This Fearless Girl (Saint Clary's University, #2)

by E.M. Moore

No matter how much it hurts or how bad it sucks, living is a hundred times better than slowly disappearing.”

He leads me down the steps, and I search the parking lot for the silver Audi. Lucas spots us first, and he’s up and out of the car, marching toward us while Cole barks out a laugh. “Easy there, I’m hand delivering Dakota since she’s safer with you three than anywhere else. Isn’t that right, Dakota?” I glare at Cole. He knows I don’t want to do this. They all know. “Take care of her, Govern,” Cole says. “There will be consequences if you don’t.”

“Because I saw you when no one else did,” he says, his brown eyes captivating. “We all did. What we saw drew us to you, and I’ve been waiting for years to step in. Now that we’re here, I’m not giving that up.”

Stone whirls. He’s wearing two oven mitts on both of his hands, and even though it pains me to admit it, he looks absolutely adorable. He’s too cocky for his own good, so to be taken down a peg or two is good for him.

Stone gets to his feet, his hands clenched into fists at his side. “You want my secrets? You want everything I have?” His nostrils flare. He resembles an avenging angel with his blond hair and slick eyes. A calming breath later, he fixes his shirt over his shoulders. “Why not? You’ve already had everything. You just never knew it.”

“You have that look of gleeful murder in your eyes. It’s a turn on.”

“Jesus, Tits. I might have to thank your father for dressing you like a boy all those years so you were still available when we came along.” “She’s never been available,” Lucas says, his eyes claiming mine. “She’s always been ours.”

“I hope one day someone looks at me like you look at food,” I tease.

“I’m truly sorry my father’s disappearance and unknown whereabouts messed up your precious milestone. Obviously, graduations are far more important than someone’s life being at stake. Dumb bitch.” It wasn’t eloquent at all, but it got the point across. Rissa’s mouth drops. “You’re vulgar.” “And you’re a pretentious little princess with a silver spoon stuck up her ass.”

“Is this where you tell me I need to apologize to your bride?” “No,” Stone grinds out. “This is where I make you forget she even exists.”

“Don’t push me away this time,” he begs, plucking my nipple. “You’ve always been mine.”

His gaze turns hard. “You aren’t a side anything. You’re it. You always have been, and if you’d let me talk for more than a few seconds, I’ll show you. I’ll prove it to you.”

Lucas presses a finger to my lips. “We decided a long time ago that our feelings for you weren’t going to get in the way of our friendship.” I brush him away. “How long ago is a long time ago?” “Since you were in pigtails.”

“You’ve always called to me, to those empty, lonely parts inside myself, and I knew right when Lionel was calling off the search that there was no way that was the last time I was going to see Dakota Wilder. I wouldn’t let it. I couldn’t let it.”

“The only person I’m marrying is you.” My stomach tumbles over itself. I shake my head. “You can’t say that.” “Why? Because it’s not true? Because you don’t want it? I’ve known I was going to marry you since I was seven.” “You didn’t even know me.” “My heart did. It recognized you. It could pluck you out of a sea of people. It could anchor around you and pull you to me time and time again. You’re mine, Dakota Wilder. You always have been. I’m going to keep proving it to you.”

Stone rolls his eyes. “You two can just shut the fuck up.” Wyatt snickers on the couch. “Babe is a little lame compared to the names we gave our Dakota, but okay. If you want to be boring.”

“That’s a ringing endorsement: not a scheming cunt.” He breaks into a smile. “Plus, you have a sense of humor, and I can’t stand pretentious princesses.”

“Does that scare you?” “Everything scares me.” “Good,” he muses. “That’s how you know you’re living.”

I can still feel all three of them. Each of them pulling at different parts of me: the sexual side, the craving side, the side that just wants comfort and love, the side that wants to conquer everything.

“No, I’ll be too busy thanking God every day that I’ll never be a petty bitch like Meghan Tanner.”

I’m not the girl with no friends anymore. I’m not her verbal punching bag. I’m Dakota Wilder, daughter of a treasure hunting legend, and she can go fuck herself.

“Guys,” Wyatt complains, catching my stare. “Let’s hold off on this, okay?” He gives them both a hard look, then turns toward me. I shake my head, a smile of disbelief curving my lips. “I mean, don’t let me stop you from your dick measuring contest. I’m just the little lady in this scenario. It probably doesn’t matter what I want.”

“I don’t want anything to go on between the three of you,” I tell him honestly. “I love that you guys are like a family, even without me.” He nods. “That’s what happens in families. They fight, and then they make up. I bet it’s all over with when we get back to the car. Stone’s going to say, ‘Oh, I’m sorry I fucked her so loud and kept you up all night with a hard-on you couldn’t do anything about.’ And Lucas is going to say, ‘I just wanted my dick sucked, too.’ And you’re going to say, ‘Guys, I’m going to get a jaw cramp from all the cock!’”

“I said goodbye to you already.” His words nearly topple me over. I make a fist. “Wow. I kind of want to give you a matching broken nose for your wedding just like your precious bride. She’s a little spoiled, by the way. Have fun with that.” “Dakota....” I shake my head. “No. See, when one person says goodbye, maybe the other person should listen.”