Page 15 of Katie 2
I try to swallow my blush, but I’m sure I don’t succeed. I nod anyway.
“He provides his email and goes in depth with these subjects. If you’d like, I can also record the next class and send you what I get—I need to do it anyway for some of the online students,” she offers.
“That would be amazing. Thank you. I don’t just want to pass the tests or essays. I really want to know this material,” I insist.
Dr. Morrison smiles. “I’m glad to hear it. This kind of drive will take you far, but remember, you’re only twenty-one, Katie. You don’t have to grow up too fast.”
I dismiss that thought, thank her again, and head out. I don’t bother to tell her that when the students weren’t interrupting her, I kept feeling like I was being watched and couldn’t pay attention no matter how much I tried.
Normally, it doesn’t bother me. At least, it didn’t bother me last semester, but it feels different today. I try to push all that paranoia away. I’m fine. I’m healthy. I’m happy living with my boyfriends. I’m glad that we have the new apartment that’s close to campus throughout the week and things are going well.
Henry got the divorce, Carter is kicking ass, and Brad… well, he’s happy. I think he’s happy, isn’t he? He would tell me if he wasn’t… I think. He’s harder to pin down than most people, though, so who knows? I should know.
That’s what it comes down to in my head. I should know if my boyfriend isn’t happy. I should know if he wants something that he’s not getting. I should be more in tune with him. I suck my bottom lip and glance around, being more obvious about it.
It feels like whoever’s watching is getting closer, which means I should be able to see them, but instead, their gaze feels like an itch across my neck, my shoulders, and my chest. I lightly scratch at my chest and turn to go to my psychology class, continuing to look around, searching for Brad’s familiar face.
I just need one glimpse of him and I’ll know that I’m not losing my mind and that I’m safe. Just as I give up finding Brad’s face in the crowd and decide to text him, I run into someone. My books spill out of my arms and I nearly drop my phone. Closing my eyes a second to catch my breath, I huff and put my phone in my back pocket, then bend down to grab my things.
When I stand up, I turn around, trying to catch my bearings, and find Dan there. He smiles. “What a surprise, Katie.”
I blink at him. I only remember his name because I had to defend him to my men. Why on earth would he remember mine? I tuck my hair behind my ear and force a smile. “Hi.”
“I thought that was you earlier, but I wasn’t sure,” he continues.
“Earlier? What do you mean?” I ask before clearing my throat, even though I feel my hope for Brad dropping. I miss his sliding into my classes and working me up.
I miss our private little games even if they happened in front of everyone else.
“Well, I wasn’t sure it was you and I didn’t want to walk up to a stranger, but then you looked all panicky and I got worried you were being followed or something,” Dan says with an innocent smile.
I was being followed… by him, apparently. But pointing that out will achieve all ofnothing, so I don’t see the point in saying anything to encourage him. Instead, I nod once and put a bit of space between us.
“Well, I should probably—”
“I don’t know if you have class or something, but I’d still really like to make a case for sociology, you know? Not because I think it’s a great major, but I think you should sit in on a class or two,” he explains, completely ignoring me.
“Why do you think that?’
“You said you’re doing pre-law stuff, and sociology is the study of how people interact, which I think is pretty important to law. Isn’t the whole thing based on what a rational person would do in a given situation?”
“Yeah,” I say slowly.
He’s not overstepping at all. He’s not being a dick or being creepy, but there’s something about him that just makes me feel… uncomfortable. Maybe he’s just too happy, has too much of that ‘I’m really nice, I’m not a problem’ vibe that makes mefeel like he’s not the kind of person I should give another minute of my time to.
But he’s harmless. He has to be.
“See, I just think that one class could get you to at least sit in on a few more or keep that in mind for next semester,” he says brightly.
“I’m graduating at the end of this semester,” I point out.
“Oh. I thought you were a sophomore or junior,” he says. “I see. Well, maybe it would be good for grad school then.”
“I really appreciate it, Dan, but um…” The sensation of being watched multiplies by ten. Well, it hasn’t been Dan watching me.
That gets obvious the more he talks. I nod or smile in what I think are the right places but want to be done with this conversation. I know if Brad sees this, he’s either going to want to prove I’m his by taking me to some semi-public area and fucking me until he’s satisfied and I’m left achy and wanting, or he’ll start a fight with Dan.
It won’t matter that I don’t want Dan,can’twant Dan because of the three men I’m already involved with. Brad’s already made that clear.
