked calmer than most guys I’ve encountered. “If we danced under the rain?” He sarcastically answered, causing me to cringe the soul out of me. That’s the f*****g worse he could example.

I rolled my eyes, more frustrated of his answer. “If you actually stopped annoying me. That’s what.” I said matter-of-factly, and I continued walking, leaving him and hoping he wouldn’t keep following me but, of course, being the hard-headed punk he was, he tagged along and matched his pace with mine.

He chuckled. “How is that romantic?”

I prayed to whatever God he had that he’d stop following me but he didn’t. The odds were definitely in his favor and it wasn’t looking very good for me. “Because I love myself.” I replied without taking a second to look at him. “And that means, no you.”

“Great! I love myself too! The connection is strong between us, don’t you think?”

I frowned and let myself turn my head towards him in disbelief. He was good at turning things to go his way. That’s gotta be one of his special skills.

“Why can’t you just be thankful that we are being pulled together by fate?”

He’s still talking? He just kept talking and talking. He never runs out of words to say, and I can confirm that now. “Did your parents ever tell you not to talk too much?”

He hummed before he answered, “No,” and that was disappointing. “But at least they taught me manners.”

I grunted. Do not tell me he’s gonna start preaching to me about manners because I certainly don’t have that much patience and time to listen to his little rants about my lack thereof. “Of course, they taught you f*****g manners.”

“Yes. For example, not throw things at people,” He eyed me strongly. “Or not be rude when people started talking to you.” He added, leaning closer as if he was trying to tell me he enumerating all the things I did to him that were inconsiderably manners. “Or not reject people who are asking to be your friend, or not push people when they’re near you.”

I snorted in disapproval.

“You know,” He hissed, flapping his hand in the air. “Just the basic things about morals.”

“Speak for yourself.”

“Did you know that people actually—” He kept talking – babbling about so many things that didn’t even matter. That were even out of the context of the things he just was talking about. It was the first time a guy’s ever this loquacious – it’s almost as if he was a girl for how amazing his mouth was moving every single time I see him. Even a lot more talkative than Han and that girl annoys the hell out of me when she talks too much about equally unnecessary things to tackle about. 

When I reached the gate, I turned to Mark and pulled him by the collar. He looked surprised because I saw him gulp a big lump down his throat. “You stop here.” I ordered. This time, making sure he knew I was dead serious. From the building to the gate, I can forgive. Out of campus, I would never let him. “If I see you in another party, I’m beating your ass.” I pushed him away.

He froze and kept his gaze on me. He doesn’t fix his messed up collar, and just stayed that way, giving me a creepy smile like he always does. I didn’t know what it meant – it was just too discomforting. “Is this your subtle way to show that you care about me?”

I shook my head and walked away from him. I wasn’t concerned for him the way he thought. He can think whatever he wanted to think of from that. I don’t even care at this point. I was warning him as early as possible, not to be involved in people like those at parties.

“I appreciate it! Thank you!”

I heard him yell.

“See you tomorrow!”

I really do hate his optimism. The way he looked like the world wasn’t filled with war, famine. It’s just that I hated doing nothing when something terrible happens to clueless people like him. I hate when it shows and I can’t even hide it.

“Loosen up, b***h! We’re here to party!”

“I can f*****g see that!” I yelled back at her, but she doesn’t seem affected by my failed attempt of messing up her f*****g eardrums so she can be deaf for the rest of her miserable f****d up life. I took another gulp from my beer and sighed. So much for my I-should-stop-attending-parties movement.

This is my second time in Red’s house party, and I think this was only the third time he was hosting one, so I’m not missing out too much on the details of how things work around here. I knew there was gonna be alcohol, free food, and loud music like a normal party, but he throws those where Han gets railed in a stranger’s bedroom. Possibly even drugs. I’m surprised there was even more students here tonight than the last time I was here. I’d be having fun if I wasn’t so frustrated before coming here.

“There’s a hottie.” Han smirked and glued her eyes at a certain direction. I followed her line of vision and saw a polo shirt neat looking guy in the living area – nerd. Totally Han’s type to play with. With nerds, she can screw them without trying too hard. These kids were always too curious of what it felt like to have s*x with someone like Han, who was sneaky and sly with her charms. The poor f*****g guy was about to experience his very first one night stand. “I’ll be right back.”

“Yeah.” I grunted, throwing my head back before shaking them in dismay. “Go f**k everyone in this house, you hoe!” I exclaimed when I saw her walk towards the guy and waving at me as if she was asking for a good luck. I knew too well that she didn’t need it. She was going to get what she wanted, no matter how challenging it may come to her.

“Hunter’s back at it again.”

Hunter?

“Let’s go watch and do a livestream!”

What the f**k?

I turned and saw Tommy running up the staircase.

Hunter? Hunter in rehab, Hunter? Back at it again – what? I tipped my bottle upside down and chugged the remaining liquid before I threw it down the floor. I ran up the stairs to follow Tommy’s tracks, and led me to a room, crowded with people cheering and throwing drinks around like it was confetti.

I squeezed myself through the loud massive crowd and there I saw Hunter, face to face with— I grunted in frustration. f*****g Mark. I looked away in irritation. I could feel my blood boiling at how hard headed this kid was. I specifically told this seagull that if I saw him at a party again, I’m beating his ass and here he was, as stubborn as he was before, getting picked on Hunter out of all the people he could mess around with. For f**k’s sake. Am I hallucinating? Am I seeing things from the past now? Because I was sure I’ve already witnessed this scenario. I was very much aware of this trip Hunter was pulling. I was too familiar with it.

“Stop being a p***y and just drink the Goddamn thing!” He yelled, and the crowd cheered for him and his f*****g superiority. He was acting like he was the King again right after coming back from rehab. What a loser.

Mark shook his head. “I don’t want it though.” He replied, and I was sure this pissed Hunter off. No one declines or says no to him after all. He was used to that type of superiority. “I’m just here to see someone. I don’t intend to socialize and be mad like everyone else right now.” I let out a snort. The kid suddenly replied fearlessly which left an awfully bad mark on Hunter’s face. Maybe I should sit this one out and see how this goes – for fun.

“Did you just talk back at me?”

“No. I was just replying so you won’t feel ignored.”

The crowd jeered at this exchange.

“Would you rather I ignore you?”

I flashed a crooked smile in amusement as I watched from a distance. Hunter looked away, gritting his teeth. The kid certainly knew how to reply and piss someone off with just his words. Nice.