AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Rylan groans. “Not looking forward to finishing that.”
“How many have you done?”
“Just the first three,” she tells him.
“I’m headed to the library now, if you want to work on it together?”
I’m not sure if Rylan catches the nervous note to Theo’s voice, but I do.
He likes her. And I guess nerds show that by inviting girls todo homework with them instead of inviting them into an empty room at a party.
“I can’t.” Rylan sounds regretful, glancing at me and then quickly away when she realizes I’m looking at her.
I shove my hands into my pockets and focus my attention on the barista, wishing my coffee was ready and I wasn’t stuck listening.
“I have a, uh, study thing,” she explains.
Would she tell him she’s tutoring a failing hockey player if I wasn’t standing right here?
Would she say yes to him, if she wasn’t stuck tutoring me tonight?
“Too bad,” Theo says. The disappointment in his voice is obvious—to me, at least. “Text me if it finishes early.”
“Will do,” she replies.
He leaves, and Rylan’s coffee appears a few seconds later. She picks the cup up but doesn’t leave. Not until mine appears too.
Logical, I guess, considering we’re headed to the same place to meet up. But I wasn’t expecting her to wait for me. Especially with plenty of evidence to support her not wanting to spend her evening around me.
I grab an extra paper sleeve when I pick up my cup, handing it to Rylan as we walk toward the door.
I avoid all the looks aimed at me except hers. People are either staring because of Saturday’s game or because I don’t really walk around campus with girls. I hook up at parties on the weekends. But around campus? I’m usually with a group of my teammates.
“What’s this for?” she asks.
“It’ll keep your hand from freezing.”
Her “Oh. Uh, thanks” sounds confused.
Not sure what that means, but it’s better than indifference or annoyance.
We’re both silent, passing the seating area just outside the coffee shop and then starting on the path that cuts across campus toward the academic buildings and the library.
“We can do this another night,” I tell her.
“Why?” She sounds even more puzzled, glancing at me with a crease between her eyebrows. It’s cute.
“So you can go talk Euclidean algorithm with your math buddy.”
I’m kinda expecting her to be impressed I remembered the mouthful that’sEuclidean algorithm. Instead, when I look over, she appears offended. Her mouth is pressed in another thin line that flattens the pouty lips I spend too much time thinking about. “I don’t need Theo’s help to do the problem set.”
“He doesn’t need yours either, genius. He has a crush on you, and you shot him down. Probably did a real number on his poor confidence. Text the guy. Tell him you’re free.”
I don’t know why I’m making a big deal out of this.
Aside from two pathetic reasons. One, if she’s dating another guy, then maybe I can stop thinking about her as a possibility, since neither her last name nor the fact she’s my tutor seems to be doing the trick. Two, and even more pitiful, because I want to know if he’s her type and whether she’s interested in him.
“What’s her name?” Rylan snaps.
