Run Bad Boy Run

Chapter 33

An uncomfortable warmth on the back of my neck wakes me. I push the thought of how warm I am out of my groggy mind, too engrossed in the receding pieces of my dream to care. It's not time to wake up yet. My dream is just too wonderful to care about mob bosses and bad boys and rest stops that could have their own zip code.

I'm in a world made of every candy I can think of. There is an edible house beside a chocolate river. The trees are made out of cotton candy and licorice. This is definitely what Heaven looks like! This is definitely where I should—

The warmth on the back of my neck intensifies, making me squirm, and a loud horn rips the last of my dream away. I shift, feeling a new weight on my hip, and slowly, I open my eyes. A sigh catches my attention and I turn, realizing the heat on the back of my neck is not a warm breeze, but rather the breath of my arch-nemesis.

"What the hell?"

His arm draped along my waist and when I try to push him away, Hayden Cross tightens his hold on me, tugging me against him so that he could nuzzle his face into my neck.

"Excuse me!" I gasp in his iron grip. "Hey! Cross! Wake up!"

Hayden's eyes fly open and he squints in confusion, eyes traveling to our tangled limbs. He gapes and curses, sitting up and shoving me away.

"Watch it!" I snap. "Not so hard. I bruise easily."

Normally, this would be met with one of his signature smirks and infuriating, inappropriate comments. But instead of joking about how he'd like to bruise me up with his mouth, Hayden Cross groans and buries his head in his hands in a way of newfound exhaustion. "What the heck is going on?"

I was sleeping with the enemy and he made me his teddy bear.

I press my back to the door, legs drawn up to my chest. "Not used to being the big spoon?" I half heartedly joke. "It's okay. You can be the little spoon next time."

Hayden glares at me. "Seriously, Emmy."

"I don't know!" I exclaim, throwing my hands up. "You're the one who was using me as a body pillow! I should be asking you this!" He looks like he wants to say something, but doesn't, and closes his eyes. I study him carefully. "Well, did you at least enjoy your nap?"

Hayden opens his eyes and the light gray of his irises has clouded over to deep graphite. "We slept for fifteen minutes."

I shake my head, dazed. "Well shit, that was the longest fifteen minutes of my life." I feel great. Refreshed. That never happens.

Hayden looks at me again and this time his eyes flash to my arms, searching for the permanent marks on my skin. Neither of us says a word. What does a person you're supposed to hate say in this situation?

Hayden clears his throat and gets out of the car to climb into the front seat. The engine roars to life but before we have a chance to get out of here, a thud on the back of the car stops us, followed by another.

"What are they doing to our car?" I turn around and look at Hayden, eyes flickering from him to one frat boy in particular with a bruise beneath his eye. "Looks like your buddies are here for round two."

"Looks like he didn't learn the first time." Hayden growls, cutting the engine and climbing out of the car despite my shouts of protest.

"This isn't going to end well!" I reason. Not for Hayden, but the poor brute who wants to go another round with Hayden Cross' craziness.

"What? Can't get enough?" a shout comes from outside.

Hayden and the guy with the shiner stand face-to-face, glaring and shouting. The frat boy puffs out his chest more and bounces on his feet, spewing words of insult and telling him to stay away from his girl.