Playing Games: A College Bully Romance Read online

  Playing Games

  Candace Wondrak

  © 2019 Candace Wondrak

  All Rights Reserved.

  Book cover by Victoria Schaefer at Eve’s Garden of Eden – A Cover Group

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  Chapter One – Kelsey

  Chapter Two – Kelsey

  Chapter Three – Levi

  Chapter Four – Kelsey

  Chapter Five – Kelsey

  Chapter Six – Levi

  Chapter Seven – Kelsey

  Chapter Eight – Kelsey

  Chapter Nine – Kelsey

  Chapter Ten – Kelsey

  Chapter Eleven – Levi

  Chapter Twelve – Kelsey

  Chapter Thirteen – Levi

  Chapter Fourteen – Kelsey

  Chapter Fifteen – Levi

  Chapter Sixteen – Kelsey

  Chapter Seventeen – Levi

  Chapter Eighteen – Kelsey

  Chapter Nineteen – Levi

  Chapter Twenty – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-One – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-Two – Levi

  Chapter Twenty-Three – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-Four – Levi

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Levi

  Chapter Twenty-Seven – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-Eight – Kelsey

  Chapter Twenty-Nine – Kelsey

  Chapter Thirty – Kelsey

  Chapter One – Kelsey

  This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. I was supposed to be here with my best friend, but luck was on her side, and Ash somehow got a fucking scholarship to one of the most prestigious schools in the United States. Her luck was my unluck, or whatever the opposite of luck was, because now I was going to room with a stranger. Yay me.

  It wasn’t like I had anything against strangers, but it’d always been Ash and me. Me and Ash. The terrible duo. I was always dragging her into shit and making her do things she normally wouldn’t do. I was the wild child; she was the calm and collected girl who knew when to hold me back.

  What the fuck ever. I couldn’t linger on it. I’d still bug the crap out of Ash by texting and calling her nonstop—I mean, she was rooming with a guy, for God’s sake. I had to know all the details. Wasn’t that what best friends were for?

  My new dorm room was a little…uh, let’s just say cramped. My roommate was already moved in, her half of the room full of pink and fluffy stuff. Mom and Dad were supposed to bring the last load up from the car. Move-in day was hectic at Sumit Community College, which was crazy, because most kids didn’t even live on campus here. Most commuted. I could’ve commuted, but I wanted that college experience.

  You know. The experience. The parties, the mistakes, the Thirsty Thursdays and all that. I might’ve been a freshman, but this wasn’t my first rodeo. I’d dragged Ash to college parties before. I knew my way around.

  Don’t tell my parents that, though. They wouldn’t be happy to know their darling angel of a daughter was friends with alcohol and had lost her virginity years ago to some guy she barely remembered.

  Yeah, my life definitely wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

  My roommate was nowhere to be seen; she was probably making herself scarce while the parents were around. The halls were utterly chaotic, full of people pushing heavy bins to their kid’s rooms, and kids bouncing off the walls to meet their neighbors. Girls and guys were on the same floor, but the lounge and the elevator landing made up the space in between the two wings.

  I was busy hanging up my clothes in the tiny ass closet while my parents brought up the last of what was in the car. Only bring the necessities, they’d warned me, and I’d done my best. Granted, I didn’t have many things anyway. We weren’t exactly what you’d call middle-class, but my parents tried. We were better off than Ash and her mom were. At least my parents had a house. Any place Ash had was always rented. They bounced around town so much, too.

  No, I’d like to think my life was a bit better than Ash’s. Although, that said nothing about her going to Hillcrest. She’d probably graduate and nail a good job. She was book smart, knew how to take tests and write essays. Me? Eh, I was the kind of girl who procrastinated and refused to study until an hour before the exam.

  I put away my clothes, made my bed, did everything I could basically while waiting for my parents. They were taking an unusually long time to come back up from the car. Maybe I should go find them. It was quite possible they’d gotten lost. The place was kind of a maze.

  My flip flops hit the soles of my feet as I left the room. I closed the door, having the key in my shorts’ pocket. My neighbor was coming out of her room at the same time, and I narrowly avoided smacking into her as I walked.

  “Sorry,” I said, the exact same time she said the same thing. I headed down the hall, passing a bunch of parents and other college kids, stopping when I came to the elevator landing.

  SCC wasn’t as fancy as Hillcrest. I could only imagine what Ash’s dorm room looked like, what campus looked like. I’d seen their website online, but I knew seeing pictures and actually being there were two totally different things. SCC was…well, let’s just say you could tell it was a cheaper college. The buildings weren’t as updated, not shiny and new.

  My parents stood off to the side, with the last rolling bin full of my stuff. As more people got on and off the elevator, they looked like they were having an intense discussion. I was about twenty feet away, and it was too crazy to hear what they were saying.

  Mom was forty-three years old, with dark hair that was like mine. She looked good for her age, and people always acted shocked when she told them she had a daughter going into college. You can’t really be that old, they always told her, to which she usually laughed and shrugged it off. I hoped when I was her age people would tell me that. She seemed to like hearing it, even though she’d never admit it out loud.

