Like You Hate Me (Hawthorne University #1)

by Bethany Winters

He’s only nineteen, two years older than me and his little sister, but he’s a tall motherfucker with a huge body built for basketball. He and I both know he could snap my skinny ass in half if he wanted to.

fine as hell!

“Xavi?” he calls, waiting until I turn my head to look him in the eye. “You’re dead to me, you understand? If I ever have to look at your face again, I’ll break it.”

Sighing, he swipes the blood off his lip and pushes himself up. He’s still got a piercing there—a

SOHOT

God, I hate the way he says my name.

Something’s changed in his eyes since I saw him last. I can see it now. Just for a second, he’s the old Xavi again, the one he was before Katy died. The bratty, defiant little bitch who never did a damn thing he was told. The way he’s looking at me… The kid’s got balls, I’ll give him that.

My thoughts drift back to Nate, and I turn my face to peek at the house behind me, wondering what he’s doing with that drunk girl he brought home with him. She’s stunning. Ash blonde hair, big blue eyes, curves for days and a body I’m sure most guys would kill for a piece of. “...stay out of trouble and do not embarrass me.” I bet he worships every inch of her when he fucks her. A sick thrill shoots through me, and I find myself picturing what he looks like when he’s on top of her. He’s probably taking his anger out on her right this second, bruising her thighs and fucking into her as hard as he can, thinking of me as he does it.

Are you on drugs again, Xavier? I wish, Dad.

“You’re a dead man.” “You got my gift,” he says with a smile in his voice. I hear a car door open and close, followed by the roar of his engine starting. “Do you love it?”

he def knows they’re meant to be

“Don’t play with me,” he teases. “I know what you want. He’s yours now, Nate. You can beat him, fuck him, kill him and be done with it if it’s gonna make you feel better.

Carter moans into my mouth,

YALL HAVE FUCKED?

I ignore the way my dick gets harder at the flash of heat in Xavi’s eyes. Or maybe it’s jealousy. Probably a little of both.

Most people think he’s only friends with my sister because he wants to fuck her, but I know better. I know what he really wants, and it kills him that he can’t have it.

Xavi’s eyes narrow on me, but then he slides that easy grin of his back into place, making a point to lift his middle finger up before slamming the door on his way out. Brat.

“I told you I’d come, babe,” I whisper. “I’m here.” And I’m miserable without you.

“I deserved it.” “Why? What did you do?” “I fucked her sister.” I raise a brow at that, turning to face him as I back up into the house. “You tell everybody you just met that you’re a cheating asshole?” “Only the ones I really like,”

Don’t start crushing on the straight basketball player who also happens to be one of Nate’s best friends, you idiot.

i fear not a soul in this house is straight

“Funny, ’cause it looks to me like he wants your ass a hell of a lot more than he wants mine.”

He’s so close. Too close. What the fuck is he doing?

“Don’t act surprised, party boy,” he taunts. “You just asked me for this. Plain and fucking simple.” Maybe he’s right. I’ve earned his wrath, after all. It’s only fair he gives it to me.

Fuck, I forgot how much it hurts to look at him.

“Did I give you this?” he asks, still thumbing that same spot on my jaw. I nod once, and a hint of a smirk touches his lips. He likes that.

It’s never mattered how hard I try to hide it. He’s always been able to see me for what I am. Broken. Pathetic. Gay.

“You want more?” he whispers. More scars or more…him? Whatever it is, I’ll take it.

“Lock your door,” he reminds me.

Right now, I’m standing by the open window, smoking the cigarette I stole from the pack on his nightstand. He doesn’t even smoke.

I graze my fingers over his stomach and up to his chest, stopping at the barbell I feel on his nipple. He’s got both pierced, I realize, and I hate it. I hate how hot he is. I hate how hot he makes me as I swirl my finger around the metal.

I don’t know what happened to him tonight, but I want to. I want to know everything.

This time, he looks pissed, and I like it. I want more of it. Leaning back a little more, I twist in my seat and widen my legs. Come here.

