I got here a little earlier than normal, beating most of the class. I’d had trouble sleeping again last night, but that wasn’t so strange lately. I decided to get up and head on in.
“Hey, I’m glad to see you here early.” Connor dropped his bag at his normal seat but came over and sat next to me. “I’d permanently move but one of my close buddies is in here with me. He gave me shit the other day for changing seats.”
“No, it’s fine.” That was the last thing I wanted him to do. “I just wanted to get here and get some early reading done today.” I pulled my textbook out of my bag and hoped he’d get the hint.
“You got all weekend for that.” He rolled his eyes and leaned uncomfortably close to my chair. “So you got any weekend plans?”
“Yeah, it’s going to be busy.” That wasn’t close to being true, but that was my story, and I was sticking to it.
“Oh, are you going to any parties or anything?” He cleared his throat and tugged at his ear.
“That’s not really my thing.” The one time I’d let loose, I slept with him, and look where that got me. The girl that was showing me around campus made sure the party was our last stop, and I figured what the hell. Which only proved how much I wasn’t made for friends. I didn’t need any clingers. Supernatural or not.
“But that’s where we met.” He laughed like I’d told some sort of joke.
“Well, that was my first and last time.”
“But I could take you to this one.” He smirked and winked at me.
All right, blunt it would be. “You’re kind of the reason I don’t go anymore.”
“What?” His mouth dropped open, and he tilted his head.
At this point, he reminded me of a dog. “Yeah, I don’t normally do that.” I had to cut the cord.
“Hey, no. It’s fine.” His eyes lit up like a kid’s on Christmas morning. “I can take you as my date. You don’t have to worry about a one-night stand or anything.”
Dear God. He was a fucking moron. “No, you’re not getting what I’m trying to say.”
“She doesn’t do clingers.” Ella entered the room with a huge smile on her face.
“I’m not clinging.” He huffed and raised both hands up.
“What do you call this?” She pointed to the book I had open on my desk. “She’s got her textbook out, trying to read instead of talking to you.”
He wasn’t understanding the clues from me. I’d only given him my phone number so I could escape and never responded to any of his texts. To top it all off, I ignored him when I saw him in this class and avoided him to the best of my abilities. Maybe she could get through to him.
“She’s just playing hard to get.” His face kind of fell, and he glanced at me. “Right?”
“No, sorry.” I couldn’t lie and try to tell him it was me and not him. “We’re just not right for each other.”
“But we just had sex…” He jerked back as if he’d been burned. “Are you saying I wasn’t a good lay?”
“I’m really trying not to.” But he was about to force my hand. I was trying not to embarrass the guy.
“So, since you’re having trouble breaking it down.” Ella plopped in her seat beside me. “That means yes. You weren’t good.”
“I was drunk.” He spoke louder despite the fact students were beginning to trickle in. “Let’s do a sober do-over. You’ll see.”
“No, I won’t.” He reminded me of the type of guy who always got what he wanted and never had to work at anything. He probably never had to handle rejection like this before.
“In other words, not interested.” Ella shook her head and gazed at me. “Be glad I’m here to be your wingwoman.”
“That’s usually for picking up guys.” She beat to her own drum, and I liked it.
“Eh, it’s for everything. Pick-ups and dumps.” She lifted a finger in the air. “Not to be confused with bowel movements.”
“Noted.” Even though I couldn’t stand Connor, I didn’t want to steamroll him, and class should be starting any second. I took a deep breath and leaned toward him, lowering my voice, “You weren’t bad.”
“I wasn’t?” There was hope glowing in his eyes. “Then, what’s the problem?”
“There wasn’t a connection.” He had been boring as hell, but I was sure, for a true human, he’d been excellent. I’d had a few sexual encounters, and most of them had been the same way. I was betting it was because whether I liked it or not, I was a wolf. “That’s it.”
“But I…” He trailed off and took a deep breath. “Okay, got it.”
“It looks like you kicked his puppy or something,” Ella whispered, probably not realizing I could hear it.
“Thanks for the talk?” Though he had meant it as a statement, the tone ended on a question as if he wasn’t sure.
“Yeah, I’m glad we’re on the same page finally.” I needed him to leave me alone now.
“You have a break between classes, right?” Ella pulled out her notebook and pen.
“Uh, yeah.” She couldn’t be trying to talk me into going to the student center with her again.
“How long of a break do you have?” She tapped her pen on her paper.
“About an hour.” I didn’t want to hang out on campus, but at the same time, I didn’t have time to leave campus either.
“There’s a coffee shop a few blocks away.” She leaned toward me and winked. “It’s right by the university; not in it. Why don’t we go hang out over there?”
“I’m not sure…”
“Where are you going to go? Sit in the other classroom for an entire hour?” She tilted her head toward me and arched an eyebrow. “We both know that it’d be more fun if you spent time with me.”
That was precisely the problem. I didn’t mind her company. “Fine,
