And it was big.
Couldn’t admit that to Natalie though, who found the entire interaction between me and Knox last night amusing. I, on the other hand, did not. It was a humiliating moment I’d rather forget. I’m sure plenty of girls would want to drop on top of his lap and have him grip them by the waist, but not me. I don’t care how tingly I felt when those hands landed on my waist. The entire moment was unsettling.
It's weird though. I’d been with Bryan for a couple of years. He was my first, my only boyfriend, the supposed love of my life, and not once did I ever feel like that just from him putting his hands on me.
The worst part was Knox didn’t even remember me. Not at first, which kind of hurt, but then again…
I’m sure he meets plenty of people. And I’m just some dumb girl at the bookstore, who sold him a calculator he didn’t want for a class he’s reluctant to take. I’m sure I left a big impression.
Not.
Wild how he could completely forget me in a matter of a few hours. But he’s the big man on campus, while I’m essentially a nobody, so I guess it makes sense. Look at my dad. He was a big-shot athlete who let his moments of fame get to his head, even after his glory years, forgetting all about his family. I guess that’s what men like him do.
They only care about themselves.
I put away the calculators one by one. With three left to go, I hear a deep, male voice from behind me.
“Huh. I think you like hanging out in this section.”
Turning, I find Knox standing in front of me, a sheepish expression on his face.
It’s like I thought about him and conjured him up, which is…unsettling.
Again.
Why does this keep happening?
“Oh.” I brush a stray strand of hair out of my eyes, clutching the packaged calculators I still need to put away close to my chest. “Hey.”
He lifts the calculator up that he purchased from me yesterday, still in its packaging, the crumpled receipt clutched in his hand. “I need to exchange it. The professor said I got the wrong one.”
I frown. “She did?”
He nods. “Yeah, she was kind of pissed about it too, when it was an honest mistake.”
“My mistake,” I add, hating the guilt that washes over me.
“Nah, I must’ve screwed up. That’s all on me.”
“Which one do you need?”
His phone magically appearing, Knox studies the screen as he rattles off the model number, and I realize I’m holding the very one he needs. “Got it right here. Let me put the rest of these away and then I can exchange it for you.”
“Okay, great.”
I thought he’d go to the cashier counter and wait for me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he remains behind me, watching as I put the other calculators away. It’s as if I can feel his intense gaze tracking my every movement and he’s making me feel self-conscious. Of course I drop one of the calculators, wincing when it clatters loudly onto the floor.
He reaches down and picks it up, handing it to me while I stand there and blush like an idiot.
“Sorry.” God, I wish I could punch myself in the face.
“Accidents happen,” he says easily.
“Thank you.” I take the calculator from him, hating the spark of electricity I feel when our fingers brush. I don’t even know how that happened, or why we touched each other, but we did and it was odd, how my body reacted.
Don’t think that’s ever really occurred before. I blame his superstar magnetism. He pulls people into his orbit, even those who don’t want to be there.
Like me.