Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30011 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 150(@200wpm)___ 120(@250wpm)___ 100(@300wpm)
“I do,” I admit.
“And does he feel the same way?”
“Yeah. I mean … I think so. It’s not like we talked about it or anything. But I kind of got the feeling that he does.”
Lila is grinning so wide, she looks like she’s going to split her head wide open. She grabs my hand and squeezes it as she bounces in her chair, clearly more than a little excited for me. Weirdly enough, she might be even more excited about all of this than I am.
“So, when are you going to see him again?” Lila asks.
“Gracie, I didn’t know you were seeing anybody.”
We both turn to see Professor Bryson standing beside our table. I’d been so caught up in my conversation with Lila that I hadn’t even noticed him walk up. He stands there looking at me with a gleam in his eyes that sends a dark ripple through my heart, and I shudder.
“Are you seeing somebody, Gracie?” he asks.
“I’m sorry, Professor Bryson, but I don’t think that question is appropriate.”
I’m so used to deferring to my professors that standing up to one of them, even that much, takes all the courage I can muster. He frowns.
“I’m sorry, you’re right. Of course, you’re right,” he says. “You’re just always so focused on your schoolwork, I didn’t think you had time for much of a social life, let alone dating.”
“What can I do for you, Professor Bryson?” I ask.
He clears his throat. “Right. I wanted to speak to you about your paper,” he says. “I was hoping you’d come by after office hours tonight—”
A strange look crosses Lila’s face, and she gives me a small, subtle shake of her head. Come by after office hours? It’s a really weird request. More than that, it’s even more inappropriate than him asking me about who I’m seeing. I’m just getting a weird vibe from Professor Bryson that’s making me completely uncomfortable. I don’t like it.
“How about I speak to you after class?” I ask.
“Gracie, I—”
Jumping to my feet, I grab my bag then Lila’s hand. “We’re late, and we really need to go,” I say. “But I’ll talk to you in class.”
Dragging Lila with me, I dash out of the student union, running until Professor Bryson is long behind us. When we finally stop running, we take a minute to catch our breath.
“Is it me, or is your professor getting creepier?” she asks.
I shake my head. “It’s not just you.”
10
GRIFFIN
“What? Did you think I was illiterate or something?”
Grace blushes and giggles to herself. “No. I don’t think you’re illiterate. It’s just not common for elite athletes to read a lot.”
It’s my turn to laugh. “I’d hardly call myself an elite athlete.”
“You kind of are.”
“Not really. But thanks,” I reply. “And I just really enjoy reading. Always have. I read everything I can get my hands on.”
I surprised Grace by showing up at her school to take her out to dinner tonight. The conversation has been free-flowing and easy, as has the laughter, and we’ve been talking about everything under the sun. She’s one of those people who seems to know a little about a lot of things. The girl is absolutely brilliant, and I’m enjoying my time with her more than I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent with anybody in a long time. I’ve certainly laughed more than I have in ages.
For the last half hour, we’ve been talking about one of my favorite subjects: books. She was surprised that not only can I read, but that I read for pleasure. Not only that, but we share not just a similar taste in fiction but that some of my favorite books are the same as hers.
“Where did you get your passion for books?” she asks.
“My mom. She was a big-time reader.”
She frowns and looks down for a moment. “Did your mom … what did she think of you being a fighter?”
A wry smile curls my lips. “She wasn’t a big fan of me fighting. She was always worried about me getting hurt or doing some long-term damage to my brain,” I tell her. “If she’d had her way, I’d be teaching high school English.”
“There’s probably less of a chance of you suffering permanent brain damage.”
I scoff. “Have you seen the state of public schools today? Teachers are totally getting pummeled by unruly kids. I’m safer in the ring.”
Her face lights up as she laughs. It’s a high, musical sound that makes me smile. Her laughter is something I could hear every hour of every day and never get tired of. Everything I learn about this girl only makes me want to learn more. She has seriously opened a door in me that I never anticipated. It’s one I never knew existed. And now that it’s open, I find myself wanting to delve deeper into what’s behind it. With her.