. 1

So, it finally happened. Someone was willing to be my saving grace and go over my story for me. I think I may have a permanent editor, HOPEFULLY I do because if I do, that'd be great. I just need to clear this up; guys, I stated in the very first chapter that I did NOT have an editor at the time and I was hoping that you all may have been able to appreciate the story even without the editor. Most of you have and to you I say, thank you so much. When I said I craved constructive criticisms, I didn't mean constantly nagging me about getting an editor.. I was working on it! But now I have... actually I think I have three editors LOL. This chapter is going to be split up because I didn't wanna lump the past and the present. Someone mentioned wanting to know why Arabeth put up with him... Here you go. So anyway, I'd really appreciate more comments on what you think of the STORY itself and not so much misplaced/misspelled structures. Shout out to IronDragon and Black_Dragon_Princess for their constant support and words of encouragement :) You guys are seriously awesome. Anyway, you guys are great, I appreciate you reading my story and all of you and your continued support.

Special thanks to Les, Alea & Glo for their editing skills. :)

And another thanks to Katie, Curtis, Erin and Kahlil for their pre-reads. I appreciate you guys. :)

Kuma nina- mother fucker (Swahili)

-ERC

**

Spring Semester – 2012

"Hurry up, Ina! They're not gonna hold the party while you take forever to get ready," an 18-year-old Arabeth pressed. "First 50 ladies get in free, we're gonna be late!"

Arabeth checked her phone for the millionth time as she sat on her bed, waiting for her friend to finish getting ready. They were supposed to be attending the first big party of the semester and Arabeth just knew there would be a plethora of possibly single, attractive candidates for her to choose from. However, if Ina didn't put a little pep in her step, they wouldn't be going anywhere but to the lobby to watch TV for the evening.

"I'm coming, bitch! Damn, can you just... I don't know.. go check your hair in the bathroom or some shit. I'll be ready in a second," Ina proclaimed, annoyed by Arabeth's constant pushing. Arabeth could tell she was getting on Ina's nerves - hell she was getting on her own nerves. But it was the first party of the semester! They'd missed the last one intentionally, not really comfortable with the idea of meeting new people so soon, but now that they'd gotten to know quite a few people they saw this as an opportunity to experience more of the college life.

"I'm not missing this party, so you'd better be done in the next three minutes or I swear I will leave you," Arabeth said, making her way to the door to go check her appearance in the floor bathroom.

Ina peeked her head out of the closet. "No you won't!" She smiled and was rewarded with a chuckle as Arabeth left, closing the door behind her.

**

?...Yellow diamonds in the light

Now we're standing side by side

As your shadow crosses mine

What it takes to come alive...?

Arabeth had been sipping on... well, she wasn't actually sure but it was good. Her head was swimming and she'd felt better than she had in a long time. The music, the people, the mood... college was great.

"You're way too pretty to stand on the wall by yourself.." a smooth, silky voice washed over her. Had she been more coherent she would have been able to respond with something sarcastic, but she was feeling herself and wasn't really in the position to get sassy. "Do you go to school here?" the voice asked. He sounded really close.

She turned her head and was shocked that he'd been so close to her face, whispering in her ear. Instead of answering him, she nodded. He smiled seductively before reaching up to take her cup. His eyes watched hers as he slowly brought the cup to his full lips and took a sip. Without saying a word, he handed the cup back to her and licked his lips. Her eyes followed his tongue as it traced the shape of his mouth and she bit her lip to keep from letting out a moan she was sure would be heard by anyone around her.

They stayed that way until the stranger stuck his hand out. "Benji Holland... and you are?" he inquired.

"Ara-...Arabeth," she replied, clearing her throat. "Foster," she added. She wasn't sure why she'd given him her last name, but it seemed appropriate. "And yes, I go to school here."

Benji nodded and scanned the crowded room before peering back down at her. "What year?"

Arabeth told him she was a freshman and he'd asked if she was enjoying her time in school so far. She nodded and proceeded to talk about how her classes were going and how she enjoyed meeting new people. Benji, seemingly interested in what she was talking about, pushed for further information about her. As their conversation continued, Arabeth noted the amount of times he scanned the room.

