didn’t want to have classes with him. Why I didn't want to see him every day. Because seeing Bryce every day, having conversations with him, bantering with him—even if we were antagonizing each other—it was involvement with him. It opened doors to things I was too wary to consider.
Fuck. This semester was too important for this kind of bullshit. Instead of feeling embarrassed by his attention, the red heat that was building at the base of my spine turned into irritation. He was trying to be a distraction. Maybe that was his game plan. Yes, that was it. All the jokes and not-so-subtle jabs at me weren’t him showing genuine interest. He was trying to get me off track.
Well, at least it felt good to know he truly viewed me as a threat for the job. Otherwise, why would he invest this kind of effort?
It was...perhaps a smidge disappointing knowing he wasn’t actually interested in me. But that was neither here nor there.
And in any case, I wasn’t some stupid rookie, and I wasn’t going to let him get the best of me.
For the most part, I was able to finish the lecture with my almost undivided attention on the professor. The syllabus was passed out, the book list for once small, and I was ready to rush from the auditorium, already planning my escape. If I got out quickly enough, I could avoid talking to Bryce.
But obviously, I had no such luck. A hand grabbed at my elbow, sending panicked impulses from nerve to brain and back again.
“Hey, got somewhere to be?” Bryce was smiling when I turned to face him. Always, always smiling.
I yanked my elbow from his grip. “Anywhere where you aren't.”
“Is that any way to treat your study partner?” Bryce pressed his palm to his heart as if I’d shot an arrow at him instead of telling him in not-so-subtle ways that I wasn’t interested in continuing any sort of conversation with him. I mean, who doesn't understand that “anywhere you aren't” is basically telling somebody to fuck off?
“Get over yourself,” I snarled. “Not everyone is impressed by your charm.”
Bryce remained unfazed. “You're going to have to get used to spending time with me. After all, we are working together for class. It shouldn’t be a big deal, okay? I really love working on stuff like this.”
“Yeah, but we don't have our assignment yet.” I took a step back, putting more space between us. As if there could ever be enough space to keep me from being so hyperaware of him. “There's no point in us talking when we don't have anything to talk about.”
“You sure are a bundle of thorns,” Bryce said with ease, like he was describing the weather instead of my attitude. “But okay, have it your way. I'll still be talking to you soon, so, you know, get ready for a big old dose of Thor loving.”
I suppressed both a shudder and my gag reflex. “Do lines like that ever actually work on guys?”
For a moment, Bryce’s grin faltered. Had I discovered a chink in his armor? But then it picked right back up and possibly grew even brighter.
“I wouldn't know,” he replied nonchalantly. If I hadn’t seen the flicker in his face, I’d never have known that he could stumble. “I haven't had much time for dating in the past few years.”
Uh, okay. What the hell was I supposed to do with that information? That was information I absolutely didn’t want, bringing my mind to places it absolutely didn’t need to go.
Fuck, if I stood around any longer, I was going to get sucked into the whirlpool of banter that always accompanied my time with Bryce. And the fact that he was wearing a tight black T-shirt from the tattoo shop that showed off every muscle of his thick arms and chest wasn't helping anything. It was, I decided, completely unfair that someone who was so happy was also so good-looking.
Like, good-looking and happy people absolutely should not be trusted. Right?
After all, the world wasn’t exactly a wonderful place. If somebody was smiling at you the way that Bryce seems to smile at everyone, the smart thing to do was to run, because they probably wanted something from you.
Though, when I turned and walked away from him without another word, I didn’t allow myself to think of it as running. Instead, I liked to think of it as me having the final word.
Too bad my heart didn't agree with my brain.
4
Aiden
Running