Page 2 of Love Lies Bleeding

“The history of Art and Architecture.”

“Wow, that’s much more exciting than math.”

“Math? That’s impressive.”

Marianna rolls her eyes. “It would be if it was my choice, but my parents kind of steam rolled me into it.”

I could never understand that pressure from parents or the kids that let them do it, but then my mom was the coolest on the planet and I’m far too stubborn to allow myself to be pushed into something I don’t want. “That sucks.”

Her shoulders shrug. “Meh, I don’t really mind. It’s a good one to have and gives me options at the end.”

“True.”

Marianna motions to my bag on my shoulder. “You headed out?”

“Yeah, gonna hit up the coffee shops and try and snag a part-time job.”

“Well, good luck with that.”

I get a feeling Marianna doesn’t need a part-time job to fund this experience for her, but she seems nice.

“You want to come to a party later?”

Inclining my head in question, I ask, “Party?”

“Yeah, my sister’s a sophomore and invited me. You should come.”

“I don’t know.” I’m not one to go someplace I wasn’t invited.

“Oh, come on. We can go and get to know each other and meet new people. It will be good to have some fun before classes start.”

“Maybe.”

Marianna claps her hands excitedly. “I’m taking that as a yes.”

I beam a smile at her exuberance and head for the door. “We’ll see.”

“I’ll leave the details on the board for you.” Her voice echoes down the hall as I head out.

My steps almost bounce with happiness as I head for Mass Avenue, where the bookshop is located. My dorm overlooks this part of campus and I feel immeasurable joy as I take in a big breath of air. The summer is ending, and fall is teasing its arrival but, with the warm air still fighting to hold on, I bask in the feeling of change. Tilting my head high, I can barely contain the grin on my face as people rush around me, clear excitement etched on their faces, too. Freshmen are easy to spot among the sophomores, juniors, and seniors. They have this energy that is palpable.

I’m on my third coffee shop when I catch a break and find a vacancy. I fill in the application then and there and hand it back. The scent of fresh coffee, warm caramel, and the sweet smell of blueberry muffins remind me that I haven’t eaten since my mom dropped me off this morning. The manager gives me the quickest interview in history with a bored expression on his face and then nods.

“You start Monday. I’ll email your shifts once you let me have your class schedule.”

I bounce on my toes, a grin making my cheeks ache. “Thank you. I won’t let you down.”

Finally, Stewart the manager, cracks a smile. “I hope not, kid.”

Quickly I order myself a cinnamon latte and blueberry muffin, adding a chocolate chip cookie to celebrate my newfound employment.

I’m on such a high as I rush through the exit that I don’t look where I’m going. My forehead smacks into a hard wall and I reach out to grab something to hold onto and find my fingers curling around a muscular forearm. My coffee survives and I’m thankful I tucked my sweet treats into my backpack. Strong hands grip my upper arms and I lift my head to look at my rescuer or attacker, depending on how you look at it.

Tingles prickle my skin as I look into dark green eyes that make me want to sink into them. His brow is pulled down in concern as he gazes at me. God, he’s beautiful; square jaw that must have been chiseled by the gods, thick dark hair with just the hint of an untameable curl, and lips that were made to take a woman to heaven.

“You okay?”

Wrenching out of his hold, I fold my arms and stare up at him. Blinking widely, I shake away all the delicious thoughts and snap out of my lust-induced fog. I fall back on my defense mechanism of sass and sarcasm as I try and ignore the intoxicating scent of this boy in front of me. “Okay? Are you implying I’m average? Because let me assure you, I’m a ten, buddy.”

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