Page 32 of Game Changer (Hidden Attractions #2)
Maya
I don’t know how long I’ve been holed up in this library staring at a blank computer screen, but judging by the strain on my eyes, I’d guess it’s been a while.
Writing a paper isn’t how I want to spend my Wednesday.
I could have been working on Ashley’s makeup for her date tonight—a new client I had to cancel because of this looming due date.
But when it comes to schoolwork, I’ve always pushed it off to the last minute.
I make procrastinators seem like they’ve got their shit together.
I prop my chin on my hand, staring at the line flashing on the document, waiting for me to write something.
Nothing comes. All I can think about is how I’ll have to endure two more years of papers, reading, and online quizzes that make my head hurt.
I’ve known from a young age that school isn’t for me, but today is making it painstakingly obvious.
It could be worse, though. The library is surprisingly quiet in the late afternoon.
The whispers of others at surrounding tables and the homey ambiance the dark mahogany bookshelves provide would kick the average student into gear.
It’s a place designed for focus, and with others zoned in on their laptops with headphones over their ears, it seems to be working for them. Apparently, I’m the exception.
Suddenly, a coffee cup lands in front of me, and I lift my eyes to see Ethan smirking down at me. “Destiny said you were here writing a paper for business administration.” He eyes the screen entirely void of writing before giving me a sheepish look. “No luck, huh?”
“None.” I groan. “I’m not cut out for this.”
“Sure you are.” I’m speechless when he pulls over a wooden chair and sits beside me.
He picks up the sheet of paper that’s been sitting on the desk and gives it a quick read.
“International supply chain and inventory management.” He hums with a hint of amusement.
His eyes are lit with humor when he looks at me again and adds, “Sounds riveting .”
“My point exactly,” I mutter. I lift the Styrofoam cup to my lips and sigh when espresso hits my tongue. “You’re my knight in shining armor. Thank you for this.”
Sitting this close to him gives me something to focus on for the first time today, but it sure as hell isn’t my paper.
He smells so good . I want to crawl onto his lap and snuggle my nose into his sweatshirt, but then that would lead to other things, and I really have to finish this paper. It’s due tomorrow.
“I find that starting a paper is always the worst part,” he says. “Have you looked at any textbooks here on the subjects?”
“Nope. I’ve just been sitting here. Hoping inspiration will come to me, I guess.”
Ethan doesn’t make me feel stupid or reprimand me for waiting until the last minute to write my paper. In a situation where he could tell me to get my shit together, he rises from his seat instead and heads for the business section of the library.
I’m dumbfounded as I watch him scan through the rows, grabbing books he thinks might help, and when he sets them in front of me, I have the biggest grin on my face.
“What?” he asks.
“Nothing.” I shake my head, biting my lip, as he sits beside me again. “You’re just a real Lifetime boyfriend.”
“Lifetime boyfriend?” He scrunches his brows. “What does that mean?”
“Like, you don’t seem real. Guys don’t just stick around the library to help their girlfriend with her paper. Most guys would ask to meet up later and leave her to it.”
“Oh, you thought I was sticking around? I just dropped off the books.” He laughs when I swat his arm. “Okay, but in all seriousness, helping my girlfriend write a paper shouldn’t be something girls rave about. The bar is really fucking low, huh?”
“You have no idea.” The little things mean the most to me, and that’s what he doesn’t realize. I don’t need fancy jewelry, designer bags, or a luxurious car. Having him go out of his way to bring me a coffee and help me with my paper matters more than all those things combined.
“Well, let’s get started,” he says, flipping one of the texts to the first page. “This paper isn’t going to write itself.”
~
Three hours later, I’m walking hand in hand with Ethan back to the dorm after submitting my completed assignment.
Now that the deadline isn’t hanging over my head anymore, I feel light and carefree, and so fucking giddy that I get to call him my boyfriend.
We knocked the paper out in three hours, a record time for me.
I’m on cloud nine as I huddle closer to his side, relishing in his warmth.
