Following You (The By You Series) (6 page)

Gross! What kind of girl do you think I am?! Do girls really fall for that?

Jeremy read it three times, getting more worried each time. How could he be such an idiot? Now she probably thought he was just another guy trying to get in her pants.

Sorry, I was just joking! I thought we were doing a playful thing, I'm really not a creep like that.

When he slid the iPad back to her, she took it without even looking up at him. They had a nice little thing going, and he'd already ruined it. Way to go, Jeremy.

When she handed the iPad back to him, he was sure she was going to tell him to never talk to her again. And he would have deserved it.

Calm down. I'm just
fucking
with you.
;)

His jaw dropped open when he read it. He glanced at her and saw that devastatingly cute smile had returned. She'd gotten him good, and she knew it. She'd just played his own game against him, and he'd completely fallen for it. Maybe he was rustier than he thought.

Well played. Looks like you're going to keep me on my toes.

As he waited for the girl's next response, he realized that he didn't want the boring lecture to end. He wanted to enjoy this moment for as long as possible.

Can't keep up? I teach a class, if you're interested
.

This time, Jeremy wasn't able to hold back his laugh. It was only after everyone had turned around and looked to see what was causing the commotion that he remembered where he was. Even Dr. Schipp had stopped her lecture to stare at him with one eyebrow cocked.

"Sorry about that," he said, quickly. He cleared his throat, loudly. "Bad cough. I'm better now, won't happen again." Dr. Schipp gave him an icy glare, but went back to her lecture without saying anything to him.

When Jeremy finally snuck a peek at the Mystery Girl, her face was bright red and her shoulders were shaking as she held in her own laugh. In that moment he knew he'd met someone special. He wasn't sure how he knew, and he didn't know what it meant, but he knew she was going to be an important part of his life.

What's your name?

She smiled up at him when she read it.

Sarah.

What’s yours?

Sarah slid the iPad over to the Stranger sitting next to her. Nerves and excitement about whatever he might write back made her fingers tingle. Dr. Schipp, was still lecturing at the front of the room, but Sarah hadn’t listened to a single word she'd said. Ever since the Stranger had sat down, she’d been distracted.

For a moment, she wondered if she was leading him on? It was pretty clear that he was flirting with her, and she still hadn't told him about Huck. But, was it so wrong to enjoy a little harmless flirting? She didn't remember the last time a guy had flirted with her--it felt good.

The Stranger slid the iPad back to her in his nonchalant way. He kept his eyes locked forward while she read it.

Jeremy
.

Jeremy.

She couldn't help but smile again.

The name was oddly fitting of his slender, angular features. He looked like a Jeremy. He looked like one of those city boys that get a girl in trouble. There was no question that he was attractive, he could probably have any girl he wanted. Any girl except her, of course. Huck didn't have anything to worry about.

As Sarah started writing another note, the lecture hall filled with the noise of clapping. Dr. Schipp had finished her speech, and she was wishing them all a good semester. Students started packing their things and filing toward the exit at the back of the lecture hall.

Sarah smiled at Jeremy. She supposed their little play date, or whatever it was they were doing, couldn't go on forever. But, she wouldn't have minded if it had lasted a while longer. Jeremy had a very confident, charming way about him. She could tell he knew what he was doing when he talked to her, and that made it even more fun.

"So, does this mean we're officially Franklin Bulldogs?" he said.

"I think that's the idea," she grinned.

Sarah slid the iPad into her bag and followed Jeremy out of their row, and he waited like a gentleman to let her walk in front of him. As they climbed the steps to the back of the classroom, they got crammed together by all the other students trying to leave at the same time. She could feel Jeremy's slender, muscular frame getting pushed into her, and she was suddenly curious to see what he looked like shirtless.
 

Control yourself. It's just harmless flirting, remember? You can't be thinking about him taking his clothes off.

She wished it were that easy to get the fantasy out of her head.

When they finally made it out of the Modern Languages building and into the sunny, late morning, Jeremy walked along next to her. He gave her the same devilish grin she'd seen a hundred times that morning, and it still made her all fluttery on the inside every time he did it.

"So how are you spending your last two days of freedom before classes start?" he asked.

Spending time with my boyfriend.

At least, that's what she
should
have said.

"A lot of unpacking, and hopefully a little shopping," is what she said, instead.

"I'd be happy to show you some local spots around here," he said. "There are tons of little thrift shops and indie joints, if you're into those things."

Yep, he knew
exactly
what he was doing. And he was good at it.

Huck, Huck, Huck, Huck
. She chanted the reminder over and over in her head.

"Yeah, that would be nice, sometime. I'd probably get lost as soon as I set foot off campus," she laughed.

"Then call me your official tour guide," he said.

Jeremy's chest swelled and confidence oozed off of him. The glint in his eye reminded her of the way her dad acted when he was out hunting and he found a trail.

Was Jeremy hunting her?

"Tonight, then? We can start with dinner at a little pizzeria not far from here, then take a walk through West Village."

A walk through West Village?

That sounded so wonderful that, for a split second, Sarah almost agreed to the date. What could be more romantic than a fun night with a sexy, mysterious Stranger?

But, she couldn't go that far. She couldn't dream of hurting Huck. She loved him, and he was all she would ever need. He might be rough around the edges, but he was hers.

"Look, Jeremy..." she began. She wasn't sure what to say, she wasn't used to being asked out on dates. "It sounds like a lot of fun--it
really
does--but I don't think it would be such a good idea."

His weight shifted from one foot to the other while as he listened to her. His eyes studied her so intently she wondered if he could see right through her. The silence between them lingered long enough for Sarah to start getting nervous. He didn't look quite so confident, anymore, and she really didn't mean to upset him.

