She didn’t notice me beside her, she was so caught up in her book. I coughed to let her know I was there. I scented her surprise and fear as her body stiffened. She turned to me, her eyes wide as she moved away to create some distance. But I didn’t move an inch as I watched her features go through the motions as a huge grin spread across her face.
“Frankie?” She looked around then back at me. Her brows rose high as she clutched her book to her chest.
“What are you doing here?”
Chapter7
Clare
Ihave no idea how I graduated high school. Hell, I think they made a mistake with my grades when I placed second in my class. I wasn’t valedictorian like Jake Rolfe, but I was so close. How? I can’t even make sense of this book. It was like everything I learned the last few years had just found a little box in my head and had been dumped in there. Then I forgot where I placed it. Actually, I forgot a lot of things from the last few years. I barely remember being a senior. Hell, I only remember graduating, and even then, I felt… odd. Like I was missing a huge piece of my life. Like I was walking around naked and looking for my clothes, but I could never find them. Like a bad dream.
It had been like this for too long. It was time to really call it quits. I couldn't keep up in my classes. I was barely passing, and this book was giving me a headache to read. Oh, maybe I needed glasses? That might be why I had headaches. No, glasses weren’t going to fix my brain. I could see the words clearly. Hell, maybe I had something wrong with my head… Was I too young for dementia? Maybe I should get a brain scan?
I felt a presence beside me but I didn’t let on. I kept reading and hoped they would go away. But when they coughed, I stiffened. I moved away and turned, worried about who I would see there, but I was surprised.
Dark jeans, a tight tee, and a shaved head. His brown eyes met mine and I almost sagged in relief. I had a huge smile on my face. I was happy to see him. I watched as he gave me a small grin back. Fuck… my heart stuttered.
“Frankie?” I looked around. Where were his friends?
“What are you doing here?” I asked, my brow furrowed, confused why he would want to sit with me on the grass.
He answered me with a half grin as he raised his brows like I was asking a silly question. He tipped his head towards me. I felt my cheeks heat. My hands raised to touch them in fear they were fire truck red and he could see how much he affected me.
“Were you having lunch and saw me?”
His gaze was intense, but it made me feel like the most important person as he didn’t look away at others walking by us. Or the girls who had gathered close by to check him out. He kept watching me, like if he glanced anywhere else, I might disappear.
“Yeah… you can say that.”
I let out a nervous giggle. Such a silly question. It was lunch, of course he was having lunch when he saw me. I’d only just finished mine when I started to read… well tried, at least. The book was good for two things. Studying and looking so busy that no one would question why you’re alone on the grass without friends.
I realized then I didn’t know much about Frankie. What was he studying? He didn’t look like the guys in my classes. Far from it. I cleared my throat.
“What’s your major?”
He looked away and up to the sky. It was cloudy but I could see the hint of blue trying to break through. When he looked back at me, he rubbed the back of his neck.
“Pharmaceuticals.”
Oh wow, that was the last thing I would have thought he was wanting to study. But that was why they said, “Never judge a book by its cover.” And I had just done that with Frankie. It was just that he was so different from the guys I had met, I didn't know what to expect with him.
“Oh, you wanna be a chemist?”
He shook his head.
“No, it's not something I want to do, more I have to.”
Shit, Frankie’s parents must be like mine.
“I don't want to be a veterinarian either, but my parents are making me.”
The look on his face at what I just admitted made me realize I said that out loud for the first time. My parents weren’t bad people, as such. Just not as present and understanding of what I wanted or my dreams in life. I think, sometimes, they only had me so they could say, “Yes, we are a real family. Look, we have a child to prove it.”
“I just didn't have the guts to tell them before I got here that it wasn't what I wanted. But now it's too late. They already paid the tuition fee for the year, so they won't let me come home.”
“You don't like it here?”
I noticed Frankie had moved closer to me. I could feel my skin hum with tingles at his hand so close to mine. I almost forgot what he’d said.
