Distracted By You
Book 1 in The Exeter Running Girls Series
ELIZA BRADLEY
Copyright © 2020 Eliza Bradley
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher/author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 1
The day I first saw Tye was a very bad day. Truth be told, by the time he walked into the middle of our Mechanics lecture, I had already fallen out of bed as the alarm went off, spilt coffee down my shirt and realised I had chosen to wipe from my computer a rather important piece of coursework. Oh yes, and of course, there was the one last little, tiny thing… My mum had phoned to say that she and dad were filing for a divorce.
A divorce.
You would think that by the time your kid has grown up and stepped out to university that your relationship had stood the test of time. Oh no, not for my parents. Sure, they had issues, but really? They were giving up at this point?
So yes, it was an extremely bad day indeed.
That is why I was doodling an increasing number of ladybugs on the back of my left hand, trying to drown out both my mind’s whirring on the divorce and Mr Hannigan’s Mechanics lecture, when the door to the forum lecture theatre opened sharply, the door ricocheting off the wall.
“Ah, Tyler Aritza?” Mr Hannigan turned to acknowledge the guy stood in the doorway as we all did, but he also ignored the rather loud nature of his entrance. “You are late. Not the best start for your first day with us.”
Tyler Aritza did not look bothered by these atypical remarks in the slightest. Besides, was it not obligatory for all lecturers to use the scare factor? My lecture is the most important thing in your life, how dare you miss it! Or something to that effect.
“Oh my jumping god!” Leonora leaned into my shoulder from her seat and whispered with excitement. “That is Tyler Aritza.”
“Should I know who this guy is?” I whispered back, happy to do so now that the whole auditorium had erupted in similar whispered exclamations. We had just started our second term of our first year so to have someone new so late was particularly odd.
“Remind me to educate you in how to gossip,” she smirked at me, knowing I was not bothered by prattle. “He is a second year. Something of a name at the moment.”
“Find a seat,” Mr Hannigan turned away from the newcomer back to his screen, determined to continue and push past the interruption as quickly as possible.
“They say he’s dropped out of three different degrees this year,” Leonora continued with her whispering, her bright blue eyes alive with gossip.
“That is not possible. He would be kicked out.”
“Well, that is what I heard-”
“Hey, Leonora? Do you know we can hear you?” A voice from the row behind interrupted her. We turned to see the familiar face of Benji, one of Leonora’s exes. Actually, that is not accurate – let us say, one of her many ‘conquests.’
Benji was moving his bags off the seat next to him just as Tyler Aritza sat down. They clearly knew each other from the weird macho fist bump thing they did to greet each other. Unfortunately for us, not only Benji, but Tyler too had heard Leonora whispering. He was looking at her with raised eyebrows and a warning look that matched well the sudden entrance into the lecture theatre.
That is when I properly looked at him. I had been far too busy doodling ladybugs to really notice him before, but this was one hell of a good-looking guy. Judging from his colouring and his name, he could have had Spanish heritage, with black-as-liquorice hair cropped short, dark chocolate eyes and tanned skin. Even the grey V-neck t-shirt and blue jacket could have been designer on him.
Excuse me, Mr Hannigan? When did you decide to turn the lecture theatre into a photoshoot for Hollister?
Tyler was still looking at Leonora with the same raised eyebrows, clearly expecting some response. I forced my eyes to turn to her, waiting for the inevitable of what would happen next. Click! Like turning on a light bulb, her gorgeous smile appeared.
I have a tight-knit group of friends, but two of them have the enviable habit of being able to wrap guys around their little fingers. Whilst Leonora was blonde haired and blue eyed, Ellie, the other aforementioned seductress, was dark with the most flawless cocoa skin you can imagine. Between the two of them, they could persuade the entire population who fancied women to do anything. At least, that was my theory.
Leonora tilted her head back, drawing her blonde hair over her shoulder and readjusting the strapline of her top, drawing both Tyler’s and Benji’s eyes down to her cleavage.
“Oh lord,” I muttered quietly, earning a swift kick from Leonora under my small lecture table. I bit my lip to stop from laughing.
“I’m sorry, I just can’t help it,” she spoke as sweet as sugar. “You probably know you’re the talk of the uni. Anyway, you’re joining us for Mechanics?”
“Yes,” he said simply, refusing to return her smile. That voice was deeper than I had expected.
Wow – I guess he must be impervious to Leonora’s charms. No doubt Ellie was more his type.
Leonora turned back to the front, knowing a lost cause easily just as Mr Hannigan
