Page 50 of The Substitute

“You have to eat. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.”

I’m pretty sure I can hear him grinding his teeth.

“Look, I appreciate you seem to care, but that smells like I’m going to puke.” I point to the offending sandwich as my stomach churns and saliva pools in my mouth.

“What?” He looks at the food, clearly confused. “It’s egg, sausage, cheese, and chorizo.”

“I’m not a big fan of eggs unless they are mixed with flour, butter, and sugar.” I turn back to my backpack and finishshoving my stuff inside. “Please don’t leave that in here, or I will have to sleep in the living room.”

“So…cake?”

“Or cookies, brownies, pastries. Do donuts have egg? I don’t know, but they’re also delicious.” I swing my backpack over my shoulder and stand.

“You and your fucking brother.” He looks at the ceiling. “Maybe you two are a little alike.”

I make a face. “No, his idea of good food comes out of a package. I like real baked things.”

“Fair, but the sweet tooth is still there.”

I shrug and put my backpack on my shoulder.

“Are you going to class?” There’s a smile on his face that’s adorable, and I kind of hate him for it. He doesn’t get to be cute, sexy as hell, and pretend to care. My heart can’t take it.

“We are in college, right? Someone is paying a lot of money for my ass to be here.” Careful not to touch his naked chest, I shimmy past him, but he grabs my arm and hauls me against him, quickly taking my mouth in a sweet but deep kiss. The guy is making my head spin, and I have to blink a few times to make the room stop spinning before I can leave the room.

“I’m proud of you!” Ambrose yells from the door of our dorm. “You should be proud of you, too!”

“I’ve been going.” Not as much as I should be, but it’s not like I’m failing out.

“And I’m proud of you every class you do.” He smirks, and it’s sexy, and I hate it a little.

I flip him off as I get into the elevator while the people around me snicker. I swear to fuck I’m going to suffocate him.

I make it through three classes before my brain is mush.

“Do you have another class?” Angie, a cute girl from my class, walks with me down the hall.

“I’m done for the day, thank fuck.” My stomach grumbles loudly, but nothing sounds good. Maybe I should have eaten breakfast…

“Lunch time then?” She smiles at me, turning those big black rimmed glasses and purple cat ears toward me. The girl is adorably innocent, and there’s something about her that makes me want to smile even on the days I don’t want to smile at all.

“I need to go to the library, but I’ll probably still be there when you’re done if you want to come find me.”

“Your stomach just shouted.” She arches a brow and pops a hip. “Starving yourself isn’t going to help you study.”

What is it with everyone telling me to eat?

“I have some snacks in my bag.” Lie.

She looks at me like she doesn’t believe me, but she lets it go. I head to the library, and she turns toward the dining hall. It’s not too busy in here, so I get a good seat in the back where it’s a little darker. Overhead lights are the bane of my existence.

I get my stuff spread out when my phone buzzes.

Savage: What are you up to?

I can’t help the smile that tugs on my lips.

Tobi: Classes and studying? What else is there?