“I had a visit last night from your dad and his partner.”

“Katie?”

“Katie?” He smiled and then laughed. “I wish Katie.” His eyes lightened for a second and then he looked back at me. “I’m talking about Greyson.”

“Oh.” I bit my lower lip. Meg must have told them that something was going on. I should have known better than to confide in her. I knew she had my best interests at heart and wouldn’t have said anything if she hadn’t been worried, though I was still upset. “What did they want?”

“What do you think they wanted?” He sat on the bed and untied his shoes.

“I don’t know. Where are they? Why didn’t they try and take me home?” I frowned and thought for a moment. If they had really come to the academy, wouldn’t I have been their first priority?

“They came to threaten me.” He shrugged. “They came to tell me to leave you alone. I told them I wasn’t the reason you came. Hunter was.”

“Oh.” My jaw dropped. “Why did you say that?”

“I wanted them to know the truth.” He started unbuttoning his shirt. “You came because you’re in love with Hunter and you want him to take your virginity. Or I should say wanted. When he was still alive.”

“No I didn’t.”

“You’re telling me, that when you first arrived you didn’t have thoughts or hopes of Hunter taking your virginity?”

“No.” I paused. “I mean I had thoughts of us being together. Whatever that means. Kissing or hugging or whatever. But no, I didn’t have dreams of ha**g s*x with him.”

“So those dreams only started with me then?”

“Yes, I mean no.” I was taken aback and flustered by his comment. “I’ve thought about it yes, but only because...” My voice trailed off.

“Only because I’m a sex magnet that you can’t resist.” He threw his shirt on the ground and stood up. I watched as he undid his belt and pulled his pants down. He stood there in front of me in a pair of white boxers and white socks. I tried not to stare at his chest and then I tried to ignore the bulge in his boxers as well. I failed at both.

“What are you doing?” I glared at him and then stared at the bruise on his chest. “Why do you have bruises on your chest and on your cheek?”

“No reason.”

“Did my dad to this to you?”

“Your dad was too busy with Hunter.”

“What are you saying?” I walked towards him so I could look him in the eyes. “Are you saying my dad killed Hunter?”

“I’m saying how well do you know you dad?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You just met him recently, right?” He took a step towards me. “Maybe you don’t know what happened with your mom as well as you think you did.”

“I’m not talking about this with you.”

“Maybe you need to realize that your dad is the wolf in all of this. Maybe you need to realize that he’s the bad guy. Maybe my father and I are the ones that were done wrong. Maybe we’re the ones that deserve retribution. Maybe your father will stop at nothing to ensure the truth doesn’t come out.”

“He’s a good man.”

“He’s so good that he left you with your grandparents when your mother died. He’s so good that you didn’t even know he existed until recently, think about it Nancy. What do you really know about him?”

“I know that he’s a good father.”

“To Harry.” He took another step towards me and touched my shoulder. “And you know why.”

“Why?” I whispered, as I stared into his eyes, mesmerized by him. I felt as if he were hypnotizing me.

“Because he’s obsessed with Katie.”

“He loves her.” I shook my head and took a step back, trying to break the spell he had over me.

“He loves her as you loved Hunter.” He took another step towards me. “He’s obsessed with her.”

“No, he loves her. There’s a difference.”

“Do you want to know why he left last night, Nancy? Do you want to know why he left without taking you?”

I nodded silently.

“I told him I didn’t care what he did, but he had to let you stay. He had to let me marry you. If he didn’t, I told him, I would tell Katie everything.”

“Everything about what?” I frowned, my heart beating.

“I don’t know if you’re ready to hear this.” He grabbed my face and stared into my eyes. “I don’t know if you can handle the truth.”

“I can handle anything.”

“Katie and I dated.” His eyes bore into mine. “Three years ago. I had just moved to the city. I was 22, she was slightly older. We hit it off.”

“Because you randomly met her or because you planned it?”

“Is there really a difference?” His fingers fell to my trembling lips. “We met. We went on a few dates. Despite her being slightly older, we were a good fit. I liked her.”

“I see.” I tried to look away, suddenly feeling jealous.

“Don’t get it wrong, Nancy. I didn’t love her. I didn’t want to marry her. I was attracted to her. I wanted to f**k her. Long and hard, like I want to f**k you.”

“You’re a pig.” I took another step back and hit the wall. I tried to push him away as he stepped closer to me, but his solid muscular mass was too much for me to move. He then pressed into me and I could feel his c**k hardening against my stomach.

“You’re prettier than her.” His lips whispered against mine. “I want you more than I wanted her.”

“I don’t care.” I shrugged. “I don’t want to know.”

“Don’t be jealous, Nancy. It’s you I’m with now.”

“I’m not jealous.” I lied.

“I didn’t want to be with Katie and Brandon didn’t want that either.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying there’s a lot you don’t know.”

“Why do you want to marry me?” I struggled against him. “It makes no sense.”

“I want to marry you so I can protect you and myself.” He sighed. “Your dad killed Hunter because I told him you guys messed around. What if he finds out the truth? Will he kill me too?”

“I don’t believe he killed Hunter.”

“He hit me in the face and then he got Greyson to hit me as well.” His body shook. “I need you to trust me Nancy. I’ve been nothing but honest with you. We have a connection. I see you’re an innocent bystander, just like me. Your dad is bad news. Yes, my dad and I wanted to bring him down, but that’s because he ruined us. All we have left is the academy. And we wanted to hurt him like he hurt us. Evil doesn’t deserve to win. I can’t help it that your father is the devil.”

