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"Ugh! I don’t think so When it’s ti somebody like…" Erin looked over her shoulder at the eavesdroppers behind us, "like one of them"

The boys looked at each other and stood up a little straighter With a smirk in Erin’s direction, one of them fist-bumped the other

I doubted Erin would giveher romantic weekend I was ontoward the student union while pulling ainst the sudden November chill Frat parties held this weekend wouldn’t be open-, not that I’d know firsthand There was no way in hell I was going anywhere Kennedy ht be Or Buck

The coffee smell invadedthe corner,When I didn’t see Lucas, I wondered if he’d switched shifts and forgot to text me

There were only a handful of custo the paper in the corner I had nothing againstot called out for it just this s and travel cups

Just as he had Monday, Lucas pushed through the door to the back as led at the sight of hiht blue t-shirt, long-sleeved, not the university-branded sweatshirt he’d worn thisin class His shirtsleeves were pushed past his elbows again, leaving the tattoos visible Ifrom his forearms to his face He hadn’t seen htened "Can I help you?" Her voice held a bite of annoyance, as though she was snapping her fingers to get ot it, Eve," Lucas said, and she shrugged and returned to her conversation with her coworker, but they both eyed me with even more hostility than a moment before "Hey, Jacqueline"

"Hi"

He glanced toward the corner where Dr Heller sat "What can I get for you?"

His tone wasn’t the tone of a guy who’d specifically askedcircurande Arabbed the cup from the stack and made the drink I tried to hand hiot it"

His coworkers exchanged a look I pretended not to see

I thanked him and retreated to the opposite side of the shop fro up lean information from multiple sources to defend the positionbreak, less than teeks away

If I never had to make up another midterm, it would be too soon

After an hour, I’d bookmarked a dozen sources on current international econoone, and Lucas hadn’t coh school for my weekly Friday afternoon bass lessons in half an hour Shutting downthe power cord from the wall

"Ms Wallace" At Dr Heller’s unexpected greeting, I ju over my thankfully-empty cup "Oh! So sorry to have startled you!"

"Oh, that’s okay I’ for one split second that you were Lucas

"I just wanted to let you know that Mr Maxfield tellsheadway on the project I’lanced around conspiratorially "My colleagues and I don’t actually want to fail anyone, you know Our goal is to frighten--I e--the less, er, serious students to produce Not that I believe you’re one of those"

I returned his shtened and cleared his throat "Good, good Well, on that note--have a productive weekend" He chuckled at his joke and Imy eyes

"Thank you, Dr Heller"

He walked to the counter and spoke to Lucas as I wound the power cord and stowed the laptop in my backpack The conversation between theesture toward me at least once I wondered if our professor believed that Lucas was one of those less serious students he could inti more dedicated If so, I didn’t want to be used as some sort of example

As I walked out, I looked over aze my way at all, and his expression was tense His coworker, wiping down a counter a few feet away, sh school two hours later, I switched onto look forward to a weekend alone while it powered up Clearly, the trip to Starbucks was a bust Lucas had been, if possible, even ey than he was before

While working on the project, I’d e the worksheet Wednesday, and for insisting that I do it Not wanting to trigger a possible guilt coiven uy he seemed to be I hadn’t heard from him since Wednesday, but ht Maybe he’d be free this weekend, and we could finally meet

I had one text fro with lots of insinuation about what I could do with a roo plans Kennedy and I had alternated spending the day at his house or mine the past three years Somehow, this translated into confusion about whether or not I was co up with a guy generally y to follow I should have known better

Mom: Don’t be snippy Your dad and I planned and paid for a trip to Breckenridge that weekend, because we thought you could stay at the Moore’s I guess we’ll have to cancel

Me: Go ahead and go I’ll go ho

Mom: Ok If you’re sure

Me: I’m sure

Wow My boyfriend duibly supportive, she and Dad are taking off alone to go skiing Way to make me feel wanted and included, Moh to deal with Jesus

I tossed my phone in an empty cup-holder and drove back to campus, prepared to watch reality TV and work on econoot toback