Series: Like Us Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 241
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 236417 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1182(@200wpm)___ 946(@250wpm)___ 788(@300wpm)
Ben studies Harriet while she breathes hard. He’s not moving, so I stay put and grab his gym bag off the floor.
Her nose flares, knotted brows not relaxing. She rights her bookbag on her shoulder and sets a glower on Ben. Combine that with a leather jacket swallowing her frame, combat boots, and ripped plaid pants, she looks ready to curse him out. But then she says, “Thanks.”
Ben frowns and glances at where the professor left. “What was that?”
“Professor Turner. He teaches Molecular Biology of Life. Luna and I took him last semester.”
Ben gestures his blue sports drink at her. “No, I meant what was that. Why was he grabbing your arm like that?”
She blows out a breath so hard it rustles her blonde bangs. “He’s a fuckwad, that’s why.” Her eyes flit to me, just recognizing I’m standing by. “Hey. How’s Luna?”
“Sparkly,” I say. “As always.” Luna still doesn’t remember Harriet, but I don’t mention that since Harriet’s unaware about Luna’s amnesia.
Ben runs a hand through his hair. “Can we rewind? Why is he a fuckwad? What’d he do?”
“What are you Scooby Doo?” Harriet frowns so deep her scowl darkens.
He shrugs. “I don’t know. Is this a mystery that needs to be solved, Harriet Fisher?”
She lifts her chin higher to meet his gaze. “No mystery here, sorry to break your heart. Turner just got the wrong impression after we made an agreement.” Harriet crosses her arms. “And you do realize your brother Tom hates me—?”
“You’ve already told me that.”
“Just jogging your memory,” she says. “Pretty sure you’ll be disinvited to the next Cobalt soiree.”
“That’s actually impossible,” Ben says. “I could piss off every sibling, and they’d still invite me and try to hold some elaborate family intervention.”
“Ruthless love,” she muses. “But from where I’m standing, Cobalts don’t like strangers or interlopers or me.”
“I can be friends with who I want.”
I observe the exit and not them. Feeling more like a fly again. Trying not to buzz too loud.
“Since when are we friends?” Harriet asks. “I’ve run into you twice. I’ve said less than a hundred words to you. You do realize that’s a low bar for friendship, right?”
“Is this your way of telling me to raise my standards?”
I glance back at them.
She’s looking at Ben like he’s out of his mind. “Yes.”
He tips his head in thought. “Alright, then let’s start over. You’re officially my only friend.”
She glares. “That’s not what I meant.” And then she groans into a heavy sigh. “Look, it’s not a big deal, dude. I gave Turner a blow job in exchange for a favor, and now he wants more than one blowie, so I’m fending off an ugly hammerhead shark.”
I rub my hand across my mouth. You’re a fly. Do not buzz. No flapping. My stomach is clenching.
Ben blinks, looking her over.
Harriet raises her brows. “Say something, Friend.”
“What favor is worth blowing a hammerhead shark?” Ben asks, glaring back towards the door like he’d wish the professor would materialize. His hands twitch at his sides, like he’s restraining from curling his fingers into fists.
Harriet casts a glance at…me?
What do I have to do with giving blowies to professors?
Ben connects the dots. “This is about Luna?” He’s asking her.
My girlfriend took the same class as Harriet. With the same creepy, crusty professor. Acid drips in the back of my throat. All my muscles have tensed.
“Can you not tell Luna? Please?” Harriet pleads to me. “She didn’t ask me to make the deal. I did this on my own accord because I felt bad she had to miss labs. And after everything that happened with the kidnapping—I thought Turner was being a cruel piece of shit by not allowing her to finish the course off-campus.”
My gut sinks, and I skate a hand through my hair. My palm stays on my head. “You did that for Luna?” Fuck. Even I don’t feel good about it.
“I don’t know,” she mumbles and winces. “Again, not a big deal. It meant nothing, and I’ve given blow jobs for less.” Trust me, so have I. “It’s not like I got naked for the guy.”
“Small blessings,” I say lightly.
She relaxes.
Ben’s jaw steels, but he has a sympathetic look on Harriet. “He should be reported.”
“Do whatever you want. Just leave my name out of it. I have too much to lose. Maybe you don’t understand that…”
Ben nods, twisting and untwisting the cap of the sports drink. “I won’t mention your name. But if he’s still a problem—”
“He won’t be when the semester ends,” Harriet interjects. “I’m out of this place in May. I’ve been accepted into the honors program at Manhattan Valley University. It’s the hardest program to get into on the East Coast because they offer full rides. Too good to pass up.”
“Over Ivy?”
“Yeah, MVU has a great pre-med program, among other things.” She sizes him up and down. “I’m honestly shocked you chose Penn over it.”