“Meg told me that Greyson used to call himself the devil.” I mumbled as I stared at him. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know Brandon well. I didn’t really understand why he’d just abandoned me. Yet, I didn’t know Jaxon either. All I knew was that we were attracted to each other and he wanted revenge on my father. Would he have told me the truth if he was really a bad guy though? Maybe he was being honest. If he was, that meant my dad was a really bad guy. I couldn’t fathom why he would kill Hunter, but then I didn’t really know him. I’d often thought about him and Katie when I lay in bed. He loved her so much, yet sometimes I thought about their story and it freaked me out. There was a thin line between obsession and love and I did sometimes wonder if my dad hadn’t crossed it. I sighed as I looked into Jaxon’s wide eyes. They looked so sincere and caring, yet, part of me was afraid of him. I was afraid that he was manipulating me. I really didn’t know the truth or what had really happened. I didn’t trust Jaxon even though my heart soared to be with him and touched by him. My biggest problem was deciding whether to pretend I did trust him and believe him. What would he do if I let him know how conflicted I was! If he had murdered Hunter, then I was in danger. In fact, my whole family could be in danger. And if he was telling the truth, if he was truly innocent, then he was in danger. I knew in my heart I would never forgive myself if something happened to him. I had to make a decision.

“Nancy, you’re shivering.” His fingers stroked the top of my head and I rested my head against his chest. “I’m going to take care of you. You’ll be okay.”

“How did you guys choose Amber and Shannon to join the academy?” I whispered against his chest casually.

“Why?” He asked softly, still stroking my hair.

“I was just curious.”

“You’ll have to ask my dad, I’m not really sure of the process for the other girls.”

“What about Louise?”

“Louise?” He paused. “She’s been here for years. It’s her life. There’s nothing she’d rather be doing.”

“Oh, does she recommend or know any of the girls?”

“Oh no. Louise had no family.” He whispered against my head. “She has no one to recommend.”

I felt my stomach sinking at his words. I knew he was lying and I knew that he knew he was lying. I couldn’t trust Jaxon. I knew from the intonation in his voice that he was hiding something from me. Only I had no idea what it was.

“Where are you going?” Jaxon frowned at me as I walked to the door.

“I’m leaving.”

“Leaving?” He frowned again and his expression looked closed off, so much so that I couldn’t tell what he was thinking.

“I think my time here is done.”

“Because Hunter died?”

“No.” I shook my head. “Because I don’t know how he died or rather who murdered him.”

“I don’t think you want to know.” His voice was terse and his expression pained.

“Was it you?” I bit my lower lip.

“I can’t let you leave, Nancy.” He shook his head.

“Why not?” I knew that this was going to be the time that he took me to the side and showed me his true colors and why I was here, or he was going to tell me that he was falling for me. I waited in sweet anticipation to find out which one was going to happen.

“You haven’t finished the course.”

“What course?” My heart dropped in disappointment.

“I haven’t finished teaching you everything you have to learn.”

“I don’t want to learn anymore.” I shook my head. “Frankly, you’re not that good of a teacher.”

“What?” His eyes narrowed and he grabbed my hands and brought me into him. His chest felt hard against me and I looked up at him with unblinking eyes.

“Let go of me.” I said firmly, ignoring the rapid beating of my heart.

“What?” His eyes flashed at me in an emotion I didn’t recognize.

“Unhand me.” I said sarcastically and his lips curled up.

“This isn’t college, Nancy. This isn’t English 101.”

“Maybe you need to go back to school then as you don’t seem to understand what let go of me means.”

“I understand what let go of me means.” His small smile faded. “I’m just not going to do it.”

“Why not?”

“Because we haven’t gotten what we want.”

“And what’s that?”

“To fuck.”

“Oh.” I gasped and tried to pull away from him. “That’s not going to happen.”

“It’s not?” He tilted his head to the side and studied me. “Isn’t that why you came to the lovers’ academy?”

“No.” I whispered and suddenly I felt sad. “I came for Hunter.”

“Your father killed him.” He dropped my arms and stepped back.

“What are you talking about?” My breath caught and I tried to see if he was lying. “I don’t believe you. My dad wouldn’t do that.”

“Brandon and Greyson were here last night for one reason and one reason alone.”

“No.” I shook my head, not wanting to believe it.

“Yes. Your father had a gun.” He continued. “He came to kill. It was either going to be me or Hunter. Then he found out that Hunter dragged you here for the wrong reasons.”

“But it was you...” My voice trailed off and he turned around.

“You’re not leaving, Nancy.”

“You can’t make me stay.”

“I can make you do many things.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I want to marry you.” His eyes darkened as my stomach flipped.

“What are you talking about? Why do you keep saying that?”

“I want to marry you.” His voice sounded anything but loving.

“I think I want to leave now.” I walked towards the door and waited for him to run up and grab me. My fingers gripped into the handle and turned slowly. He didn’t stop me as I walked outside of the door and hurried to my room. I was almost to my door when I heard Amber and Shannon arguing at the bottom of the stairs.

“Can we leave yet?” Shannon muttered, her face screwed up and sulky. Nothing like her usual timid expression.

“We’ll leave when I say we can leave.” Amber replied tartly.

“What about Louise?” Shannon sounded annoyed. “I thought she got a call about that show off Broadway.”