“Wil you have a seat?”
I sat down immediately, in an almost comical fashion. He usual y didn’t make an appearance unless he had something important he needed to say, or if there was trouble. The scenarios were flashing through my mind. I stared at him in silence, waiting for the answer.
He crossed his arms on the table and leaned toward me. “I know you said to leave you alone, but I did a lot of thinking last night and I had to see you. We need to talk.”
My mouth opened a bit in shock, and I shut it just as I looked up at Kim and Beth. Their mouths were in a similar state.
“We’l , er…meet you in class, Nigh,” Kim said, raising her eyebrows.
I grimaced as they abandoned me. My shoulders felt so tense they seemed to be hovering around my ears. I took a deep breath, and forced them down to their proper position.
Jared appeared nervous and he swal owed. “Did I cross a line?”
“I want answers, Jared.”
The corners of his mouth turned up as he slid a card over to my side of the table.
I pinched the thin paper between my fingers and examined it. It was a generical y ivory business card with his name and company name in chocolate brown writing. My heart kicked into high gear upon reading the next line, which contained his phone number.
“You’re giving me your number?”
“I am.” He waited for a moment with an expectant stare, and then I understood what it was that he wanted.
“Oh!” I said, scrambling to search my backpack for something to write on. I scribbled my name and number on a piece of paper and slid it to him, mimicking his smooth, single movement.
Jared grinned and poked the paper into his inside jacket pocket.
“What if that’s not my number?” I asked. “What if it’s the number to an anger management clinic for your sister?”
Jared shook his head, laughing once. “Then I’d give it to her. But I hope it’s yours. I need it to ask you to dinner properly.”
I could hear my heart pounding inside my chest, and when I thought he might be able to hear it, I felt my cheeks flush.
“I told you I needed answers, first,” I said, trying to seem calmer than I felt.
“I told you we were going to talk, didn’t I?” His eyes were bright with amusement, even seeming a lighter shade of blue. “I’m going to cal you this afternoon. Wil that be al right?”
“Why don’t you just ask me, now?” I said, incinerating any chance of seeming indifferent.
“Is that what you want?” he asked, raising his brow.
I nodded and a broad smile lit up his face. “Would you have dinner with me tomorrow?”
“I’d love to. Thank you.”
“I don’t want to make you late.” Even as he said the words, he seemed in no hurry to say goodbye.
We both stood, and Jared held the door open for me as we walked into the morning air. It felt surreal to be walking next to him on campus. He seemed less like a figment of my imagination surrounded by the scenery of my everyday life.
“I’l pick you up around six thirty?” he asked, lightly grazing my finger tips with his. Electricity immediately shot up my arm, and my heart hammered against my ribs.
“Sounds perfect.” I couldn’t have chosen words more true.
Kim and Beth were waiting for me just inside the building, and I tried to keep from jumping up and down as I approached.
“What happened?” Beth said, grabbing my arm.
“We’re going out tomorrow night. Six-thirty,” I beamed.
“Yay!” Beth said, clapping.
Kim and I continued upstairs to our class. She wasn’t nearly as animated as Beth.
“Ryan isn’t going to be happy,” she said.
I angled my neck to emphasize my irritation. “I’m not with Ryan, Kim. He doesn’t get to be unhappy about it.”
“I know…I just think its poor timing on your part for you to go on a date with Jared when Ryan’s stil in the hospital for trying to save your life.”
“Are you saying it’s wrong for me to go out with Jared because I’m obligated to Ryan now, since he was hurt defending me? Is that what you’re getting at?” I countered, pausing in front of our classroom.
“No. I am definitely not saying that. That would be very Casablanca of me.”
Kim smiled when I rol ed my eyes at her, and we walked to our seats together.
Chapter Six
Truth(s)
Patience is a virtue I do not possess. Amusement park lines, doctor’s appointments, col ege acceptance letters—al enough to drive me insane.
Waiting for my date with Jared felt very much like torture. Each class failed miserably at holding my interest, and by mid-morning I had given up on taking notes. The final class of the day was insufferable. I bounced my knee up and down, tapped my pencil on the desk, shifted in my chair, and sighed at least a dozen times.
Beth touched my arm.
“Don’t interrupt my anxiety attack. It’s rude,” I whispered.
Beth pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh. “Stop freaking out. It’s a date. You’ve had dates before.”
“Not with Jared.”
She tapped her finger on my forearm for a moment and smiled. “Why don’t we visit Ryan after class?”
“I think you’re bril iant,” I said, peeling off the last bit of my eraser.
By the time Professor Hunter had spoken the word ‘dismissed’, I had shoved the last of my things in my bag, with the fastest path to the Beamer already plotted out in my mind. Beth struggled to keep up, and growled with frustration when we reached the car.
“You’re ridiculous,” she puffed.
“You have no excuse. Your legs are longer than mine.”
She rol ed her eyes as I put the Beamer into gear.
Ryan looked much better—he had more color in his face and the network of tubes and wires that had covered him just days before had al but disappeared.
“Hey there,” he said, stretching his torso. “They’re moving me to PCCU today.”
“That’s fantastic!” I smiled. “You’re going to be out of here in no time. Do you know what room number you’l be in?”
Ryan shook his head. “I’l cal you and let you know, though.”
“You’d better. How else are we going to sneak in the il egal contraband?” Beth said.
“Speaking of which…did you happen to bring me another burger?”
Beth shook her head. “Nina was in a hurry to get here.”
Ryan didn’t enjoy her remark as much as I thought he would. “That’s surprising. I figured you’d be rushing to Andrews to get ready for your date.” He tried to sound casual, but I heard resentment in his words.
I glanced at Beth and then back at him. My face instantly flushed with anger.
Ryan rol ed his eyes. “Calm down, Nina. Josh saw you at the Ratty. It pissed him off seeing Jared there. He doesn’t trust him.”
“It’s ridiculous that he’s upset about it at al ,” I snapped.
“It’s not Josh’s fault. He just thinks I’m better for you than that double-oh-seven wannabe. I happen to agree,” Ryan said, squirming to sit higher in his bed.
“That double-oh-seven wannabe is the reason we’re alive,” I said through my teeth.
“Come on, you guys. This can wait,” Beth sighed.
“You’re not real y going to go out with him, are you?” Ryan said, disgusted.