Page 22 of Playing Hard to Get

“I need a new laptop. Like, yesterday, and Dad said the only way I could get one today is if you go shopping for one with me.”

I mentally go over today’s schedule. “I can’t leave campus this afternoon. I only have another—”

“Forty-five minutes until your next class. Mom sent me your schedule.”

I hate that everyone in my family keeps tabs on me. Plus, I’m pretty sure she’s lying. Dad would never say she needs me to hold her hand while buying a new laptop. Blair is pretty damn independent. “Yeah, and that’s not enough time to go anywhere.”

“They sell Apple laptops at the campus bookstore,” she sing-songs, her smile growing. “Just come with me there, okay?”

Oh shit. The bookstore.

I wonder if bookstore girl is working this afternoon.

SEVEN

JOANNA

“I havesomething I need to tell you.”

I glance up from where I’m sitting at the desk in the office that’s in the back of the bookstore, frowning at Leon who’s standing in the doorway. I come back here and do homework before I start my shift because it’s nice and quiet and no one bothers me.

Usually.

“What do you need to tell me?” I note the distressed expression on Leon’s normally sunny face, my frown deepening, dread coating my stomach.

Uh oh. It can’t be good.

“Your baby daddy Knox Maguire is here—with another girl.”

The dread is gone, just like that, replaced with a faint hint of irritation. “Like I care. And mybaby daddy? Come on.” I drop my gaze to my textbook, concentrating hard—or at least attempting to. I can feel Leon watching me, his intense gaze practically burning holes into the top of my head until I finally hear him growl in irritation.

“You’re hopeless.”

My head whips up, my gaze locking with his. “I don’t care about him.”

“You should.” He takes a step inside, cupping his hand around the side of his mouth like he’s going to tell me a secret. “You sat on his lap.”

He somehow whisper-yells that particular fact.

God, I wish I hadn’t told him about that.

“For like three seconds.”

“The best three seconds of your life.”

I think about Knox’s hard, muscular thighs beneath my butt. The way his hands settled on my waist, his palms burning through the fabric of my shirt.

“I don’t know about that.” I slam my textbook shut, making the flimsy desk rattle. Like how Knox rattles me. Ugh. “I have to clock in.”

“Your timing is impeccable.” Leon sniffs, watching as I rise to my feet.

“Please tell me he’s not in the calculator section.” I walk toward him, my steps slow. I kind of don’t want to go out there and see Knox.

And then again, I kind of do.

“Nope. He’s over on the Apple side, looking at laptops with the pretty girl with brownish-blonde hair.” Leon smiles pettily, if that’s a thing. “She’s beautiful.”

“If you think she’s so beautiful, why don’t you go for her then?” I lift my brows, secretly hating how catty I sound.

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