Page 1 of Still Here Without You

Chapter One

Delilah

“Areyoufreakingkiddingme?” I yell as my books fall to the floor. As if today isn’t bad enough. Fail… A freaking fail. I thought I was going to ace this class, but apparently not.

I drop to the ground and feel a rush of wind as someone narrowly misses standing on my fingers. Everyone seems to be ignoring the fact that I’m on my hands and knees, scrounging around for my things.No worries; I’m okay. Why would I need any help?

Brushing myself off, I stand and aggressively shove the books back into my bag, cursing at them for the inconvenience they’ve caused.What did I do to deserve this shit day?I’m a straight-A student. At least, I was in my senior year of high school. But here? “College is so much harder. You need to get your head out of the clouds.”My teacher's words run on repeat through my mind.I know. Trust me, I know.She was under the impression that because I’m a cheerleader, I had everything handed to me in high school. She’s wrong on so many levels. I worked my ass off back then. Figuratively and literally. And considering I’ve already been in college for a year, I know what it’s like for a cheerleader. My struggles have nothing to do with cheer. It’s not even the hard work that I’m struggling with. It’s this bullshit subject. A subject Imustpass.

Standing tall, I look up at the ivy-covered building in front of me.I can do this.So what if I’ve never needed help before. I do now, and—I look down at the paper in my hand—Joelle Haynes is going to be the one to help me.God, I hope she’s nice.

Taking a deep breath, I square my shoulders and lift my bag up onto my back.

Ooof. Shit!

My bag knocks into someone walking past and propels me backward.Yep, definitely a bad day.A nearby tree catches my fall, so I right myself quickly and try to apologize.

“Hey, I’m sorry, I…”Rude.

I watch as the guy I hit walks away without a backward glance to see if I’m okay.Jerk! With his tight ass, leather jacket, and motorcycle helmet.Biting my lip, I hold myself back from letting him know exactly what I think of him and check my surroundings before lifting my bag again. Safely, this time.

The library building at Heartwood University sits near the back of the grounds, away from the chaos of the college. It’s a pain in the ass to get to but a beautiful old building that’s at least pretty to look at. I don’t really spend much time here unless we have allocated study sessions with the cheer squad. I’d much prefer to study in the comfort of my dorm room with snacks and loud music. I can’t understand people that work in complete silence. It freaks me out. I’ve been told I’m in the minority, though, with most people preferring the quiet, and one look at the number of occupied chairs in the library would suggest that’s true.

I race up the stairs to the second floor and scan the study rooms for the one Joelle booked. When I find it—of course it’s the one farthest away—I quickly push through the door and come to a halt, my face scrunching in confusion.Am I in the right room?

Instead of Joelle, there’s a guy with his back to me on his phone. He’s running a hand back and forth over his short dark hair while he listens, and when he speaks he starts moving it around to punctuate his words, even though the caller can’t see him.

“Dyl, I’m telling you. That’s what I saw.”

He pauses but still doesn’t look my way, giving me a chance to study him. The side profile of his face is enough for me to know he’s good-looking. His strong jawline with a clipped beard suits his golden skin, and his forearms are almost popping out of his tight fitted tee. As my eyes rake over his body, I take in the rippled effect his muscles are creating under his top and the way his ass looks amazing in his jeans.Hang on.That ass looks familiar.

“Yeah, okay, man. It’s your call,” the guy continues, finally turning my way just as I see the helmet on the ground and roll my eyes. When he sees my expression, he frowns, matching my look of uncertainty.

“Um, I gotta go. See you at home.”

With that, he hangs up and grins.Asshole.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I think you’re in the wrong room. I’m looking for Joelle,” I say with confidence.

The guy raises an eyebrow with an amused expression. “Joelle?”

“Yep,” I say, popping the p, then pursing my lips. My expression screams boredom.

Grabbing the chair in front of him, he continues to eye me curiously with the hint of a smile. “Does Joelle have a surname?” The veins in his forearm bulge with the movement, and if I wasn’t already in a mood, I’d probably be enjoying the sight of him. But not today.

“Of course she has a surname. Look, I’m sure you think you booked this room, but here…” Walking over, I wait for him to straighten and then shove my schedule into his chest, holding it there until he grabs it. “Read the sheet.”

He shakes his head before scanning the piece of paper. “My mistake. Joelle has indeed booked this room. I’ll be on my way.”

He collects his bag, jacket, and helmet before heading to the door. His eyes flash with something I can’t quite decipher as his gaze meets mine in the doorway.

“It was lovely meeting you, Delilah. In case you ever want to look me up, my name is Joel, Joel Haynes. See you around.” He winks.Jackass.

I roll my eyes again. As if I’m going to look him up. Joel Haynes. Just because he has a nice ass and gorgeous smile and…oh, fuck! Haynes?And he knew my name. I race across the room to the piece of paper I’d shoved at him and glance down at the name printed in bold. Joelle Haynes. Joel Haynes.Someone is messing with me.

I hear a snicker from the hallway and want to hang my head in shame. Instead, I stand tall, fluff out my hair, and prepare for battle. That smartass is not going to win.

“Get your ass back in here, Jo-elle,” I say, drawing out the name.

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