"Looking for someone? Girlfriend, perhaps?" She was joking, but she hoped he really wasn't looking for some other girl. They were having a good conversation and she was hoping that they could continue and possibly exchange numbers.

Benji smirked down at her. "No, I'm waiting on a friend actually. He was supposed to be here by now, but it's well into the party and he's nowhere to be seen."

"You're more than welcome to go look for him, I'm sure I'll be okay here by myself," she said, praying that he would stay there with her. She liked his company and it didn't hurt that he was super attractive. When he scanned the room again, she took that time to silently praise his appearance. His hair was ginger and styled into a neat fohawk which she could tell took a lot of work. He could use a shave, but his lips were perfectly set, not too full and not too thin... and perfectly pink. It made her hot just thinking about what he could do with his mouth between her legs. He sort of reminded her of a slightly younger Kevin McKidd from Grey's Anatomy.

"Hello?" Her reverie was interrupted by his voice. Had he been saying something to her?

"W-what? I'm sorry, what'd you say?" she asked nervously, the tremble in her voice evident. Daydreaming with an attractive man in front of her probably wasn't the best idea. Now her panties were moist and she was aching to be satisfied... more specifically by the man in front of her.

"I said... would you like to go somewhere more private? Instead of us both standing here prolonging what we both know is inevitable..." He'd leaned back down to her ear and was gently nibbling on her earlobe, waiting for her response. Arabeth unintentionally dropped her almost empty cup and her eyes fluttered close. When she nodded her head, Benji wasted no time in grabbing her hand and leading her towards the back of the house. Arabeth didn't notice, but on his way, he made eye contact with a tall brunette man and nodded before continuing his journey.

**

They were in a room Arabeth could only take to be a guest bedroom. Benji seemed pretty confident as he guided them past everyone, almost like he lived there, but Arabeth didn't question him. She was just happy that he'd taken an interest in her. Before she had time to really process her surroundings, Benji was on her. He'd removed her jacket and tossed it on the bed, only to grab her waist and pull her closer to him. He didn't wait for her to protest as their lips crashed together in a brutal kiss. His mouth was quick, nipping and biting at her lips while she grabbed onto his arms. When she didn't make a move to pull away, Benji turned them around so that her back was facing the bed and he nudged her gently, sending them both falling on top of the sheets. Instantly, Arabeth wrapped her legs around him and Benji groped her waist even tighter. His lips were everywhere, her lips, her neck, her face and anywhere else he could put his mouth above the waist.

Arabeth was in ecstasy, and she was loving every minute of it. She loved the way Benji took control of her, how he made her feel wanted. With his hands and lips everywhere, she couldn't think straight. She could feel him pressing against her core and it only made her want him more. But something nagged at the back of her mind. Even in her clouded state, she couldn't shake the fact that she really didn't know too much about the man on top of her, yet she was letting him paw away at her.

"Hey- hey.." she started, but let out a heady moan as he bit her neck, "You don't- you don't have like.. uhhmm.. you don't have a girlfriend, do you?" she managed to get out and immediately felt him tense as his actions halted. Fuck, she should have just let him do what he wanted...

Benji wasn't expecting this. Freshmen usually didn't ask questions when he was making them moan and shake with desire, but this one... Oh, she was different. He probably could have done better, but he wasn't really in the mood to go scaling for the hottest of freshman girls. Plus, he'd noticed she'd seem to be letting herself drift as she stood on the wall... very easy target. But he was not expecting that question... And he knew he'd have to answer her. He could easily lie and say no, but he kind of wanted to see what her reaction would be. "I do..." he said and was rewarded with a shove that sent him to his back on the bed. Damn, this girl was fucking strong. "Woah, shit.. was that really necessary?" he asked, and Arabeth scoffed. She couldn't believe this jerk had the nerve to act offended!

"It was

very necessary

, you cheating bastard! You don't just make out with girls if you have a girlfriend! What type of shit is that?" she fumed. The alcohol was slowly creeping its way out of her system as she finally regained her focus... and her morals.

"Look, sweetheart, I'm sorry ok? I have a girlfriend... but we're not really on the best of terms right now. In fact, we're not even speaking.. so I don't even know if I have a girlfriend or not..." he said calmly, sitting up on the bed as he watched her get off and straighten herself out. Arabeth was hearing none of it.

