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)
Drinks were dispensed, then Shay took the other seat beside me. I skimmed over the rest of the table. It was a long table, stretching enough to seat sixteen people or so. Most were football players, but there were a few others I didn’t recognize.
Linde waved a hand, answering my teases, “That’s the persona I give off. Fucks with my enemies. They get all confused. Think I’m this nice guy and then bam!” He pounded a fist on the table. “That’s when I take ’em out.”
One of the guys leaned forward. “And by enemies, he’s talking about the other teams on the football field.”
Kristina nodded, her head bobbing up and down. “Totally.”
She had a wide-eyed or starry-eyed sort of expression on her face. It took me aback. I’d been nervous when Shay pulled me aside and invited—rather, demanded—I come study at his place, but I figured that was because this was unknown to me. And because of him. He was just a lot. His presence overwhelmed me. He could be standing a few feet from me, and I felt like he was in me. But when Kristina snuck a look at him, I knew it wasn’t just me. It was him. He had this effect on everyone.
I started to relax after a bit.
Linde was over the top. Guys were like that, especially if they were jacked up on something, and speaking of, I glanced at his own glass in front of him. Beads of sweat lined his forehead, and a vein was popping out from his neck. Noting his tank and how tight it was against his bulging muscles—they seemed to be bigger than what I noticed from class—I glanced over my shoulder to the kitchen.
A big, white plastic container was pushed up against the corner, a measuring cup beside it with a dust layer on the inside of it.
Protein shakes, or something more serious.
Shay cleared his throat, pulling my gaze to his. I saw the reproach in them, and he shook his head silently.
He didn’t want me poking my nose where it didn’t belong. I got his message and settled on my political science textbook. Apparently, geopolitics needed to be my business, not whatever Linde was on.
Still.
My eyes went back to him, and then Shay kicked my chair. My head snapped back to his, and he widened his eyes again. A second warning.
I frowned, scrunched my nose, and turned back to my book. Whatever. Fine. Geopolitics, my ass, though.
“Okay.” Linde waved a sheet that we were given earlier in the week. “Clarke, tell me similarities and differences between political institutions and behaviors from state to state.” My mouth dropped open, but he held his hand up and continued, “And between communities. Go.” He sat back, folding his arms over his chest.
A soft gurgle rippled up from my throat. “You’re serious?”
“You’re Ms. Planned, Perfected, and Prepared. You should be able to rattle this off with no problem at all.”
I opened my mouth again, flashing back to some notes I’d written earlier today, but one of the other football players spoke up, “This is the shit you’re learning in that class? Damn. I’m glad I kept to my gym major.”
A few others laughed, joining in with their own comments, and soon the four of us at the end of the table were no longer the center of attention. I had a feeling this was how it’d been before we showed up.
Linde pointed at me. “I’m waiting. Go.”
And I did, doing exactly what he challenged me to do. The answers fell from my tongue, and once I was done, his eyebrows were arched up to his forehead. He nodded, slowly, and whistled. “Boom. You nailed it. You get an A, as far as I’m concerned.” Grabbing his glass, he shoved back his chair and rounded the table for the kitchen.
I wanted to look.
I fought it.
I tried.
I failed. I snuck a peek over my shoulder.
My chair got another swift kick. Shay leaned forward and hissed under his breath, “Stop.”
Kristina, who had been reading her book, paused. Her eyes looked up to watch us.
I ignored her, leaning forward and whispering back, “My older brother had a problem. Sue me for caring.”
She leaned forward. “What are you guys talking about?”
“Nothing.” He spoke to her, but his eyes never left mine. He added to me, “I mean it. Stop. You’ve known him four minutes. You don’t get a say.”
“Then why’d you bring me here if you expect me to be oblivious to shit?” I hissed back.
“Because Linde asked.” His eyes darkened in anger. “Not me. Okay?”
Well.
Fuck.
Now I was even more concerned. I checked. Linde was still mixing the drink together. I lowered my head even closer to Shay’s. “Tough shit. You opened the door. Don’t expect me not to walk through it.”
His eyes narrowed. “What the hell does that even mean?”