Page 79 of Candygrams

“I don’t need someone to hold my hand, Rip. I’ve been walking across freakin’ campus all by myself for two whole years now.”

“And how many times has that girl brought a stranger to your bedroom while you were barely dressed? You don’t think that’s on the Dateline bingo card for dangerous activities that will get you killed quick?”

I don’t answer him. I don’t have a good answer to give to myself rather long him. “I'm not sure why she did that. She’s never done it before.”

“That you know of.”

“I think I would know if she let a huge ass guy into my room.”

“Yeah, what the hell would you have done this morning? Hit me with your phone?”

“No! I was going to throw Vanessa in your way and go out my window.” I speak before I can think and realize immediately I shouldn’t have said it.

“Please, I could have been on you before you even realized it. And throwing that girl at me wouldn’t have stopped me even for a second.”

“Please, having a beautiful woman thrown at you wouldn’t have slowed you down even a little?”

“Not when the beautiful girl I’m after is going out a window. The only place your little ass would have gotten off to would have been my arms because I would have dumped her on her face and been down the stairs and out the door before you could have touched a toe on the ground.”

Un-fucking-believable. He’s unbelievable. And a fucking liar. There’s no way he would just drop someone as pretty as Vanessa for me. “I can take care of myself.”

“I would feel better if you let me at least put a better lock on your door and you actually started using it.”

I actually think about what he is saying. It might be nice to have a personal lock on my door. Better than the dinky one I have now.

“What kind of lock?”

“One with a key…that only you have.”

But is it enough -do I want it enough- that I will agree to go with him and be his human shield? Is it enough to have me be his faux-sister?

“Fine.” I don’t like it, but he’s offering too much money for me to be too picky. Mom and Bonnie wouldn’t have to help me at all next semester. And I could stay in my apartment throughout the summer. “Meet me at the library later this evening.”

“How much later? I have practice at four?”

“How long does it last?”

“Hard to say. All depends on how we do and if we’ve pissed Coach off. How about I call you when I leave?”

“Fine that works.”

I can’t help thinking I’ve made a deal with the devil as I walk one way and he walks the other. I already know I’m going to regret saying yes, even if it is just for two weeks but not having to be a burden on my sister or my mom is priceless.

I go back and forth in my head the entire day and think several times about calling him and telling him I was wrong. I can’t tutor him and nothing he says or does will make me change my mind. But in the end, I pick up and agree to meet him at the library.

I end up being late because I misjudged how long it would take to get to the library from my sister’s shop. I step into the quiet and warmth and want to stay even if I don’t find my student which starts to seem like the outcome of my night since he’s not at the front where I would assume he would be waiting for me.

“Tandy!”

I close my eyes and fight for patience as the loud-mouthed jock calls out my name so loud it echoes through the entire building. He gets several shushes while others turn to find out who he is yelling for. Wonderful! He’s trying to get us both kicked out of one of my favorite places. I should have listened to my gut and told this guy to fuck off.

I mouth the word ‘sorry’ as I go by one of the librarians behind the welcome desk before I grab Rip by the hand and yank him away from all the staring eyes.

“You do realize you’re not supposed to shout in a library, don’t you?”

Instead of looking ashamed or being pissed I reprimanded him he shocks me by burying his nose in my neck. What the hell?!

I push against him hard and whisper/shout, “What are you doing?”

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