"No, I'm sorry. Actually.. I'm not. I'm not gonna be at fault for a broken relation-fucking-SHIT. Because obviously that's what you have. A relationshit. I don't get involved in relationshits, ok?" she exclaimed, fixing her clothes and hair and ready to go back out to the crowd. She was ready to leave. She didn't know if the guy was lying or not, and quite frankly she didn't care. He was an arrogant sonofabitch a minute ago and now he was trying to plead his case. Arabeth rolled her eyes and grabbed her jacket, slipping it on. "We're done here," she said coolly, walking out of the room.

"Well, fuck me..." Benji was shocked at this girl's boldness... but he wasn't done with her just yet. Fuck me, indeed...

**

Over the next few months, Benji was constantly trying to get Arabeth's attention... it was borderline harassment on his part. Unfortunately for her, the classes they both had shared a few buildings. Some days he'd be waiting for her after class... how he even knew her schedule was beyond her. She'd easily blow him off and continue walking or look for an excuse to go the opposite way. At one point she had actually hid in the bathroom after class just so he couldn't follow her. However, Benji was not to be deterred... or dismissed.

Arabeth found herself annoyed by his persistence, but also... a little turned on. He was trying hard to get her attention, and for some reason it made her feel special. Yet every time he would approach her she reminded herself that he had a possible girlfriend, and she wasn't going to get involved with that. The last straw was when he showed up to her dorm one night... How the fuck did he get in the hall?!

"How the fuck did you get in my hall?" she scolded, but lowered her voice as she remembered her still present roommate. "How the fuck did you get in my hall?" she repeated, crossing her arms as she awaited an answer.

In all his cockiness, Benji leaned against the door frame and smiled smugly at her, "You're not happy to see me?" He feigned hurt as he placed his hand over his heart. "You've been avoiding me."

Arabeth's face immediately twisted in disgust. "You're damn right I'm avoiding you," she whispered in a harsh tone. Now was not the time nor place. "Now, I'll ask you again; how the fuck did you get in the hall?" She was fed up with this.

"I have friends, honey." He grinned as he eyes roamed her body. She was wearing a tank top and pink running shorts, with no bra. Noting the way his eyes scanned her body, she quickly folded her arms to shield his view, though it didn't really help. Her 36 DDD's were being pushed up, and this caused Benji's grin to become smug.

"Well, you and your friends can go fuck yourselves," she hissed, trying to close the door. Benji wasn't finished, so he quickly pressed on the door and pushed it open, sending Arabeth stumbling back a little. Her roommate at the time, Antoinette, could see where this was going and decided to excuse herself, quickly gathering her things and brushing past the two.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" he probed. He was trying to get a rise out of her, and damn if it wasn't working. Without answering, she walked up to stand directly in front of him and shoved him back, letting the door close so that they were both standing on the outside now.

Shit! Shit! Remembering that she didn't have her keys, she frantically turned around and tried to open it, releasing an aggravated sigh before slumping her shoulders. She'd locked herself out and her roommate had just left, probably to the lobby. She didn't have her card with her either, which meant she would have to walk out to the lobby without wearing a bra. She didn't know who was out there, and speculations would be made if she walked out with Benji.

"Well now, sweetness, it seems you're at a disadvantage..." he boasted, amused at the way her face had become flushed with agitation. She was trapped and they both knew it. "Now, as I was saying before... you've been avoiding me."

Arabeth said nothing as she moved past him, trying to get to the hall entrance. Fuck it, bra be damned! She wasn't going to stand here and let him goad her with his arrogance. Of course she was avoiding him, there was no sense in getting her hopes up about someone who had a girlfriend. Her thoughts were raging as she hurried down the hallway. She knew Benji had followed her and she was trying her hardest not to look back at his smug mask. Why wouldn't he just leave her alone? It wasn't like there weren't other girls on this campus... freshman girls who'd be more than willing to jump in his bed.

"Arabeth!" he snapped, and it halted her in her tracks. She rolled her eyes and slowly turned to face him, seeing that he was only a few feet away. He looked antsy and it made her smile... 'Good.' she thought. "If you're done being a brat... I'd like to talk to you about some things..." he suggested that she get her roommate to let them in. She thought about it and decided that the only way to get him to leave was to hear what he had to say. She could easily knock on the RA's door and tell her to make him leave, but decided against it. This wasn't that serious and would probably be over in a matter of minutes.

