Total pages in book: 25
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22917 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 115(@200wpm)___ 92(@250wpm)___ 76(@300wpm)
“Do what?” she says defensively.
“Try to make up some excuse on why you ditched me last night.”
“I didn’t ditch you.” When I raise an eyebrow and wait, she finally sighs. “Okay, fine, I ditched you.”
“Then you owe me.” I turn around and snag a plate of fries for her and then the honey mustard.
“How do you know that’s what I want?” She looks at the food but doesn’t take it off her tray.
“You act like I don’t know you.” I want to roll my eyes, but I enjoy seeing the cute little pout of frustration she gives me. Damn it, I’m supposed to be irritated, but being around her only makes me want to play with her.
“What do I owe you?” She changes the subject as I put a tuna sandwich and extra pickles on her tray next. “How do you know what—” She stops herself and shakes her head. “Never mind.”
“You owe me another date.”
“I’m not sure that’s such a good idea.”
“Because you’ll have to admit that you ditched me because you got jealous?” I bend down a little so I’m the only thing she sees. “Because I might back you against another door and kiss you like I own you?”
She swallows hard and then the hour chimes overhead. I look up to see my time is up before my next class. I would ditch to sit and eat with her, but I’ve got a paper due, and I can’t miss it.
“Tonight,” I say as I back away and wink at her.
The last thing I see before I turn around is her flushed cheeks and open mouth. I’m going to be hard all fucking day.
Chapter Seven
Mara
“What was that?” Emma asks before taking the seat across from mine.
“Sorry.” I quickly realize I’d walked off with River when he took my tray.
I’d been so shocked by what played out that afterwards I wandered over to an empty table and sat down. I’d come to the dining hall to have lunch with Emma at the end of our last class. Normally I go home to eat because the dining hall is overwhelming. I picture myself having one of those moments on TV where the person can’t find anywhere to sit and people glare at them or move their bags into a seat next to them so they won’t sit at their table with them. When Emma asked, I knew I’d at least have someone to sit with. I’ve enjoyed the small conversations we’ve had before and after class since school started. We actually have two classes together.
“Listen, let's always have an understanding that if a hot guy comes up to one of us and starts piling food on our tray while knowing what we like to eat without us having to say it, we let the other go with no hard feelings.” I snort a laugh. That does sound pretty awesome when she puts it that way.
“It’s not like that.”
“It sure looked like that.” She opens her soda and leans closer to me. “Now tell me everything.”
“We’re kind of related.” Her face falls, and there’s disappointment all over it. “Not by blood. His older brother married my older sister.”
“Oh, that doesn’t count.” The smile returns. “He kind of looks familiar, actually. I swear I’ve seen his face and not from school.”
“My brother-in-law is Felipe Andora.”
“Oh,” she says, putting it together. “You’re a Flores and that’s River.”
“Yeah.” I snag a fry off my plate. When I meet people, I never offer up my last name unless they ask for it.
A mix of things can come along with it, and I don’t want to get any extra special treatment even if I kind of already do. I try not to for the most part because I don’t want to give people another reason not to like me here. As a freshman, I’m actually supposed to live on campus or at home. I’m not sure what was said or how it was taken care of, but I got to stay in Felipe’s building that sits practically on campus.
The Andoras are a very well-known family. Some of the gossip around them is good, and some of it isn’t great. It’s strange actually because not long ago it was Felipe that people tried to gossip about, thinking he was some kind of player, and his father was held in such high regard.
Over the last five years, that has shifted completely. That must be hard for River. He’s really caught in the middle of all that. Why has that never dawned on me before? I know he talks to Felipe but is still close with his parents too. Felipe would never make him choose. I’m not so sure the same could be said about his mom and dad.
“Cool, I only know that because I’m actually trying to get dual citizenship and I’ve been having to learn so much history.”