Page 63 of Promising You
“Hi.” Garret looks at him suspiciously. “I’m Jade’s boyfriend.” He shakes Carson’s hand, then puts his arm around me.
Carson keeps his eyes on Garret. “Jade didn’t mention she had a boyfriend.”
What the hell did he saythatfor?
“She didn’t, huh?” Now Garret’s looking atmesuspiciously.
I try to explain. “Carson had all these questions about Moorhurst, so we were just talking about school stuff.”
This is so awkward. I hope I’m not blushing. I feel like I am. Either that or this room is getting really, really hot.
“Did you two just meet?” Garret asks.
“Jade’s my partner for chem lab,” Carson answers. “We met at class this morning and then she was nice enough to have lunch with me.”
“Yeah, Jade’s friendly like that,” he says, knowing it’s a lie.
Garret looks at me again and I scramble to find some words to fill the awkward silence. “Carson’s from Illinois. His grandmother lives in Des Moines.”
Carson smiles and the dimple appears. “Small world, right?”
Garret doesn’t smile back. “I guess it is.”
“Why are you back from class so early?” After I ask Garret the question, I realize it sounds like I was hoping he wouldn’t be home. Like I was hoping to hide Carson from him.
“The professor gave us the syllabus and assigned some reading, then let us go.”
“I need an easy class like that,” Carson says. “What’s your major?”
“Business,” Garret replies, annoyed. “It’s a finance class. I’m sure it won’t be easy. What’s your major?”
“Carson and I really need to go.” I break free from Garret’s arm and grab my backpack. “We have lab at 1 and we have to get our supplies.”
“I guess I’ll see you later,” Carson says to Garret. He follows me to the door, then looks back at Garret. “Oh, and biology. That’s my major. I’m pre-med. Just like Jade.”
I freeze, my heart stopping along with the rest of me. Garret’s asked me numerous times what I want to do for a career and I always tell him I don’t know. And now Carson’s telling him. Shit! This is bad.
“Jade?” I turn back to see a confused and somewhat hurt look on Garret’s face.
“We’ll talk later.” I kiss him quick, then pull him into the hall so I can lock my door.
I can’t concentrate at all during chem lab. Carson is likely regretting picking me as a partner. I already screwed up the first experiment.
“I’m sorry, Carson. I didn’t sleep much last night. I promise I’ll be a better lab partner next time.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He places his hand on my back. It’s completely innocent, but it still feels wrong. “Not every experiment turns out.”
The lab is almost over, so I start gathering my things. “I guess I’ll see you Thursday.”
“Are you taking physics?”
“Yeah, why?”
“Wednesdays at 3? With Professor Bryce?”
I nod. “So I’ll guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
It makes sense we would have similar classes if he’s pre-med and I’m considering it, but I hadn’t thought about that until he mentioned it. At this rate, I’ll see him more than I see Garret.