  My dad had dark hair too, although his was starting to grey. His eyes were a warm honey brown, much like mine. He worked as a fork lifter, while my mom worked as a secretary in a dental office. Neither job paid particularly well, but it was enough to pay the bills.

  Me going to SCC, rooming here, must’ve been stressful for them. This wasn’t the first time I’d seen them having an intense talk. Although, they should be happy I was taking out loans to be here. They didn’t have to pay a single penny. They didn’t have many pennies to spare, honestly.

  I skipped to them, grabbing the side of the rolling bin that was closest to me. “Don’t worry guys, I got it. You two can just stand here and look pretty.” I started rolling the bin after me, pulling it down the hall.

  Mom and Dad stopped whatever they were talking about, glancing at each other, before choosing to follow me.

  Once we were in the room and Dad was helping to unload the bin, Mom spoke, “Now, I’m not going to be one of those parents who tells you to text me every day, but I would like at least one a week, letting me know you’re alive.”

  “And doing well in your classes,” Dad chimed in.

  I rolled my eyes. “I will,” I muttered, though I didn’t want to. My parents were kind
of killjoys. I didn’t know where I got my free-spirited side from, but I knew it had to be one of my grandparents or something, because Mom and Dad were not the kind of people who went out and purposefully sought life’s craziness. They were always in bed by nine. Boring adults.

  That…that would be me in ten years, probably, but hey, I was still young. Still living it up. I still had time to go wild, and even though Ash wasn’t here to keep an eye on me, I planned on doing just that here at SCC.

  “You’re paying a lot to be here,” my dad felt so kind to remind me, “so it’s important you do well in your classes.”

  Blah, blah, blah. Typical parent jabber. I really didn’t want to hear it, or have them harsh my groove. Yes, I’d have to try—obviously—but I was also here to have fun. The last few years of fun in my life before dreary adulthood and responsibilities took me by the neck and jujitsued me into submission.

  Was jujitsued even a word? Whatever. You knew what I meant.

  It literally took them over an hour to leave, even after all of my stuff was unpacked and in its new, rightful spot on my half of the room. Neither one of my parents wanted to leave, but leave they had to. This was my time, my college experience. Mom and Dad couldn’t hold my hand forever. Hell, they hadn’t held my hand for years now.

  Of course, they also didn’t know how wild of a child I really was, but that was just Mom and Dad being oblivious.

  I walked them to their car, which they’d been forced to park half a mile away at some huge parking lot. Couldn’t keep it in the turnaround because there were too many other kids moving in.

  Though Dad wasn’t usually a hugger, he wrapped me in his arms and whispered, “Be good, Kelsey. Make smart decisions.” He released me, tossing me a soft smile before getting into the car and starting it up.

  Mom, on the other hand, lingered longer after her hug—and her hug practically lasted five minutes, her arms so strongly wrapped around me she damn well nearly suffocated me. Her shoulders shook, and I knew, without needing to look in her eyes, she was crying.

  Crying. My mom was crying saying goodbye to me, as if I wasn’t just thirty minutes from home. Come on. It wasn’t like I went hours away like Ash. I could go home and visit them every night if I wanted.

  It was dumb, though. I couldn’t keep my rust bucket here. Freshmen weren’t allowed to keep cars on campus, not those who were living on campus. There wasn’t enough parking or something? I didn’t know, but the communal lots were reserved for upperclassmen and those who were commuting.

  “Mom,” I whined as her hug ended.

  She reached for the corners of her eyes, swiping at her tears. “I know, I know. It’s silly, but you’re my baby, honey. You’ll always be my baby.” I was their only kid, so that was an understatement. Mom smoothed my wild brown hair. “It’s not going to be the same at home without you.”

  “I know.”

  “You’ll be fine,” she said, though I knew she was more saying it to reassure herself than me. “You don’t need Ash here with you. You can make new friends. I’ve always heard college friends last a lifetime.”

  I knew she was trying to be comforting, but it came out sounding like she thought Ash and mine’s friendship wasn’t going to last much longer, now that we were on different campuses. That…that wasn’t something I wanted. I needed Ash, and even though she was aloof half the time, Ash needed me. We were best friends, friends till the end. I’d helped her when she needed help.

  That day…even after all this time, even though it’d been months and months since then, Ash still never explained what happened. Calling me in the middle of the weekend, when she was supposed to be losing herself in her secret boyfriend. Me, having to pull up to a gas station and honk a certain number of times to let her know it was me.

  The blood on her hands and clothes.

  She never told me what happened, and honestly I didn’t want to know. There were some people you’d hide bodies for, and Ash was the one I’d commit any crime for. Hiding a body, lying to the police. I had her back. I wasn’t a snitch, and neither was she. I let her keep her silence.

  Although, I did think I had a suspicion as to what that weekend was about, and who her boyfriend was. A nagging suspicion that only grew every time someone talked about the Midtown Strangler and she paled, but that was neither here nor there.

