Chapter Nine
Ricky
I STOPPED AND stood outside the campus library to take a deep breath. Fresh air filled my lungs as I willed my stomach to stop its incessant churning.
Standing strong, I pulled the door open and entered the large study area filled with tables and chairs, finding the person I’d followed here at a table in the corner.
“Excuse me.” I said to the back of her head.
She sat up straight, turning slowly to face me. Her cheeks bloomed with color, her skin so light that the sudden shock of pink to her face made me want to laugh.
And I rarely laughed.
“Me?” She pointed to her chest with a thumb.
“Yeah.” I shot her a cocky half-smile, working the little charm I had to the hilt. I moved around to the chair across the table from her and placed my backpack on the ground. Bending over, I pressed my forearms to the top of the chair. My hands were folded casually in front, though my racing heartbeat proved that relaxed stance to be a lie.
“Remember me? From yesterday? Car keys? Psych class?” I raised my eyebrows in question.
“Yes,” she answered without a moment’s hesitation. “Would you like to share this table? I’m studying for the first Psych exam right now.”
I winked, pulling out the chair and sitting back, my faux comfort hiding my sneaky plan. “Thanks. What’s your name?”
“Aveline. Aveline Gerard. And yours?” She adjusted her glasses, pushing them farther up her tiny nose.
“Ricardo Martinez.” I extended my hand and waited for any sign of recognition or shock. There was none. “But my friends call me Ricky.”
Her expression changed to quizzical, her mouth opened and closed, but she said nothing. It hit me that she couldn’t figure out what name she should use.
“You can call me Ricky, too. Hopefully, we’ll become friends. Study partners?” Lame as fuck, but I wanted her to feel comfortable around me.
Her grin was small but grew bigger by the second. “Ricky. And yes, studying together would be lovely.”
Lovely? Who the hell said words like that?
“Great. Never had a study partner.” Reaching to my side, I unzipped my backpack, pulling out my notebook, pen, and highlighter. Glancing over, Aveline was following my every move, her eyes big and curious.
“Really? Me, neither.” She bit her bottom lip and looked down at her laptop.
I tried to read my notes but was distracted by her eyes on me. I looked up, taking in her conservative white top, covered in lace with ruffles at the shoulder, it reminded me of something a grade-schooler would wear. Her hair was pulled back in a bun again, and she wore delicate earrings. No makeup, but she didn’t need it. Her skin was flawless.
Clenching my teeth, I dismissed that little bit of physical attraction to her. My judgment was off. The stress was getting to me.
“What’s up?” I was still leaning back in the chair.
She pursed her lips and shook her head.
“What?” I couldn’t suppress the smile tugging at my lips. She looked so bewildered it was almost cute.
She closed her laptop, leaning forward. “I don’t know what to do. Embarrassing, I know. But I must ask. What do study partners do? Quiz each other? Read in silence? I don’t want to mess up, but… I’m clueless.” Her cheeks were stained red, but her eyes danced, as though her confusion, albeit foreign, was a welcome sensation.
I leaned closer mirroring her position. “Clueless here, too. I thought it would be more fun not to be here alone. I guess we’ll wing it?”
Her lips curved into a smile and she sat back, opening her computer again. “Wing it. I like the sound of that.” She focused on the screen, but her smile never faded.
As I pretended to scan my notes, I held back a scowl. Damn. She was nice. Really fucking sweet. That was going to make this much more complicated.
“Excuse me. I’m going to the restroom.” Aveline stood and walked away without waiting for a response from me.
Hell yes. This was the opportunity I was waiting for. Reaching over, I grabbed her iPhone, still unlocked, and hit contacts. As soon as Mom came up, I wrote the number on the back of my notebook and shoved her phone back to her side of the table.
Sweet or not, this girl and her family were the reason for my father’s accident. The cause of pain for my family. She needed to pay. Part two of the plan was ready to go.
Aveline rounded the corner. A student worker, one that I knew right away had Down syndrome, was stacking books. Aveline stopped, chatting and smiling with the woman, not something I expected from the spoiled girl.
Her hand landed on the woman’s shoulder and she examined the binding of a book, pointing to the shelf it belonged on. The young woman smiled, thanking her before giving Aveline a big hug.
My hard heart thawed, maybe an ounce. And just as quickly, my anger came rushing back, reminding me why I was here.
Aveline came bouncing back to the table, but I ignored her, focusing on my book.
After a minute, I glanced up, watching as she straightened her glasses and read her notes. She was most definitely the nerdy sort of chick. I mean sweet, cute, and nerdy, but still. At least I had that one thing going for me. She was nowhere near my type. And from the looks of it, I couldn’t be farther from hers.