Page 116 of Sunflower Persona
“So, Kori, what’s your story.”
We fall into easy conversation after that, and once we meet Jayla at the dining hall, she joins in as well. I leave out all the drama of last semester and my ex. The whole point of this was to get a fresh start, and I’m not about to taint what could be a new friendship with memories of the man I’m trying to forget.
After we finish eating and phone numbers are exchanged, I head back to my dorm feeling optimistic about my future for the first time since I walked out of Gage’s apartment. I don’t need him to have a social life—I’m capable of finding my people all on my own.
Chapter 37
Gage
“For fuck’s sake, Gage, I can’t do this again,” Nathan complains as he drops his head on the coffee table.
It’s a miracle he found a clear spot among the scattered papers and flashcards that have overrun the small surface. Beside him, Morgan looks equally as over this study session, but I’m not ready to call it quits. Not when it’s the last one I’ll get.
Karis gave up on actually helping hours ago and is sprawled out on the back of my couch like a fucking cat. Apparently, it’s more comfortable than the worn cushions. I think she’s just trying to push my buttons so I kick them all out and give them the peace they’ve been begging for.
“Just one more rep through the deck and we can call it a night,” I insist.
“Seriously, man, it’s 1 a.m., and we’ve already been through it six times. You have these questions memorized by now. You’ve passed the practice test twice. You are going to do fine.”
But what if I don’t? What if after weeks of studying and spending hundreds of dollars I didn’t have to pay for thematerials and exams, I fuck it up when it really matters. Sure, I did fine on the first three sections, but those were the easy ones. Tomorrow is math.
It’s the test that proves I’m not nearly as big of a fuckup as I thought I was. But only if I pass, and with my history, I’m going to blow it when it counts.
Like the self-sabotaging bastard I am.
Morgan must see the determination on my face because his shoulders slump and he groans.
“James was expecting me home hours ago. She’s never going to let me hear the end of it,” he says, reaching for another card.
Nathan’s arm snaps out like a whip and stops him before he can read the words.
“No. We are done. Gage is more than prepared enough.”
“I’m going to say something controversial here, but I agree with Nathan,” Karis chimes in as she turns her focus toward me. “You are going to crush it.”
The absolute certainty in her gaze calms the whirlwind of nerves raging in my chest. Nathan and Morgan may try to placate me for the sake of sparing my feelings, but not her. Karis wouldn’t lie to me. I am more sure of that than I am that the sun will rise in the morning.
“Fine,” I sigh as the tension eases from my stiff back. “Thank you all for your help.”
“Anytime,” Morgan says and gathers his things without a word of protest. He claps a hand on my shoulder, uttering a few final words of confidence before he slips out the door.
The other two are slower to move. Hell, knowing Karis, she might end up crashing here. She’s been doing it more and more frequently since things ended with Kori. At first, I think it was because she was worried I would do something stupid again, but lately, our study sessions have gone so late, it’s more convenient to stay here than drive all the way back across town.
If I’m being completely honest with myself, her fears weren’t unfounded. I’m not sure what I might have done if she hadn’t been a thorn in my side for weeks on end. The gloom struck with more vehemence than normal in those days following the breakup. It hasn’t been an ever-present force like it was after I fucked up my knee—I’ve been too focused on my new goals to wallow—but it comes in short, violent bursts.
I’m not sure if that’s better or worse.
“I would stay for a drink, but I’ve got to teach tomorrow morning, and you need to get some sleep in before you take your exam,” Nathan says as he follows our friend out.
“I’m not driving home this late,” Karis says.
“I figured as much.”
“But,somehow, Nathan is right again. You need sleep.”
“The world must be ending, because there is no way you agreed with him twice in one day.”
“One hour,” she says with horror.