  This was my story, and I had to live it.

  Once I said my goodbyes to them, I waved and watched them drive off. Their car grew smaller and smaller on the road, and I closed my eyes as the wind picked up, whipping at my hair.

  This was the start of a new chapter in my life.

  I really hoped it would be a good one.

  Chapter Two – Kelsey

  By the time I returned to my room, my roommate was back. She had her long legs spread out on her bed, her phone in her lap and earphones in her ears. She didn’t even glance up at me when I walked in, didn’t even look in my general direction. I wanted to glare at her, because I did not need to room with a bitch—no one needed that—but as I walked deeper into the room, she slowly pulled out the earphones.

  “Hey,” she said.

  “Hey,” I said right back.

  She heaved herself off her bed, and once she got to her feet, I saw she was a good half a foot taller than me. She was thin and slender, her blonde hair in a cute pixie cut, framing her face perfectly. Her brown eyes twinkled as she took me in. My style, or lack of it, really.

  “Sorry, I didn’t want to be here when the parents were here,” she said. “I’m Melody, but you can call me Mel, if you want.” She sounded nice enough, and I prayed we wouldn’t have problems, that we wouldn’t clash.

  When you roomed with an absolute stranger, you never knew.

  “I’m Kelsey,” I told her. We didn’t shake hands, because that would’ve been fucking weird, but we did give each other awkward smiles. Yes, awkward smiles for the win. “It’s okay. My parents aren’t that great anyway. You didn’t miss much.” I liked my dry humor; I hoped she’d get it and not think I was being serious.

  I loved my parents, both of them. They were flipping awesome and I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

  Mel’s lips curled into a grin. “I bet. Parents are always a drag. It’s why I kicked mine out of here before I even brought my stuff upstairs.”

  I laughed. I thought Mel and I would get along just fine.

  “So, freshman?” Mel asked, moving to sit at her desk.

  Nodding, I said, “You?”

  “No, I’m a sophomore. I was here last year.”

  “And you’re still living on campus?” Most students chose to live off campus once their freshman year was done, rent a house or something with some of their friends. Mel seemed nice enough; she had to have friends.

  Mel pursed her lips, and her brown gaze fell to the floor. “There was a…let’s just say I didn’t get to pass a lot of my classes last semester due to some unforeseen circumstances.” Her hand gripped the edge of her desk, and I noticed the way her nails were so short, so uneven, as if she chewed on them anxiously. “So technically I’m a sophomore, but I only have a few more credit hours done than you. I didn’t really have the chance to make many friends last year.”

  She told me a lot without saying exactly what the issue she had last year was, but that was okay. We were still strangers to each other, so I knew it’d take time for her to really open up, if ever.

  “That’s okay,” I said, shrugging. “You at least know some people. I know no one.” I plopped down on my bed, kicking off my shoes. “I was supposed to come here with my best friend from high school, but she got some scholarship to a private university, so.” I shrugged. “Here I am, all alone.”

  “You’ll be fine,” Mel said, though her tone sounded a lot less certain than her words.

  “Will the food places be open?” I asked, it wasn’t quite dinner time yet, but it was past lunch. Turned out, moving was quite the hassle and took a lot of time. I couldn’t imagine what moving house
s was like. Most of my shit still sat in my room at home. I’d only brought clothes, bedding, shower stuff, and a few other essentials. No laptop. I’d have to go to the library when there were online things to do or papers to write.

  “Today? Yeah, they should be open. They’re open anytime campus is open.” Mel paused for a few moments, saying, “We can go, if you want. Do you have your schedule? I can show you where the buildings are, unless you want to be one of those freshmen walking around campus with a map on your first day.”

  Another laugh bubbled up, and I shook my head. Me, carrying a map, seemed a bit silly. I wasn’t that kind of girl. I’d rather get lost than have a map. Getting lost in life was half the fun anyways. It made everything an adventure.

  “Let me see if I can find it,” I said, hopping off my bed and going to my desk. I’d unpacked everything, all my textbooks and my notebooks and shit. My textbooks were old and worn, their corners frayed. Some of the classes said older editions of the textbook could be used too, so I’d opted for the cheaper option.

  When I found the paper, I stuffed it in my pocket, my phone in the other. I’d texted Ash, but her texts came few and far between. She was still at home, and I knew she’d probably be getting ready for her move to Hillcrest. It was a busy time for all of us.

  Mel and I left the dorm room, locking up before we went towards the stairs. The halls were ridiculously crowded, and we had no hope of getting on the elevator with everyone moving in and those rolling bins taking up so much space. Mel wore leggings, making her already slim form look even thinner. Her torso was covered in a loose tank top, revealing her lacy bralette underneath.

  She seemed nice enough, though. I hoped we’d get along fine as the year wore on.

  We walked all around campus. She showed me the buildings and which doors on them to use for my classes, all while telling me a little about herself. She’d come from a small town a little over an hour away, and she only left campus when campus shut down for the holidays. She loved her family, she said, but they were overbearing, especially with what happened last year.