Total pages in book: 139
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127146 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 636(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 424(@300wpm)
Nothing crazy, a few people are studying early; there is no reason to feel like my nerves will slither out of my body. My last encounter in the library was strange and a bit disconcerting. Drew’s friends creep me out. Not as badly as he messes with my head, but all of them are intense, and Sebastian looks at me like he wants to bite my head off and see what's inside. To him, I'm simply prey, even if he's not the one who hunted me down.
Out of nowhere, a hand lands on my shoulder. I jolt and spin around, ready for a fight, but talk myself off the ledge when I realize it’s just my client.
"Ah, Stewart, sorry, I was distracted."
He throws his super-tall body down in the chair beside me. I break out into conversation immediately. "How are you feeling after that last test? I know we reviewed, so I want to see how you think you did? Did you get the results you wanted?"
He shrugs. "I passed. That's good enough for me."
"Nothing you want to review again or go over?"
With another shrug, he scoots closer, his knee bumping against mine. It could be by pure accident, or it could be something else. I do my best not to look too deeply into it. I can feel my cheeks heat, and I slam my legs to the other side of the chair under the desk. "Okay well, you have another essay coming up. Have you decided what you want to write about?"
I'm about to grab another textbook when he pulls out a large bottle with some type of green liquid in it. Looks like a smoothie or protein shake.
"I was thinking something about the Civil War."
Well. I blink. "I mean...if you were in an American history class, that might work, but not so much for European history." I smile to try to soften the critique.
He shrugs, then flashes me a smile. His teeth are straight and white in his perfectly tanned face. "I have a question, and it’s a bit off subject, so I apologize, but why do you do this, Bel? You're like at the top of the class, right? Tutoring people can’t be fun. What do you get out of this?"
"Learning is always fun, and I enjoy it. Plus, it helps me pay for school, and I consider that a win. If you have any friends who need help, send them my way. I still have some openings."
He nods, accepting my response. "What about Napoleon?"
I latch onto that. "Perfect, a central figure in European history. Let’s do it."
We settle into a discussion about the Napoleonic Wars, and I'm surprised he's at least showing an interest. The last time we reviewed material, it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk. I set him up to outline, and I read over some of the textbook while he works. The silence buffers the world all around me, making it easier to think. To some, silence is terrifying, but that's because they fail to enjoy the peace and tranquility that comes with it. To be comfortable in complete silence would mean you would be comfortable facing all your demons, and acknowledging yourself and the choices you make. In silence, you’re incapable of hiding from your own true self. Which is why some of the grief and despair over my mother shifts away. I know it'll return eventually as it always does, but for now, I allow myself to sink deep into the quiet.
Stewart reads quietly, and I zone out after I finish reading the sections on Napoleon twice over. Once he finishes the short outline, he slides the paper over to me for review. I smile, accepting the paper. His handwriting is little more than a scribble, but I’m pretty adept at reading chicken scratch by now. A lot of the jocks don’t really focus their attention on penmanship.
I skim the page and nod in approval. “This is a great start.”
Leaning in, he subtly slides his arm over the back of my chair. "What about this part?" He points at the bottom section. I nod again, moving my shoulder to put a little distance between us. He smells clean like soap, but I don't want him touching me. Not only because at any moment I know Drew will pop up and bare his claws but also because I’m not really attracted to him.
"It's good. This should give you a well-reasoned essay. Once you finish, you can send it to me for review."
"I'll wait until tomorrow to work on this since I have a shift at the carnival when it opens this evening. Are you going, Bel?"
It takes a moment for me to process his question. "Oh yeah, the carnival. I think I'm going to skip it this year. I want to stay home and spend some time on booking some more clients, prep for next week, and of course I have my own homework that needs to get done."