Page 2 of Breaking Matt

"I had to move," I said, pressing the phone closer to my ear as I weaved through the students toward my next class.

I had already decided to wait outside there for her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Ryan."

There was no need to elaborate.

"Ugh! It's been a month already. Surely by now he would have realized it's not going to happen."

"Apparently not," I mumbled, feeling more annoyed that I had to make a point of avoiding him.

"I think you may have to be careful with this one. He is definitely stalker material." I didn't want to hear that. It was the last thing I needed. There was a hesitant pause. "Maybe you should mention it to your parents?"

"No way!" I shook my head. "You know what my parents are like."

I had spent half an hour on the phone with my mom reassuring her everything was going well and that I did not need a bodyguard. To a normal person it would be overkill; but in my family, having a bodyguard was like owning a pet.

My mother came from a very wealthy family and it was considered a reasonable precaution to ensure our safety. It didn't help that my father worked as a district attorney. He dealt with some unsavory characters and made enemies, which only increased my mom's insistence that I needed someone to watch over me.

"What if it gets worse?" she asked.

I frowned slightly. It wasn't something I had considered. Ryan was persistent—but dangerous? No, I didn't believe it.

"He's annoying, but harmless."

"Okay, fine. Where are you headed?"

"Our next class," I said, the door already in sight as I walked closer.

"I'll be there in five." She ended the call.

Despite saying to Courtney that Ryan was harmless, I wasn't really convinced he was going to leave me alone. I needed to move on to my next guy to ensure any hope Ryan still harbored would end with the realization that I had someone new in my life.

That would work.

What is he doing here?I thought when I noticed the sexy stranger from the cafeteria in my class fifteen minutes later.

I didn't remember seeing him in this class before. Maybe he was new. I allowed myself to watch him silently while he sat a couple of rows in front of me. He wrote something down before he leaned back, keeping his focus on the lecturer.

He was just my type. Hot and confident. It was a lethal combination I had a weakness for. I didn't want a nice guy—I wanted someone who would set me alight and keep me wanting more.

I was already daydreaming about having his strong hands with long slender fingers tightening their hold on my body. My body warmed with want. A few girls gave him a brief smile or a look over their shoulder, making it clear they were interested. He smiled back.

My forehead creased when I felt a moment of jealousy. They were treading on a guy I had already marked for myself.

Courtney gently poked me in the ribs and gave me a questioning look. I smiled and looked to the sexy guy. Her eyes followed mine.

"Nice," she whispered under her breath at me. I nodded slightly in agreement.

I was already coming up with a way to approach him and what I would say. I wasn't really nervous; I was more excited. I enjoyed the chase of getting the guy I wanted.

The rest of the class dragged on, and when it finally came to an end, I felt a jolt of excitement. My eyes were fixed on my target as he put his book away and hitched his backpack over his shoulder. Broad shoulders: another thing I liked.

"Go get him," Courtney said softly from behind me as I walked up to him, not giving any of the other girls who had shown interest in him the chance to make their move.

He turned and stopped when I walked up to him.