My smile now firmly plastered on my face, I can’t help but laugh again. When I look up from my phone, the three girls are staring at me.Shit, they’re still here and waiting for my answer.Where is the professor?
“Sorry, I just need to respond to this important message.” I shrug, somewhat apologetically, but it’s insincere.
Summer: How very noble of you, but they weren’t options. I’m waiting…
His reply comes before I’ve even had the chance to look away from my phone. He obviously has a favorite.
Dylan: Legs.
I look down at my long, toned legs and bite my lip with a smirk. I’m pretty happy with most of my body, but my legs are something I’m proud of. I like to keep fit, and as a result, I can definitely say that my legs are an asset. I like his answer. A lot. I don’t give him the satisfaction of knowing that, though.
Me: Legs it is!
I turn back to the girls. “I think S…Simone is the best fit.” I stumble a little over her name, hoping it is actually Simone. She beams at me and cheers, drawing attention to our little group. The professor, who finally graced us with his presence, ignores us and begins discussing topics for our upcoming
reports. The Barbie Trio start their own conversation about how lucky Simone is. They talk as though she already has a date with Dylan, completely oblivious to the fact that they forgot to ask me to put in a good word, which I would have very much enjoyed doing. If I’ve learned anything from my time with Dylan, it’s that he enjoys decent conversation. I don’t think he’s going to get that from Simone, and that thought is very amusing.
A vibration in my hand alerts me to a new message.
Dylan: ???
Ignoring Dylan, I text Cory, who’s been relegated to sitting at the other end of our row.
Me: Lunch?
Cory: Only if you invite your new friends.
I look her way and smile, shaking my head.
Me: Not a chance. Let’s go off campus.
Cory: Sounds good. I just need to get my purse from Nate. He’s meeting me out front.
When class finishes, Nate greets us as expected. What’s not expected is a smiling Dylan standing beside him. Before he realizes I’ve noticed him, his eyes roam my legs like he’s in some kind of trance. After a moment, he shakes his head and looks away. I bite my lip to suppress my smile.So, he has noticed my legs?An unwelcome flutter runs through me. I’m not sure how I feel about his new status. Ignoring my inner chaos, I smile with a raised eyebrow when I reach his side.
He doesn’t waste any time in mentioning our texts. “So, want to tell me what that was all about?” he asks.
The unmistakable laugh of my new friends interrupts my response, and I roll my eyes. I actually had no intention of ever inflicting Simone onto Dylan, but since he decided to stalk me and she’s here, well…I have no choice. He’ll have to endure it. “Dylan, I’d like you to meet”—I grab Simone’s hand and pull her closer to me—“Simone.”
A flash of disappointment crosses his face, but I ignore it.
“Simone, this is Dylan.”
“Your best friend, Dylan? The guy you mentioned in class?” she says, pretending she doesn’t know him.Huh, so maybe she’s smarter than I thought. Nice move, Simone.
Dylan looks between the two of us, his eyes questioning me as I say, “The one and only.”
Nate and Cory flash me identical confused expressions, and I gotta say, I’m right there with them. I actually have no idea what I’m doing. Knowing he’s now single is throwing me off balance. It’s easier to push him toward other girls than to let my mind go places it shouldn’t.
As soon as her number is programmed in Dylan’s phone, Simone walks away with a bounce in her step. I glance in his direction and see he’s already looking at me, eyes narrowed in question. I scrunch my nose and shrug apologetically, before Cory drags me away.
Chapter Thirteen
Dylan
Foronce,theguysdecide to have a somewhat quiet boys’ night instead of a party, and I’m relieved. Turns out, trying to stay single is not as easy as you might think. Girls literally throw themselves at me, and while I’m not interested in the desperate types, I have come across a few genuine girls on my nights out. Girls that I probably would have tried to get to know in the past. So yeah, I’mnotcomplaining about the change of company tonight; a boys’ night is exactly what I need. The only downside being that I have a faint headache I can’t seem to shake. Not big enough to do anything about it, but enough to be annoying.
I spend an hour chatting with my teammates and playing pool, finally getting to unwind, and I’m relaxing in the living room when the energy in the room shifts. It shouldn’t surprise me when Cory and Summer arrive, but it does. Nate’s been sneaking glances at his phone since I arrived, so it’s on me for not seeing this coming. I raise my eyebrows at him, and he shrugs with a goofy smile, not at all ashamed. And I get it. I really do. He may not have admitted it yet, or maybe he has, but either way, he is definitely in love.