"It's another guy, isn't it?" he said. The tone of his voice told her it wasn't really a question.

"How'd you know?" she asked.

"Because, you're the most beautiful thing I've seen in a long time," he said. Something flashed in his eyes when he said it, but it was gone the next instant. "I should have known you wouldn't be single."

Her heart raced in her chest.

"I think that's one of the sweetest things anyone's ever said to me."

Jeremy smiled at her, but his lips stayed pinched together. The smile didn't reach his eyes.

"It's just the truth," he said.

"You're not upset, are you? I wasn't trying to lead you on or anything."

He let out a nervous chuckle and shook his head.

"No, it's all good. We're both adults--no harm, no foul."

"Good, because I like you. I think we could be good friends."

As soon as she said the
F Word
, he let out a little, disbelieving snort. His smile was the next thing to go, and Sarah could see practically see the walls he was putting up to keep her out.

"Yeah, maybe, I guess," he said. He didn't look her in the eye the way he had been.

"Oh, come on, don't be like that," she said. "I'm serious--you're a good guy."

"You don't even know me, Sarah," he said. His voice had a new edge to it that hadn't been there before. "Hell, ten minutes ago you didn't even know my name."

"I don't need to know your name to know that you're a good person--I can see it in how you carry yourself."

"How I
carry
myself?" he sneered. "Look, I don't mean to be a dick, but you don't know the first thing about me. I'm not some Johnny Quarterback Nice Guy."

Sarah took a step back, surprised by the look in his eye.

"I was just being honest," she said. "I'm just not that kind of girl."

Jeremy blew out a laugh and closed his eyes for a second. He shook his head and composed himself. Sarah was used to trusting her gut when it came to people, but maybe she'd been wrong about him. He gave her an intense stare before he said anything.

"I know you were, and so am I," he said. "I don't want you thinking we're going to be just friends. I knew the moment I saw you that we could never be
just friends
."

Sarah bit her lip and swallowed a lump in her throat. She was speechless, which was rare for her. What stunned her was the fact that she knew he was right. She'd felt that same exact way when she'd met him the day before. It had been unlike any other feeling she'd had before, and it had taken until now to realize what it was.

Jeremy was right. He wasn't some nice guy--he was dangerous. Dangerous because Sarah suddenly didn't trust herself around him.

"Maybe I should get going," she said.

The edge in his eyes softened and he started to say something, but then stopped himself. He gave her one last look, and nodded.

"That's probably a good idea," he said.

Sarah stood there looking at him for what felt like an eternity. She had to force herself to take the first step away from him, and it was even more difficult than it had been the day before. The second step came easier, and so did the third. Jeremy didn't move, didn't try to stop her. He just watched as she turned away.

When she was finally able to walk away from him, Sarah felt like everything she thought she knew about herself had just been shuffled up and turned inside out.

Sarah's head was spinning the whole way back to her dorm. She couldn't shake the feeling that she had done something wrong when she'd walked away from Jeremy. But, she didn't know why she felt that way. She was normally very in touch with her feelings, which is why she was left feeling helpless and confused.

He was right. You barely know him. Just forget about him and everything will be fine.

Something inside her told her it wasn't going to be as easy as she hoped.

Why did bad things just keep happening to her? The day had started off so nice. Nice, because she had really enjoyed talking to Jeremy, or flirting with him, or whatever it was they had been doing. But, if everything else going on in her life was any indicator, good things weren't meant to last.

First, her boyfriend had started acting like he had a stick up his butt and he refused to tell her why. Then, she'd thought her room had been vandalized, only to find out that it had just been her alarmingly volatile roommate--so it was
all good
. Cap that off with her mom all but openly accusing her of being some kind of maniacal sex fiend, while the Stick Up His Butt Boyfriend was busy acting like he was from Jersey Shore, and you could begin to understand why it might be hard to forget about the devastatingly charming guy she'd met.

With the way things were shaping up, it was starting to look like it was going to be a very long year. The very thought of it left her groaning in frustration.

But, Sarah had never been the kind of girl who let things get to her. And, she wasn't about to let a few speed bumps slow her down. She could handle whatever life threw at her.

She might not be able to do anything about her roommate, but she was certain Huck and her mom were both just dealing with change in their own way. Mom didn't
really
think she was a maniacal sex fiend, and Huck was just trying to figure out how he fit in at their new school. Once they all got settled in, things would go back to normal. They had to.

So, where did that leave Jeremy?

She let out another groan. She didn't want to think about him, anymore. Hopefully that situation would work itself out, too.

The dorm was still packed with residents getting situated, but fewer parents were still around to help. The whole dorm felt more social and alive than it had the day before. Total strangers hung out in the hallways, laughing and joking as though they were old friends. No one dared close the door to their room, either because they feared missing out on something, or because they just wanted to be connected to the energy of the place. The hallways were lined with open doors and smiling faces, and as Sarah made her way to the fourth floor, she discovered a renewed bounce in her step.

It was impossible to stay upset in a place filled with so much excitement.

The fourth floor was no different than any of the others, and as Sarah pushed her way down the hall, she was stopped by a duo that looked like they had a purpose. One of them was a girl with dark, auburn hair and soft features. She was wearing yoga pants and a low cut tank top. The guy following her was petite and carried himself like a kid in a candy store. Thick framed glasses gave him a boyish appeal, and Sarah was certain he spent more time styling his short, spiked hair than she spent on her own hair.

"
Ow, ow.
What do we have here?" the guy called out when he saw her.

He walked straight up to her and ran his fingers through her hair. She was so caught off guard by the sudden intrusion that she didn't even try to stop him. For some reason, the girl smiled at Sarah as if what he was doing was totally normal. When he was done stroking her hair, he stepped back and eyed her, up and down.