AllFreeNovel
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Slow down; I try reminding myself. She hasn’t even agreed to go on a date yet. I can’t get too far ahead of myself. I don’t want to have another jump start with my perfect woman.
Before I can attempt to ask her out again, our professor walks in and class starts.
Just like on Monday, Locklyn takes diligent notes. I smile when she scrunches up her nose at something, then underlines a previous note several times. Does she have any idea how adorable she is?
I’m so lost in every detail about Locklyn that I don’t even realize the class is over until the professor clears his throat.
“The first essay will be due next Monday. If you have any questions, you can email me, and as always, my office hours are every Monday and Wednesday from three to five.”
I make a mental note to stop by during office hours and have her give me a brief rundown of the assignment again. It’s totally worth it since I got to spend forty-five uninterrupted minutes studying Locklyn. Obsessive? Probably. Necessary to my survival? Absolutely.
Class ends and we pack up together. I grab her trash for her, and Locklyn smiles as she shoves her laptop back into her backpack. She looks up at me again and I grin at her, making her roll her eyes. I can see her trying to hide her smirk, and I consider that a win.
“Can I walk you to your next class?” I ask her.
“Could I stop you?”
I just smile to myself as I follow her out of the classroom and down the steps. We take off across the quad to the Briar building and I easily match my pace to hers. She’s about a foot shorter than me and one of my steps is about three of hers. So while she’s walking normally, I’m doing more of a stroll. I don’t mind.
“Where are you from originally?” I ask.
“New York. What about you?”
“Pittsburgh.”
“Did you like it there?” I pause, debating how to answer that.
“I didn’t hate the city or anything,” I hedge.
“But?” she prompts, picking up on the unspoken tension.
“But I don’t really get along with my father.”
“Why not?” Locklyn peers over at me, her eyes sparkling with a gentle understanding. Still, I don’t want to burden her with all of my bullshit when I’m trying to make a good impression.
“He’s got a temper, and…Well, let’s just say he’s not a good person. I never want to be like him, and I got out from under his roof as fast as I could.”
I didn’t realize I had stopped walking until Locklyn wraps her hand around mine, squeezing it gently.
“I’m sorry I pushed for information,” she whispers.
My girl has such a tender heart, and it has me falling even harder for her.
Smiling, I lift her hand to my lips, lightly kissing her knuckles. “Never apologize, sweet girl,” I tell her softly before resuming our walk to class. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know, I just don’t have a pretty backstory.”
“I don’t care about pretty stories, I just want genuine ones.”
“That’s part of what makes you incredible,” I tell her truthfully. Locklyn gifts me with another sweet smile, but I can tell the moment is getting to be a bit overwhelming. I switch tracks, asking her what she thinks about Sequoia.
“I actually love it. There’s no traffic and I can walk pretty much everywhere,” she says with a happy smile.
“What’s your favorite color?” I ask, and she blinks at the random question.
“Uh, green.”
“Like your eyes?”
“Like nature. What’s yours?”
