Byron turned away immediately, to his surprise he was up next atthe counter and he moved forward. It took him a second to remember what he hadevery morning but then he did, and he placed his order. Annoyed that he hadn’tthought fast enough to not order anything and just walk out ASAP, he wastempted to just walk away now. Instead, he stood there, feeling inexplicablyawkward as fuck as he waited for his drink. Like that first day the laughter hadlessened considerably. Byron wouldn’t dare look her way again.
Not only had she clearly remembered him and how he’d been gawkingat her that first day, but there was a dude with her this time. There wereothers with them at the table she sat at—girls—but they were all a blur themoment his eyes had met with hers. Like the first time he’d seen her, even asshe’d laughed so unabashedly there was still that air of nervousness in thosebig brown eyes when they’d met with his. He’d like to think she was just shy,or like him she’d felt so oddly struck she wasn’t sure what to make of it. Butthere was still the very real possibility that he’d just crept her the hell outagain.
Byron hadn’t even realized her laughter had him smiling big and goofyagain, until he saw the guy with her, and his smile instantly deflated. She’dbeen smiling big at the very moment as she wiped something off the guys lipwith her finger. It’s when she noticed Byron staring at her again, and hersmile flatlined as well. Albeit not so instantly this time but the unease inher expression hadn’t been missed.
All Byron needed now was to be caught glancing her way again. Forall he knew she may’ve already alerted her boyfriend about Byron and where sherecognized him from. Maybe the other girls with her were the same as the oneswith her the day of the signing and they were all whispering about it now too. IfByron did get caught looking over there again it’d be all her boyfriend wouldneed to make a show of looking out for his chick. Byron was in no moodto start off his day with some freshman punk getting in his face over a girl hedidn’t even know.
It felt like an eternity, but they finally called out Byron’s nameand order. He took it and stalked out of there without so much as a glanceback. For a moment as he drove to work, he wondered if the guy with her was whoshe’d stood in line for so long to get things signed for. Beast’s remark aboutthe little girls getting things signed for their daddy’s and boyfriendshadn’t been forgotten.
Annoyed that he’d let this girl, this complete stranger,take up even another one of his thoughts, he shook it off before he even got towork. The rest of his workday went on smoothly and he’d all but forgotten aboutthat morning’s petty incident.
Until he got to the gym.
Byron headed to 5thStreet after work for a much-needed workout. He’d been trying to get in thereas often as he could to work off some steam since Beast insisted it was thebest way to do so. Though Nine was always quick to point out better ways to workoff steam.
Admittedly Nine did have a point and Byron did work off steam inother ways often enough, but it never gave him the same feeling ofaccomplishment a workout at the gym did. He’d been about a half-hour into itwhen he heard it. That now exasperatingly familiar laughter
“No fucking way,” he muttered refusing to look up or around forher.
What were the odds he’d be running into her again on the sameday? But after hearing it again he was almost certain. Almost. Because unlikethat morning when there was no question about it, there was something slightlyoff this time. The genuine sweetness he’d been so inexplicably sucked intobefore, was a bit more smoldering this time.
Unable to fight the temptation, he looked up just in time to seeher smile big at the muscle-head who towered over her. There was another couplewith them. The guy she was addressing was clearly enjoying her flirting.Byron had barely looked at her long enough that morning to notice her clothes.All he remembered was there was nothing that stood out about it. If he’d had toguess, she was dressed in normal casual classroom attire.
Now she was in workout gear. Tight, body hugging black training leggingsand an equally tight bright pink crop top. Just like the first day when he noticedshe was petite in stature; the womanly curves contradicted any assumptions thatshe was really just a little girl like Beast had suggested. Sure, shewas young and her wide-eyed reaction to being gawked at by a total stranger, hadbeen somewhat proof of her possible inexperience. Though at the momentshe looked anything but shy or innocent.
For a second, he considered the possibility that this wasn’ther. He’d only ever seen the girl twice and both times he hadn’t allowedhimself to look at her too long. Even the other girl with her didn’t look likeany of the other girls he’d seen her with at the signing. And this guy she wasso shamelessly flirting with was not the same one whose lip she’d wipedsomething off from just that morning.
Breathing a little easier and not understanding why, he’d justabout convinced himself of it now. Byron had definitely been wound way tootight lately. So much so, he was letting stupid shit like this boggle his mind.Like any of this should matter to him in the first place. But that’s all itwas. He’d forced himself not to think about it all day and now the first girlthat even resembled or sounded like her he convinced himself it was. He’d beenmistaken, and he was sure of it now, this wasn’t her.
And then their eyes met, and he froze.
There was no denying it now. This
