Page 14 of All Your Pucking Secrets

Is Tyler fucking Kinsey.

TYLER

I lean over Echo’s shoulder to see what’s upset her. It takes a minute to compute. When I realize, it’s all I can do not to pump my fist.

Fuck, yeah.

We’re in the same group project team. What a great opportunity to prove to her that I’ve changed. She won’t be able to avoid spending time with me. Even if we do most of the work individually, we’ll still have to communicate with the group and probably meet to go over it.

This assignment is a golden opportunity.

Echo tilts her face toward me. “Who did you pay off to make this happen?”

I grimace. I shouldn’t be surprised that’s what she thinks of me. Honestly, I have used my money to my advantage a lot over the years, so she’s not totally off base. If I’d thought of this, I’d have made it happen.

“No one,” I reply.

“Uh-huh.” Her expression says she doesn’t believe me.

“It’s true.”

“Shh,” someone hisses from behind us.

The professor clears his throat, drawing our attention. “I’m ending class fifteen minutes early. But—” He holds up his hand as people start talking excitedly over him. “I want you all to spend that time getting together with your team for an initial meet-and-greet. Understood?”

There’s a murmur of assent. I see Echo’s jaw tighten. She really doesn’t like this. It grates on me. I need to take advantage of the chance to get close to her, but I also never want her to be unhappy.

It pisses me off that getting my way means upsetting her. I’d be tempted to bow out—after all, I don’t need this course for my degree—but I can’t. It’s an unexpected lifeline, and I won’t let go.

As people stand and push their way to others to form their groups, Echo takes the stairs down to the front of the lecture hall. I follow close on her heels, unwilling to let her out of my sight until after this team meeting is finished.

“Professor,” she calls as she draws near to him. “Excuse me.”

He turns toward her. “Yes?”

“I need to change groups,” she says.

Ouch. Straight to the point.

But the professor is shaking his head. “I’m afraid that’s not possible, Miss…”

“Dean. But it’s extenuating circumstances,” she protests.

I grin to myself. I love hearing big words coming from Echo’s perfect little mouth. It reminds me of a time when I took that for granted.

The professor’s bushy eyebrows pinch together above his glasses. “How so?”

Echo hesitates. She glances at me and then back to the professor, as if trying to figure out how to make this sound like more than petty relationship drama.

“He’s my ex,” she says finally. “It ended badly.”

The professor’s eyes sharpen. “Did he abuse you?”

“Not physically.”

I wince at this response. I wouldn’t consider what I did to her any kind of abuse, although it certainly wasn’t nice.

“Were any police reports filed?” the professor asks.

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