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Meanwhile, I have no job. No sport. No extracurricular activity to speak of. And yet I’m still over here failing math simply because I can’t stop daydreaming about a certain pair ofhunter-green eyes and the man they belong to long enough to focus on anything. The only reason I’m not failing all my other classes is because they’re easy enough to skirt by. Math, on the other hand, has never been my strong suit.

“You could never bother me. If you need help, say so, and I’ll help.”

“I’m not the best with math, but I’m sure Kai would be able to help if Maisie can’t. I’m not exaggerating when I say that man is a freaking genius. At this point, I’m purposely trying to find a single thing he doesn’t excel at.”

“Must be nice to be him,” I grumble, half laughter, half groan.

“Don’t fail because you’re too stubborn to ask for help.” Maisie gives me a pointed look.

“It’s fine. I’ll figure it out,” I promise. “And if I can’t, I promise to ask for help,” I add, mainly just to appease them. “Now if you two don’t mind, I think I’d like to lie down. I don’t actively feel like I’m going to puke at the moment, but I’m still not feeling great.”

“Of course.” Lyric drops into the chair next to me and slides on her shoes, a pair of baby blue Converse that matches her top perfectly. “Kai is expecting me home soon anyway.”

“I have a ton of homework,” Maisie adds, both trying to make me feel less guilty for cutting our evening short, no doubt.

“We can do dinner later this week if you’re feeling better,” Lyric tells me as she stands.

“I’d like that.” I nod.

“At the risk that you actually have a stomach bug, I’m not going to hug you,” she tells me with a smile. “But I love you and I’ll see you later.” She turns to Mais. “As for you, I’m going to be at your game on Saturday, and I expect to see at least one goal scored by my favorite player.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” Maisie smiles.

“Love you, girls.” Lyric moves toward the door.

“Love you too,” I say, climbing up into my bed.

“Love you,” Mais calls after her seconds before the door shuts.

“You all right up there, Char?” Maisie asks as I roll over, trying to get comfortable.

“I’ll live.”

It’s the last thing I remember saying before I doze off a few short minutes later.

Chapter Fourteen

Charlotte

“So, Charlotte. Lyric tells me you’ve declared English as your major.” Heather Parker, Lyric and River’s mom, stares at me from across the table, a soft smile on her lips, her resemblance to her daughter uncanny.

Since my parents only came for Friday’s festivities and left the same night, I somehow got pressured into joining Lyric’s family for lunch. Not that I so much mind, given the pair of green eyes I can feel watching me from his place at the end of the table. Even though we’ve barely spoken today, I still relish every second I get to spend in the same room with this man.

Family weekend started off with a bang. And by bang, I mean River had me up against a wall, screwing my brains out just twenty minutes before my parents arrived on campus. I don’t think I’ve ever run so fast in my life as I did trying to get back across campus before my parents came looking for me in my room. I beat them by mere minutes and was still trying to catch my breath when they knocked on my door.

“Yes, that’s right.” I reach for my glass of water; my throat suddenly so dry it feels like sandpaper.

“I minored in English,” she tells me proudly. “I’ve always loved reading and writing.”

“Me too,” I admit. “I want to work in publishing, preferably editing.”

“Well, if I ever sit down and write that novel I’ve been saying I’m going to write for the past twenty years, I’ll know who to go to.” She winks, turning her attention to her daughter at my side. “How are classes going so far?” she asks Lyric, thankfully freeing me of the spotlight.

Not that I’m a shy person who minds the attention. I don’t. But with a certain someone’s gaze burning holes in me, it feels damn near impossible to focus.

I glance his way, our gazes locking. My skin prickles, the hairs on the back of my neck standing to attention the way they always do when River looks at me a certain way.

I know I said I didn’t mind being forced to join them today, but I think I’ve changed my mind because sitting here, with River just a few short feet away, and not being able to touch him or really even speak to him without raising a few eyebrows is tortuous.