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I take a deep breath and glance around the busy place. There are way more people here now, and a line is forming. “I feel like all I say is thank you.” I smile. “But thank you.”
He laughs. “You’re welcome.” When he tries to hold my gaze, it’s uncomfortable again.
“Well, I had better start toward my next class.” I move to stand.
“Wait.” He bolts up, causing the couple to my left to look at us. “What are you doing on Friday? Because my fraternity is having a party, and it’s going to be epic. You need to come with me.”
Reaching for my backpack on the back of the chair, I shake my head. “Can’t. I need to get organized and caught up on everything.”
“Alex?” He reaches for my wrist, then catches himself and clears his throat, his hands going into his pockets. “You need to have some fun. You just got here. Have you even been to a party yet?”
“No, but I don’t go to parties.” With a laugh, I reach for the muffin. I’ll eat it as I walk.
“You have to come. Please, as my friend…” He cocks his head at me.
I sigh. This is exactly why I hate for people to buy me anything or do stuff. I feel guilty saying no. Like I accepted his notes, and now I feel obligated to go to his stupid party.
“I’ll see. Thanks again for everything.” I start toward the door.
“It’ll be fun. I’m gonna remind you on Friday, and wait—” He types on his phone. “There, I just emailed you my number. If you need a ride while your car is getting fixed, let me know.” He smiles.
“I will.” I nod. “And thanks again for this.” I hold up the muffin. “And again for the notes,” I say over my shoulder. Pushing the door open, I walk out into the warm day and make my way toward the English building. I’m forcing myself to get there before I stalk Brett and his brother on the Internet. Walking over to a large palm tree, I pull out my phone and typeJett Powers.Pictures of a truly gorgeous man pop up as I scroll.
“God, I’m really out of it,” I hiss because his brother is like the biggest defense attorney, and kind of famous. This is when my childhood friend Christy would have come in handy. She loved to keep up with all the trends and who’s who. I was always way too busy studying. Not that I don’t love social media, but I mostly scroll through dog videos and makeup tutorials rather than staying up to date with the latest gossip news.
“Whatever,” I grumble, typing inBrett Powers.And there he is. I look up just to make sure no one can see that I’ve now been reduced to stalking my professor. So apparently he went to Stanford and went on to earn his doctorate here. He’s single… interesting. But maybe he and Skylar are too new for anyone to know about it.
My heart flutters, and I puff out some air as I look at pictures of him with a bunch of different women, none of them my sister. He’s basically the foremost expert in environmental engineering, and it looks like he just got green-lighted for a fifty-million-dollar project…
“Jesus.” I swipe away my browser. He’s a fucking hot genius. What am I doing? I head toward class. Something is not right. I mean, maybe he’s not with Skylar?God, Alex, it doesn’t matter anyway. He’s dangerous in that he could steal your heart in seconds.He’s also the dean, and on his way to great things. What happened earlier was probably nothing to him.
Push him out of your mind.Maybe Jordan was right. Maybe I do need to have fun. Because if Brett Powers is with my sister, and he just… with me,on his desk… then he’s an asshole. And if he’s not with my sister, but he’s letting me think he is… still an asshole.
Therein lies the problem: I don’t really think he’s an asshole. Exciting, fucking hot, and dangerous? Yes.
I realize I have to let all this go as I walk into my literature class. Stay on course, and see what happens. Focus on getting my car fixed, remain positive, and everything else will work out the way it’s supposed to.
ALEXANDREA
“Three days. You said that’s how long it would take,” I yell into the phone, dodging a bunch of people running past me as I move outside to hear.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Carter, but the part we need didn’t come in today like I had hoped. If we’re lucky, it will arrive Monday morning, and we’ll have your car ready for you by Monday night.” The mechanic’s voice sounds like he’s barely even paying attention. Biting my lower lip, I look out at the sunset, which at any other time I’d find stunning with its deep oranges and reds, but not now.
“This is very disappointing. I need my car,” I snap.
“We can offer you a rental, but as it’s already six o’clock, you’d have to come right now.”
“Really? You tell me this now? Look, just… call me when it’s ready,” I say, looking down at my white Converse.
“Will do. You have a nice weeke—” I hang up on him, not in the mood to hear anymore crap. Because the last three days have been exactly that.
Shitty.
My whole positive attitude has slowly disintegrated like fruit left out too long. That’s me, a three-day-old banana, once yellow, now rotten and angry. Not only have the last few days been miserable with my sister, but Dean Powers has not said one word to me.
Nothing.
Literally glances over me as if I’m a ghost. At first, I thought he was just playing it cool and would ask to see me in his office, but Wednesday came and went, and here I am on Friday, standing outside a fraternity house with nothing but my phone.
