Thin Love (Thin Love, #1)(57)
“Kona only wants to f*ck you. He’s not the relationship type.”
Every word that Tonya spoke was like a jab against Keira’s chest and for the first time in months, it wasn’t Kona stoking the flame of her temper. Oh, she knew it was his fault, all of this could be laid at Kona’s feet, but as Tonya spoke, as that ever-growing smile distorted her slight pleasure to selfish elation, Keira’s anger bubbled in the pit of her stomach. She’d deluded herself into thinking Kona liked her, that he’d changed, that he’d actually felt real guilt over sleeping with that tart.
“Besides,” Tonya continued, “he’s got his eyes on the NFL and, honey, no guy heading for a pro career is interested in settling down with his college hookup. Do yourself a favor and dump him now.”
“You need to shut your mouth.”
Kona’s voice was low, a subtle warning that Tonya didn’t seem to understand. She should have cowered, should have at least stepped away from Kona as he approached. She should have noticed that his anger simmered behind the hard glare that made his black eyes glisten. The girl was too stupid to do anything but smile at him. Keira saw that confident grin of hers falter the longer she looked at Kona.
“Don’t get pissed at me for telling her the truth. Everyone knows how you are, Kona.” She shrugged, as though poking the bull with the iron rod of her insult wasn’t dangerous, wasn’t anything other than simple fact. “I’m just giving Keira here a little friendly advice.”
“You’re running your mouth and it’s pissing me off.” Kona stepped forward, shoulders tight, forehead hard with tension. “You really don’t want to piss me off.” Tonya’s smile wavered as Kona’s frown grew and she shot a glance at Keira as if she couldn’t believe Kona was remotely interested in her. “Stay away from her,” he said. “Don’t even look at her.”
“I can fight my own battles, thanks.” Keira said, ignoring Kona as she stood in front of him. “We’re just hanging out. He isn’t mine so your warning is pointless. But he’s right, the mouth running isn’t necessary and you need to walk away.”
It took three quick backward steps before Tonya darted around and left them. She didn’t bother looking at him or even acknowledging his presence until she went to her knees, trying to gather the few sheets of her notes still on the floor. Kona knelt down next to her and reached for several, but she grabbed them before he could even stretch his fingers and Keira ignored his low, frustrated grunts. “I got it,” she said, when Kona snagged two sheets to her left. He reached for her folder, and she moved quick, taking it away from him. “I said I got it.”
“Are we fighting?” A quick glance told Keira that his eyes were on her face as, he slid to his haunches and then stood, rubbing his fingers against the back of his neck. She continued to ignore him. “Is that what this is? You’re gonna let some stupid bitch mess with your head?”
Her composure crumbled and Keira got to her feet, stuffing her notes and folders into her already full back pack. “The same stupid bitch you f*cked? No, not her, Kona, she’s not the one messing with my head.” She wouldn’t let his open mouth, his guilty grimace stop her. Keira threw her bag over her shoulder, knowing he was right behind her, not caring that classes had let out and the lobby was filling with a crowd. They waited side by side for the throng in front of the door to thin, but Keira’s temper was at high tide, waving anger and rage inside her chest. “It’s the same line of bullshit Tonya said you fed her and every other girl you’ve been with that’s messing with my head. You said the same thing to me like I was one of your whores, Kona.”
“I didn’t mean it like that, Wild—” Keira jerked her head up and her piercing glare stopped Kona from calling her that stupid nickname. “I didn’t mean that, I swear.” He tried taking her heavy bag and Keira, seething and feeling stupid, shoved him back. Kona let her, seemed so shocked by her anger that he moved away from her. Around them people were staring, a small circle of eyes and ears eating up the drama like it was chocolate. Kona reached for her bag again and Keira twisted out of his grasp, coming close to falling from the weight before Kona steadied her.
“Get off me, *. Now!” Keira’s voiced carried, lifted up into the high ceiling, up to the second floor balcony where Kona’s mother was walking toward her office. Kona twisted his neck, watching his oblivious mother as she stopped to speak to one of the art history professors. Another grunt and Kona snapped his gaze to Keira before he grabbed her bag from her and pulled Keira by the arm, shouldering his way through the crowd that stepped back from his looming stature and simmering frown, ignoring Keira’s feeble attempts to jerk out of his grip.
He had a tight grip on her elbow that pinched and twisted and before they reached his car, Keira dug in her feet, yanking back. “Let me go, you gorilla.” Kona stopped, turned toward her as though he might pull her against him and Keira saw red and stomped on his foot.
He dropped her bag, wincing against the pain in his foot. “Keira, calm the hell down.” She didn’t want him controlling her, demanding that she stop acting like a brat. All Keira wanted was space from him, distance that would leave Kona miles behind her. Her bag was in her hand and over her shoulder before Kona realized what she was doing and she headed down the sidewalk, thinking of nothing but a hot shower to lessen her chill and the disgusting Neanderthal darting after her.