Page 15 of All Your Pucking Secrets

“No.” Echo deflates.

“Do you have a restraining order against him?”

“No.” This time, she glares.

The professor steeples his hands, apparently unconcerned. “Then I’m afraid you’ll just have to figure out how to work together. Consider it a bonus lesson in behaving like an adult.”

Echo stomps away from him. I follow behind, hiding my amusement—and relief. Concealing my emotions comes easy to me. A by-product of growing up with Dad.

I check the app on my phone to see who else is in our team. Not that it makes any difference to me. The only people I’ve met since transferring are the hockey guys, and as far as I know, none of them take the behavioral analysis class.

My phone vibrates and a message pops up on the screen via the university app.

Elle: Meet outside the lecture hall, to the left, near the stairs. I’m wearing a blue dress.

Ahead of me, Echo also sees the message and taps a response.

Echo: Be there in a minute. Brown hair, black top, glasses.

I don’t bother contributing. Echo is the only reason I’m taking this class, and she knows I’m coming. I don’t give a shit about anyone else.

We exit the lecture hall and turn left. A few yards from the base of the stairs stands a thin blonde in a powder-blue dress that barely covers her thighs. Doesn’t this girl know it’s not that fucking warm out? Or does she just want everyone to admire her figure?

Echo makes a beeline for the girl, and I’m right on her heels. Just before we get there, an Asian guy who’s even taller than me—but half my weight—stops beside Elle. He sends Echo a lazy grin.

“Hey, Echo.” He speaks with a confidence that says it’s not the first time they’ve met, and everything in me wants to shut that shit down fast. “Group work buddies again.”

“Jin.” Finally, Echo smiles. It’s a fucking shame it’s directed at another guy. “I’m so glad we’re working together.”

I clench my teeth and thrust my hand at the interloper. “I’m Tyler.”

Jin’s dark eyes slide from Echo to me and his eyebrows lift, but he takes my hand and shakes it firmly. “Did you recently change majors? I’ve never seen you in any of our classes before.”

Elle raises her finger, a sly smile twisting her glossy lips. “You’re the transfer student on the hockey team. The new first-line center.”

“That’s right.” I glance at Jin to see if he’s impressed, but his expression is impossible to read.

Elle sashays forward, rolling her hips in a way that’s probably supposed to tempt me, but just comes across as overdone.

“Elle Summers.” She holds her hand out, and based on her stance, I’m not sure if I’m expected to shake it or drop to my knees and kiss it.

I don’t do either. It’s obvious from the invitation in Elle’s eyes that she’d like more from me than a study buddy and I have no intention of letting her think she has a chance. Nor do I want Echo to believe I’m interested.

Eventually, she reclaims her hand and turns up her nose. Beside me, Echo makes a huff that could be amusement. Jin’s lips twitch.

“So.” Elle fingers the hem of her skirt. “We’ve met. I see no reason to waste another ten minutes chatting. Why don’t we set a time to get together later in the week, after we’ve had a chance to review the assignment properly?”

“Sounds good,” Echo replies. “How about Thursday?”

Jin opens his phone. “Morning or afternoon?”

“Morning,” Elle suggests. “I have a lab in the afternoon.”

They all turn to me.

I shrug. “Thursday morning is fine.”

Even if I have class, I’ll find a way to make it work. Nothing is more important to me than spending time with Echo.

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