Page 33 of Brutal King

“Kat! Get back here.”

“Go. Go to whatever it is that’s so important on campus. I have work to do, and I want to get started.”

“Look, I have a meeting with my guys. Please, get in the car.”

“Go, Kobe,” I said, trying a softer tone with him. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll catch a ride back with Trent.”

“No. You can’t stay.”

“Yes.I can.”

“Kat.”

“Kobe.”

“Kat, I don’t have time to argue with you.”

“Then stop arguing and get going.”

“No!”

“Why the hell not?”

He pulled in a long and exasperated breath. “Because, Kat. Just because.”

“Well, look... when you come up with a better reason than ‘just because’, let me know. In the meantime, I’m going to go in there and get a head start on this project.”

He hesitated. “Um... Okay. Okay. You’re right. We really should start working on the project. So, get in the car, we’ll go back to campus, I’ll do what I have to do, and then I’ll come back here with you. How does that sound?”

“Silly. Ridiculous. Absurd. I’m already here. Why waste the time of going back to campus when I could be working here? Besides, I have nothing to do there. Am I supposed to just sit around and wait for you, precious Mr. King? Get serious.”

Gripping the steering wheel, he stared straight ahead.

“Kobe?” I said, growing concerned. He was acting so strange.

He chewed on his bottom lip as his gaze dropped to the dashboard.

“Kobe?”

“You know,” he finally said. “We’re supposed to work on this together. This is our project, not just yours. This isn’t all about you. I have to earn my grade on this as well.”

“I’m not going to hog the project, Kobe. You’ll have plenty of time to prove yourself.”

As I closed the door, he pulled his phone out. “Axel? Hey, it’s me. I won’t be able to make the game tonight. Apologize to Tom and Jeremy for me, will you? Yeah. Yeah. I have my project to work on. Sure thing. I’ll see you later tonight.”

I cleared the frown from my brow and turned to head into Ginger.

“Hang on,” Kobe said as he shot out of the car. He was beside me before his car door had slammed shut. “I’m coming with you.”

With my hand on the door handle, I turned to look at him. I had so many questions. He was being so unreasonable. I had to wonder if it was a matter of, ‘if he can’t have me, no one can’. Or rather, ‘if he doesn’t want me, no one should’.

“What are you waiting for?” he said. “Let’s go.”

I pressed a confused smile and opened the door.

“Trent,” I called out into the dining room. “Trent. We’re back.”

“Is somebody out there?” Trent called from his office.