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"So you do so else, then," This time, when he threw me the ball, the velocity increased, and Iover the brick half-wall and into the common area below We both rushed over to see where it had landed

Noah was holding it and looking up

"Nice catch," I said weakly Mike and I both pushed off and went back to our chairs

"At least we didn’t break anything," Mike said, rooting around in his bag

"What are you looking for?"

"Soht out a power bar "How about this?"

"Mike, seriously A power bar?" I shook ed and ripped it open "Want a bite?"

Why not? He held the bar out, and I took a s the pieces into ether with raisins!"

He took a bite and said, "M to read now, you fool" I pushed his chair withon his cardboard bar

Finally deter his throat and looked up to see Noah standing there, a grim look on his face

Noah

Had I coht that Grace had less-than-zero interest in this guy, but here they were playing gaether

"Hey Noah," Grace looked a little flushed Was she turned on by this guy? E his power bar? I couldn’t read her face

"Hey," My greeting came out shorter and curter than I wanted She looked down at my hands fisted on the counter I forcibly ers out See, I tried to convey, I’?"

Yeah, I thought You’re eating food frouy you said you were interested in But Grace had pushed the friend thing pretty hard yesterday I didn’t want to crash and burn in front of this guy in case there was anything re on between the two of them Never appear weak in front of the enemy

"Do you have a minute?" I wanted to talk to her alone Separate and isolate the target She looked over at Mike, aved her away

"I can handle this," Mike said

Grace grabbed her cell phone and walked down the long counter to the exit I followed her "Where to?" I asked

She walked toward the stairs and up to the first landing There was a door there, but I had never opened it I always assumed it would be locked, but Grace opened the door without a key and stepped inside I followed

"What is this place?" There were ordinary light bulbs instead of the hard fluorescents that lit the main library, and row upon row of metal shelves, some empty and some full The place smelled old and looked abandoned

"It’s the stacks Old books out of circulation are put in here," Grace said softly

She walked down a small pathway until I saw a metal desk set into a nook There were two la chairs The chairs looked like the ones in the study carrels I raised a questioning broard her

"The library crew so finals or midterms It’s super quiet, and no one else ever co I would do in a place like this For college kids, this is an ideal place to have semi-public sex I wondered how many people had done the deed in here and if Grace was one of theining Grace having sex on these chairs or the desk with someone other than me would be unproductive I liked to envision her as untouched, although that was highly unlikely She was too pretty, too s to have not dated or at least had a few hookups Either that or all the guys at Central were blind and du any money on it

Grace sat down and motioned fora party this weekend I want you to come," I told her without preaaed for me to come take so ht

My plans for the party instantly changed The guys could host it without e anyway Maybe I should’ve waited for an invitation, but you ive you a ride? I wouldn’tState play"

She nibbled on her lip This time I did wait for a response I needed assent here I couldn’t really just show up at her apartment and throw her into the cab of ht be a touch too controlling

I tried to look as non-threatening as possible while inwardly urging her to cave Having her toher brother, and staying overnight with her so her to a loud, out-of-control party I’d even honestly answer the" Have you killed anyone?" question that every civilian asks a returned soldier instead of ht, but it’s still early"

"No," she said finally "I’ve got a ride" She didn’t look at ether betweenher onto e that what had built between us for four years just needed some physical manifestation to make it all real and perht to know If it was Mike, I was going to go out there and make it physically impossible for him to walk for three days, let alone drive a couple hundred miles

"Don’t know Friends of soed it"

I couldn’t believe this She was going off with sooing to try and make a skinsuit out of you?"

"Um, because they are Central students" She looked atnear Grace and not having her was turning me inside out "I’m pretty sure Josh wouldn’t send me off with a couple of ‘Natural Born Killers,’ but I promise that if one of theet in the car with the like I was five I wasn’t going to be able to see her until she got back froht I was scheduled to oing to watch y on the outcome of this week, and I couldn’t afford a Grace-like distraction in the gyet back," Grace said and stood up I followed her out of the stacks I cast around for some excuse to see her before she left