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As if things couldn’t get worse, Connor’s eyes flicked over to me, and I felt myself jump a little in shock. I wasn’t expecting him to notice I was there, or grin at me like that. Ugh. I swore he had a smile that could wreck ships and I was stupid enough to let it nearly wreck me.
Rolling my eyes, I turned on my heels before I could get drawn into his games. Why was he bothering me, anyway? He got what he needed. I got his grades up high enough that he could play again. He was just taunting me at this point.
With my tray, I headed straight to the exit because it was the height of dinner and there were no other free tables. At least if I sat outside, I wouldn’t have to deal with anymore of my ex’s shit.
Dropping the tray on top of the trash so I’d have less to carry, I held onto the nachos tightly, using my hip to push the metal bar and open the door to the outside. Thankfully, the sun was still shining, and there wasn’t much of a breeze, so it felt nice. I chose an empty bench with just enough tree coverage that I could still feel the sun’s heat every now and again, but I wasn’t in direct sunlight, which was good for my pale skin.
As I plucked a chip from my nacho pile and started eating, I pulled my latest book out and started reading. I relaxed for a second because it was nice and quiet out here, perfect for reading the juicy part of my novel.
Just as I got to a cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, someone plopped onto the bench opposite me.
I so badly wanted to look up and glare at the intruder, but I didn’t want to give them the satisfaction of knowing they’d annoyed me. So instead, I flipped the page and focused on Chapter Twelve like my life depended on it.
The person moved, and I got a whiff of their woody cologne. So, it was a guy. Great. Just what I needed. More guys to judge me when I was happily minding my own business.
He coughed, and I clenched my jaw, doing my best to hold back any visible signs of annoyance.
There were at least twenty other unoccupied benches out here, and he justhadto choose mine? Without asking?
Resting my chin on my hand, I shuffled in my seat, trying my best not to look at him, but his presence was commanding, to say the least, and that made it hard to ignore.
“You added knee-high socks to your outfit today again. Are you just trying to kill every man on campus?”
“Tanner,” I sneered, slamming my book shut, and nearly biting my tongue in half. “What the hell are you doing here?” He flicked his hair over his shoulder and looked at me smugly. I couldn’t help but notice how nice his hair looked. It was the first time I’d seen it down, and I was surprised at how long it actually was. It only brushed past his shoulders, but it was blonde, and straight, and well, silky.
Tanner shrugged, luckily unaware of my wayward thoughts regarding his hair. His eyes darted down the table and then back up to me. “It’s just, as much as I hate to admit it, that skirt and sock combo are fist bitingly hot.”
He brought his hand to his mouth, curling his fingers into a tight fist, and then bit down on his knuckles. I was so tempted to shove that fist all the way down his throat because that comment wasn’t funny or smart. “You know, out of all the things I learned about our newest quarterback over this week, I had no idea that he was a misogynistic asshole. Might need to give the rest of the female student body a heads up.”
Whipping his hand out of his mouth, he gave me a smile.
I froze, because if Connor’s smile could wreck ships, Tanner’s could tilt worlds onto a different axis. His teeth were perfectly straight, only emphasized by his strong jawline and symmetrical lips. Was a sexy smirk a requirement for athletes, or something? “You’re right. I shouldn’t have said it. Especially under the conditions we originally met in. I’m sorry. I’ve clearly been living with Aiden Matthews too long and forgot how to talk to women.” He laughed, shaking his head. “If my sister could see me right now, she’d whack me over the head for being such a dumbass and trying to be cute. I’m not the cute guy. I’m the one that works my ass off to get what I want.”
I just stared at him, watching him ramble. If his English Essays were anything like that, I had no problems figuring out why he failed. “Aiden Matthews? You act like I should know who that is.”
He snorted, his foot accidentally grazed mine under the table, and he visibly sat back, offering me some space. “Of course you haven’t heard of him. You don’t like sports, do you?”
“Nope,” I popped out, before dragging my book across the table and dropping it in my bag.
“What are you reading?” His hands were clasped together now, but his thumbs wouldn’t stop jittering, which left me to wonder if they still did drug tests on athletes during offseason because Tanner was acting like he was on speed.
I glared at him, feeling like he’d become a fly in the ointment of my life. Stuck in a place he shouldn’t be, and I couldn't get him out without ruining the perfectly whipped ripples. He had his own bag of food, and opened it up, pulling out the biggest burrito I’d ever seen. I wanted to ask how he could eat something like that as an athlete, but that would involve having a conversation with him, and I most definitely wasn’t prepared to be pleasant. Not after how much he humiliated me.
“I guess you’re joining me for dinner, then?” I said, monotonous to the point of sounding bitchy, but that was on purpose. I’d hoped that my attitude was enough of a hint that I wanted him gone.
Without looking at me, he unwrapped the foil from the top and placed it on the table. “Yup.” Still, no eye contact, but he didn’t seem bothered, and then he took a huge bite of his burrito. Lettuce, beans and rice spilled out of the wrapped goodness. But that didn’t stop him from waggling his eyebrows, clearly trying to get a reaction out of me.
“You know. I could have you arrested for stalking.”
“Stalking?” His left cheek was full of food as he took a napkin and wiped the corners of his mouth. “I’m not stalking you.”
I raised my hands, showcasing the table. “Then what do you call this?”
“What?”
“You inviting yourself to have dinner with me.”
“We’re not having dinnertogether.I’m just eating my dinner on a public bench, and you just so happen to be sitting on the other side eating yours too.”
