come with a warning label.
“See you tomorrow.” I sauntered out of Bean Shooters shaking my head at myself.
Why did dinner with Owen terrify me so much? In the past few weeks, I’d gotten to know him as Owen the funny, sweet guy who loved to tease me—not just OT, the hockey hotshot with puck bunnies to spare. I wanted all of him, but I wasn’t sure if all of me could handle it.
Bella
“MOVIES ON THE BIG SCREEN or TV shows?” My eyelids were losing the battle to stay open, but every night Laura wanted to have ‘get to know each other’ time before we turned the lights off. I appreciated her effort, and the more time I spent with her the more I grew to like her, but I wished we could have our question and answer period during daylight.
“Depends. Movies are more of a social thing, I think.”
“Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish?”
“ Blech! Neither. I only like chocolate candy, as if you couldn’t tell already by the size of my ass.” I chuckled and settled on my side.
“Oh please. I bet Owen likes your ass just fine .” Laura gave me a smug grin.
I huffed and rolled my eyes. “My ass isn’t a blip on Owen’s radar, Laura. We’re study buddies, that’s it.”
“Right, Bella,” she drawled. “I see how he hangs on your every word.”
I shrugged. “He’s polite. It’s probably a Southern gentleman thing.”
“Bella, can I ask you a personal question?”
“Deeper than my favorite candy?” I smirked at Laura and she chuckled back.
“Why are you so against starting anything up with Owen? I get he’s older and every girl on campus falls at his feet. But if I were you, and Owen looked at me the way I’ve caught him staring at you a few times, I would be on him like white on rice and I wouldn’t have to think twice about it.”
My brow pulled together as I sat up. “You’ve caught him staring at me? Stop it!”
Laura let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re a pretty girl and you act like you’re covered in scales. When I met you at the library after one of your little study dates, I noticed him tracking you with his eyes as we were leaving. Is he doing that badly in class that you need to meet a couple of times a week?”
“No. Actually, he got a B on the midterm—”
“See? I don’t mean to pry, but did something happen to you? Are you coming off a bad breakup?”
I plopped my head back on the pillow. Why was I letting this follow me here? My senior year of high school was completely ruined because I couldn’t get over a broken heart and an irrevocably bruised ego.
My goodnight talks with Christian were a thing of the past. Still, I lay awake in bed for hours, pondering all the possible reasons why the sweet boy I kissed goodbye in August was so distant now. I waited for him to reply to my text half the night until I fell asleep still clutching the phone. I was sure hockey practice didn’t run that late. Every day I tried my damnedest not to be the stage five clinger, whiny high school girlfriend, but I was no idiot. Christian outgrew me, and even though it saddened me to my bones, it was a hard pill to swallow.
First period biology lab was not the class to have when you were two blinks away from being comatose. I sympathized with the poor pig we had to dissect. My heart wasn’t where it used to be either.
As I trudged through the hallway to class, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. A couple of girls huddled by the lockers in front of the classroom and giggled as I passed. I shook it off and settled into the seat in front of my station.
“Good morning, Kim. Ready to cut ’er up today?” My attempt to make a joke fell flat as my lab partner’s eyes darted away from mine. The sad gaze she gave me reminded me of the sorrowful look you gave a grieving family member at a funeral. What the hell was the big secret about me everyone seemed to know but me?
Kim let out a sigh as she slid her phone to me. “I’m really sorry, Bella . . . but I thought you
“See you tomorrow.” I sauntered out of Bean Shooters shaking my head at myself.
Why did dinner with Owen terrify me so much? In the past few weeks, I’d gotten to know him as Owen the funny, sweet guy who loved to tease me—not just OT, the hockey hotshot with puck bunnies to spare. I wanted all of him, but I wasn’t sure if all of me could handle it.
Bella
“MOVIES ON THE BIG SCREEN or TV shows?” My eyelids were losing the battle to stay open, but every night Laura wanted to have ‘get to know each other’ time before we turned the lights off. I appreciated her effort, and the more time I spent with her the more I grew to like her, but I wished we could have our question and answer period during daylight.
“Depends. Movies are more of a social thing, I think.”
“Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish?”
“ Blech! Neither. I only like chocolate candy, as if you couldn’t tell already by the size of my ass.” I chuckled and settled on my side.
“Oh please. I bet Owen likes your ass just fine .” Laura gave me a smug grin.
I huffed and rolled my eyes. “My ass isn’t a blip on Owen’s radar, Laura. We’re study buddies, that’s it.”
“Right, Bella,” she drawled. “I see how he hangs on your every word.”
I shrugged. “He’s polite. It’s probably a Southern gentleman thing.”
“Bella, can I ask you a personal question?”
“Deeper than my favorite candy?” I smirked at Laura and she chuckled back.
“Why are you so against starting anything up with Owen? I get he’s older and every girl on campus falls at his feet. But if I were you, and Owen looked at me the way I’ve caught him staring at you a few times, I would be on him like white on rice and I wouldn’t have to think twice about it.”
My brow pulled together as I sat up. “You’ve caught him staring at me? Stop it!”
Laura let out a frustrated sigh. “You’re a pretty girl and you act like you’re covered in scales. When I met you at the library after one of your little study dates, I noticed him tracking you with his eyes as we were leaving. Is he doing that badly in class that you need to meet a couple of times a week?”
“No. Actually, he got a B on the midterm—”
“See? I don’t mean to pry, but did something happen to you? Are you coming off a bad breakup?”
I plopped my head back on the pillow. Why was I letting this follow me here? My senior year of high school was completely ruined because I couldn’t get over a broken heart and an irrevocably bruised ego.
My goodnight talks with Christian were a thing of the past. Still, I lay awake in bed for hours, pondering all the possible reasons why the sweet boy I kissed goodbye in August was so distant now. I waited for him to reply to my text half the night until I fell asleep still clutching the phone. I was sure hockey practice didn’t run that late. Every day I tried my damnedest not to be the stage five clinger, whiny high school girlfriend, but I was no idiot. Christian outgrew me, and even though it saddened me to my bones, it was a hard pill to swallow.
First period biology lab was not the class to have when you were two blinks away from being comatose. I sympathized with the poor pig we had to dissect. My heart wasn’t where it used to be either.
As I trudged through the hallway to class, I couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. A couple of girls huddled by the lockers in front of the classroom and giggled as I passed. I shook it off and settled into the seat in front of my station.
“Good morning, Kim. Ready to cut ’er up today?” My attempt to make a joke fell flat as my lab partner’s eyes darted away from mine. The sad gaze she gave me reminded me of the sorrowful look you gave a grieving family member at a funeral. What the hell was the big secret about me everyone seemed to know but me?
Kim let out a sigh as she slid her phone to me. “I’m really sorry, Bella . . . but I thought you
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