Sweet Fall (Sweet Home #2)(20)

They were everywhere—religious tattoos—covering almost every inch of his upper body, and he had full sleeves on each arm. Most were religious, some in a foreign language. It looked like Italian.

Austin’s huge arms suddenly crossed over his chest and his nostrils flared with anger. “Just get the f*ck out,” he ordered coldly.

Without hesitation, I turned around to leave, only glancing back to bravely say, “You terrify me, Carillo. I’m afraid of you. Are you happy about that? I know who you are, the family you come from, where you come from. I’ve been reliably informed. So you can stop with the threats, the dirty looks. I get that you’re bad news. I get it. You’ve got me unable to sleep at night with fear. I know you’re dangerous and you would probably have no remorse in harming me, if I talk. I’m not dumb. So I beg, please, just leave me alone. I will never speak about what I saw. But I need you to leave me alone.”

I didn’t stick around to see his reaction. I just ran all the way back to my sorority house and up to my room on the fourth floor.

Just as I passed Cass’s open door, Ally’s voice shouted, “Lexi! Come here, darlin’!”

Stopping dead, I dropped my bag and walked into the room, plastering on my usual fake smile. Cass and Ally were sitting on her bed.

“Hey, guys!” I sang, seeming like the happiest girl in the world.

“Argh!” Ally shrilled and jumped up to hug me. “You were amazing today, honey! I’m so proud of you!” As Ally pulled back, her mouth dropped open.

I immediately became self-conscious. “What?” I asked.

“You look beautiful, darlin’. I’ve never seen you without all your dark makeup before.”

“Hell yeah, you do, girl. Fuckin’ hot!” Cass added from her bed where she was drinking a Mason jar filled with her home-brewed moonshine. She was a redneck through and through.

Fidgeting with my damp hair, I mumbled a reluctant, “Thank you.”

I wasn’t beautiful. They were just trying to be nice. That’s all the more-beautiful-than-thou Ally knew how to be—nice. But I couldn’t bear to receive insincere comments. Couldn’t bear to be lied to.

“So what’s up?” I asked, moving to sit on the edge of Cass’s bed and moving the conversation on from the subject of my looks. I waved my hand in dismissal of Cass’s offer to take a sip of her moonshine.

“Rome’s throwing a party at his frat, and we’re going,” Ally said. My stomach churned. That would mean Austin would be there. He lived in the same frat house as Rome. Which meant I wouldn’t be welcome.

“I think I’ll pass, guys. I’m beat,” I tried to say, but Cass interrupted by shooting off the bed, stumbling as her feet hit the wooden floor.

Perfect. She was already halfway to trashed, which would mean a night of looking after her.

“Don’t even think it! You’re coming! Molly’s already bailed, choosing to stay here and study. Nothing Ally and me say is changing her stubborn English mind. So you’re not dropping out on us.”

Ally folded her arms across her chest, smirking at Cass, who reached out to hold her desk in support.

Rolling my eyes at her drunken state, I said, “Fine. I have to get ready.” I stood and headed out the door.

“That’s right, Sexy Lexi, Goth the f*ck up! Tonight’s gonna be epic!” Cass shouted to my retreating ass.

Picking up my gym bag, I made my way to my room to get ready. Epic my ass, I thought. More like a damn catastrophe waiting to happen.





Chapter Nine

Austin


You terrify me, Carillo. I’m afraid of you. Are you happy about that?

That chick’s comment was running through my head as I lay on my bed, and I felt sick. She feared me and I didn’t even know her damn name. And I hated it, this whole shittin’ mess. My mamma had taught me never to do wrong by a woman, and here I was getting all up in that cheerleader’s face, stalking her movements, and grabbing at her arm. And all for the sake of the crew! My life was so f*cked up.

My mamma would rightly be ashamed. But I had to protect my family. The last thing my mamma needed was for one or more of us to get put inside. Who would look after her then?

Right after the game, I’d got a call off Axel. Mamma was bad. Real bad. He’d had her at the free clinic, and they prescribed more meds. She was having one of her bad spells. And we didn’t have the cash to cover the cost of the meds yet, so Axel had to bring her back in pain.

I’d waited until all the players had left the locker room, then tore the place apart. And then in she walked, the f*ckin’ Goth cheerleader. Except she hadn’t looked too much like a Goth. I liked the Goth look; she was dark like me. But without makeup, she looked so different… She looked beautiful, and my heart almost exploded in my chest.

But of late, she was seeing too much of me and my family. And I’d had to scare her away. It was my duty as a Carillo.

A knock sounded on my door and in walked Rome. He nodded at me warily and took a seat on my sofa. The freshman were all downstairs in our frat house, getting set up for the party, so we as seniors could chill until folks started arriving.

Rome took the remote for my TV and turned it on; SportsCenter was his choice. With disinterest, I watched the presenters recap the NFL games from last Sunday.