A single, defeated tear slips over his cheek as his body goes limp in my arms. Fucking pathetic.

“Please,” he whispers just for me. “I’ll do anything you want, just…Please, Nate.” “Anything, huh?”

“Does that happen everywhere he goes?” Frankie asks, subtly tipping her chin at Xavi. “Girls and guys?” I nod, my hands clenching into fists on the table. “He has no idea, does he?” “Not a fucking clue.”

“Jesus, the way you look at him…” Frankie mutters. “I wish someone would look at me like that.” “Like what?” “Like they wanna fight me and fuck me at the same time.”

“You hate it, don’t you?” she whispers against my lips, playing along like the good friend she is. “The way you want him. It pisses you off.”

Nate Grayson might be a bad-tempered, miserable asshole, but he’s fucking good at what he does. Really fucking good.

He doesn’t know I still come to his games. Katy started dragging me along with her back in high school so I could tell her what was happening, and I loved it. Even after she died and I was drowning myself in my own misery, I kept coming. He might not have seen me since that night at the cemetery, but I’ve been seeing him. Every game for the last two years—except for the twelve weeks I was in rehab—I’ve been right here, watching his heart sink with every shot, the light in his eyes fading more and more as time went on. It wasn’t long before the light went out completely and never came back.

He’s been doing that a lot tonight, looking up at the stands… Is he looking for me? Not possible.

My stupid heart sinks, and I break eye contact first, tensing up when two muscular arms come around me from behind. “Did you have fun watching us tonight?” Carter asks, his breath tickling my ear. “I know you were there. You’re always there, aren’t you, Xav?”

“Carter, stop.” “That’s not what you said last time,” he teases, louder than before. “You begged me not to stop, remember?”

what chapter did i miss

“You fucked him,” Nate says as he walks right into me, his chest bumping mine. “I…” “When, Carter?”

hehe he’s jealousssss

as Carter stands and brushes the imaginary dirt off his chest. You’re welcome, he mouths to me, winking before he disappears around the corner.

I LOVE HIRMRJEKEKAJS

“I could have punched him myself, you know?” He breathes out a laugh, but it’s not a nice one. He’s laughing at me, not with me. “Oh, yeah?” he asks. “And why would you have done that?” “Because I don’t want him.” His grip on my waist tightens as he stares at my mouth. “What do you want, party boy?” “Don’t act like you don’t know.”

He blinks at that, his gaze following the tear as it falls off my chin. “You wanna hurt?” I nod, my vision blurring, and a slow smirk touches his full lips, right before he pulls my face up and crashes his mouth into mine.

BOTJXJXJDZ

My teeth latch onto his bottom lip as I walk him over to the bed, sucking on his lip ring the way I’ve thought about doing since the first time I saw it on him. That was years ago. Years, I’ve wanted this.

“More,” he pleads, and I shake my head at him, squeezing his ass with my free hand as I tease my thumb over the wet tip. “Shut up and take what I give you.”

TWJSJS POP OAIISJSUZ

He’s bigger than I thought he’d be, longer than even me and just as thick. I raise a brow at him, and he grins like the cocky little demon he is, leaning up on one elbow as he gives himself a slow, teasing stroke. “You just gonna stand there eye-fucking me all night or you gonna do it for real?”

“I thought I told you to shut up.” “Make me.”

He gags and chokes on it, digging his short nails into my waist. He’s not pushing me away though. He’s trying to pull me closer. He’s taking it because he knows he deserves it.

Next time, I tell myself, pushing the thought away just as quick. No. There won’t be a next time.

He holds on to my wrist, rolling his hips up while I finger him open. He’s so sexy. I’ve always known it, and it pisses me off. Thinking about how many guys have wanted him like this, how many have taken him like this like he’s theirs to take. He’s not theirs.

“You think I trust an easy little slut like you?” I push the knife in even deeper, coating myself with lube before I rub the tip over his clenched hole. “Not a chance in hell,”