"Fine."

**

They were sitting in her room, Arabeth on the bed and Benji at her desk. The chair was facing her bed and he was leaning forward, giving him the appearance of a man in distress. Arabeth, who was becoming bothered by his silence, cleared her throat. "I'm really sorry," he stated, and she scoffed at the tone in his voice. He sounded as if he was trying to force the words from his throat, and it upset her that he didn't seem to know what the words 'I'm sorry' really meant.

"No, you're not. You're not sorry. You shouldn't have done it... you shouldn't have let me do it," she said, stressing the last part. "You have a girlfriend! What kind of guy are you? No, actually... don't answer. I know what kind of guy you are..."

"I broke up with her."

Arabeth hesitated as she processed the words. He'd broken up with her? When? Why? Was it her fault? Shit! She really didn't want to be caught in the middle of this...

"When?" she questioned.

"Does it matter? Look, I broke up with her because... Our kiss... it made me feel something. I've been spending too much time fighting with someone who won't even speak to me..." he tried to finish but was interrupted.

"Maybe it's because you're a cheating bastard." she pointed out.

Benji was becoming irritated at this girl's attitude. Suddenly, he was on his feet and making the few steps it took to get him standing right in front of her bed. Since her bed sat up pretty high, he was eye-level with her and he parted her legs to stand in between them. She should have been shocked, but she wasn't. She pegged him for the type of guy who got his way a lot, and now wouldn't be any different. "You know," he started, his hands moving idly on her exposed thighs, "You've got a pretty dirty mouth," he said, watching as the color in her cheeks rose as she tried to squeeze her legs shut, only causing Benji to arrogantly spread her thighs wider.

Arabeth couldn't think straight. She hadn't prepared for this, for him to be so gutsy. Although, from what she could remember at the party, he did seem pretty compelling. Her thoughts were hindered when she felt his breath on her neck. He was so close and it was clouding her judgment, but she didn't dare ask him to stop. She could feel her body responding to his, and she unintentionally let out a harsh whimper. This prompted Benji to squeeze her thick thighs and kiss her neck. 'This might be easier than I thought...'

"Mmm.. Ben-... Wait..." Arabeth pleaded in between breaths. He was doing it again, his lips everywhere. If he kept this up she'd soon be calling out his name, begging him not to stop as the RA banged on the door for them keep it down... She couldn't have that, but he wasn't listening. "Benji... Benji!" she exclaimed, quickly lowering her voice as she remembered that the walls were paper thin. She breathed out a relieved sigh when he stopped and backed away from her, and she quickly shut her legs and fixed her tank top. "I'm... You're not... Look," she started. "You seem like a... a real catch. I just... it's only my second semester and I don't wanna get caught up in anything I can't handle," she concluded, biting her lip nervously as she waited for him to speak. When he didn't say anything, she chalked it up to be that he was going to leave, but instead he leaned against her desk. They stayed that way until the sound of the door opening caused both of their eyes to look towards it.

"Hey, sorry but um... you've gotta go. I've got classes in the morning and so does she," her roommate pointed out and Arabeth mouthed a thank you. Benji said nothing as he gathered himself to leave, but not before Antoinette added one more thing, "And next time.. don't show up here uninvited. I don't like being forced out of my room by uncomfortable situations, okay?"

**

"So he just showed up to your room? How'd he get in the hall?" Ina proclaimed. They were sitting in the Student Union having lunch, and Arabeth was filling her in on the previous night's events.

"He has 'friends'," she told her, trying to mock the arrogance in his voice as Ina laughed wholesomely. "It was just really weird... I don't know. I don't really know him and I've already let him feel me up, kiss me and...

shit!

" Arabeth exclaimed, "He's coming over here..." she whispered, and Ina immediately stopped eating.

"What? Where? Here? Holy shit!" she nearly shouted, and Arabeth hushed her.

"Shhh-shhh.. don't make a big deal out of it. Just act cool, okay?" She finished talking right before he'd reached their table. They both stared up at him, Arabeth's face turning in disgust.