It’s a shame he’s so self-conscious about his body because I wouldn’t change a damn thing about it. I like him exactly the way he is.
It’s getting colder, and my choice of a T-shirt and shorts wasn’t the brightest. Then again, I didn’t expect to be at the library all day either.
Ethan notices and strips his sweatshirt off and passes it over to me.
I make no complaints when I slide the fabric over my head, his scent and warmth causing my chest to become warm and fuzzy.
I lift the sleeve to my nose and inhale deeply. “It smells like your cologne.”
“Is that a good thing?”
“A very good thing. On the nights we don’t sleep together, I miss it. I mean, my sheets carry a hint of it, but nothing like this.”
His eyes soften a fraction. “Keep it. I have plenty more of them.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.” He briefly glances down at my bare legs, his lips twitching at whatever he sees. “It looks adorable on you.”
The fabric swallows me whole. I highly doubt I look adorable , but before I can offer a rebuttal, he tugs at my hand and leads me through the quad, my favorite spot on campus.
I guess I appreciate it so much because it’s a constant reminder that everyone is unique in their own way.
Some kids are lying on a picnic blanket reading textbooks while some jocks are passing a football by the science building.
One girl has her back against a tree with a sketchpad tabled on her knees, deep in thought, as she scribbles away with charcoal.
We all have different interests and hobbies, and college is the place where we try to turn those hobbies into the rest of our lives.
It’s as clear as day who these people want to become.
And it gives me hope that my time here will clarify that for me as well.
We pass the statute of Pete the Bulldog—the school’s mascot—and continue walking until the dining hall comes into view. Our dorm is just over the hill, the building Ethan keeps heading for until I pull out of his grasp.
“I’m starving,” I admit. “Let’s eat something first.”
He draws up short, sending me a sympathetic grin. “I can’t stop today. I’ve got a meeting I can’t miss.”
“ Ooooh ,” I taunt. “Is this a follow-up meeting to the one you were so secretive about during yoga?” When he doesn’t answer right away, I bounce from foot to foot impatiently. “Come on! Tell me. What is it?”
He rolls his eyes. “Remember what I told you before? It wouldn’t be a surprise if I told you, now would it?”
“Well, no , but it’d make me happy.”
“And you will be happy once I feel confident enough to share it with you.”
What the hell is he up to? Over the past few weeks we’ve fallen into a comfortable routine with each other, but every Wednesday night he mysteriously disappears to whatever meeting he has scheduled.
The old me, the one who is used to dealing with toxic guys, wants to question him further about it, but deep down, I know Ethan is nothing like the boys from my past. He wouldn’t screw me over or mess with other girls.
Whatever he’s hiding from me, he has a reason for it, and I trust him implicitly.
Leaning up on my tiptoes, I kiss him quickly.
“Okay, fine. You’ll come over after, though, right?
” My hand drags down his chest, covered only by a T-shirt, and I love how his pupils dilate from the slight touch.
“I’ve been thinking of a lot of ways to say thank you for helping me with that paper . . .”
“Maya.” He groans, knowing precisely what I’m referring to. “Come on. Don’t make me walk back to the dorm with a raging hard-on. Leo already teases me enough.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Batting my eyelashes innocently at him, I continue to act oblivious. “All I’m offering is to wrap my lips right around your thick—”
He throws his head back and laughs, slowly backing away from me. “Nuh-uh. You’re trouble! I’m not falling for it.”
“But you’ll come over later?” I call.
“Are you kidding me? I’d be an idiot not to cash in on that offer. Oh, and save me one of those muffins! The—”
“Strawberry,” I finish, waving him off with my hands. “I know your favorite. Now go . Don’t be late.”
His smile is brighter than the sunset behind him, and the more comfortable we become with each other, the more I realize that I never had a chance at fighting this connection we share.
Ethan Davis makes it impossible not to fall head over heels for him, and the truth is? Out of the both of us, I’m not the one who’s trouble.
He is .