Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 112951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112951 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 565(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 377(@300wpm)
I was loaded and primed. I wasn’t sure what for, but I was ready. I could be a goddamn doomsday prepper.
I purposely went to the computer lab late. Becca and Aby were divas. They were also going to be late, and I was right. I was late on purpose, and they were just sitting their things down when I shouldered past the glass doors.
Shay was sitting with his back to me. Linde was next to him.
This would be lovely.
Aby and Becca took the two seats across from the guys. The only two empty seats were next to Becca or next to Shay. Talk about adding gasoline to a fire. I wasn’t even forced into a choice.
I sat by Becca.
Shay looked at me, humor damped down in those gorgeous eyes, and he lifted two fingers in the laziest greeting I’d seen in a long time. Linde narrowed his eyes, looking between the two of us, but just nodded. “What’s up? You got home okay last night?” His eyes skirted back to Shay.
I unzipped my bag and dumped my political science textbook onto the table in front of me. “Sure did. Nice and rested, and no hangover today.”
Becca groaned, pulling her books out of her backpack. “Aren’t you the most chipper person here?” She rolled her eyes. “Can this day suck any more than it does?” She shoved back her chair and left in a huff.
Aby leaned over. “Her ex called last night. They got together, and he broke back up with her this morning.”
Linde started laughing.
Aby shook her head at him. “You wouldn’t laugh if you had to spend all day with her. My advice? Plop her down in front of a computer over there and tell her what to research. Keep her away from us, or she’s going to draw blood.”
“You’re joking?”
She said to Linde, “Nope. You’ll see for yourself in an hour.”
And in an hour, we did. She bitched. She griped. She complained. She bitched again. There was ranting, raving, a full-blown vent session about someone I had no clue about, and she started to cycle back around to the bitching portion of the evening.
“Okay.” Shay took one of the worksheets and slapped it in front of her. “Research all of this shit.” He pointed to the farthest empty computer. “Over there.”
“You’re just trying to get rid of me.” Her lips puckered out in a pout.
Aby’s eyes widened, but she didn’t say anything. She slid down an inch in her seat, lifting her book so it completely covered her face.
“Yes,” Shay clipped out. “Will it work?”
She growled. It was soft, but it was an actual growl. She snatched up the paper. “Yes, but only because it’s you asking.” She softened her tone. A sweet and adoring smile was the cherry on top. “Because you’re so gorgeous, Shay.”
She left for the computer, and I twisted around. “Oh, look at that.” Her hips had an extra sway to them. “Even her ass looks like a bitch.”
She braked, rotating swiftly to glare at me.
I glared back. “I’ll let you know if your ex calls again.”
She sucked in her breath but went to the computer.
When I sat straight again, everyone was watching me. “What?”
Aby said, “That was mean, even for you.”
I shrugged, ignoring Linde and Shay and flipping to a new page in my book. “Why do people assume I have no backbone or that I’m only nice? Seriously. People need to stop underestimating me. It’s annoying when my normal, real-human side comes out.”
“Uh.” Aby frowned. “I don’t think we assume that. Any of that.”
A group of books landed on the table in front of me with a thud. I jumped, cursing, and then Gage dropped to the seat. He had his bag in front of him, and he nodded to everyone at the table. “Hey-a!”
He paused on Aby, pointing his phone at her. “Did we sleep together sometime?”
I expected a no.
I got a, “Freshman year, second semester. My boyfriend and I were on a break.”
He snapped his fingers in triumph. “Ah-ha! I knew it.” He tapped the side of his head. “I forget faces all the time, but not yours and especially not anymore.” He checked her out, sliding his eyes up and down.
I remarked, “They’re back together.”
“Ah.” He nodded to Linde and to Shay, his eyes narrowing slightly at Shay before focusing back on me. He propped his elbows on the table, nudging my arm with one of them. “Hey, sis. I figured I can talk to you now that you went public last night. How’s your day? What are you up to?”
Aby muttered under her breath, “Being a bitch.”
Gage shrugged. “She does that.” He leaned down and dropped his voice, whispering so everyone could still hear, “You haven’t answered my texts or called me back. Are you mad at me?”
“What for?”