Page 111 of Gabriel
“Idea?” I finish for her. “Yeah. I am.” No way am I letting someone else in this class be her partner. There are maybe six other girls in the class, and from the looks of it, they’re already paired up which leaves Cecilia with me or some other guy. This is a group assignment which means working together. Studying and shit. Yeah, her and some random dude, not happening.
“You’ll need to work on the assignment outside of class,” our professor says. “Presentations will be due at the beginning of class, not this Friday, but the following. We won’t have time to go over everyone’s presentations in class, so I’ll be drawing three at random. Those individuals will be expected to present their arguments to the class. The rest will be graded during my office hours, but I expect everyone to arrive prepared. Any questions?”
Everyone shakes their heads. “Very well. You can have the remainder of class to get started and sort out a schedule for you and your partner to meet outside of class.”
Reaching across the aisle, I muscle Cecilia’s desk closer until it buts up against mine.
“Was that necessary?” There’s a bite of annoyance in her tone.
“It was,” I tell her, offering up a shit-eating grin. Doing research for a politically charged presentation isn’t something I’d normally look forward to. But with this assignment, Cecilia has no choice but to spend time with me. That’s one hell of a win.
Her phone buzzes on her desk and this time I’m able to see the name that flashes across the screen when she looks down to read the incoming text.
Adriana (Swim Team)
What the fuck?
With a narrowed gaze, I skim my eyes over the text and violate Cecilia’s privacy. Ask me if I care.
Adriana (Swim Team): Want to grab lunch after class today?
I watch Cecilia type out her response.
Cecilia: Sure. Place?
Adriana (Swim Team): The burger place on campus. The Wolf Den?
Cecilia: See you there. *Heart emoji*
Heart emoji? Since when does Cecilia use emojis?
“Making plans?” My tone is casual, but I don’t think I mask my interest enough because Cecilia darkens the screen on her phone and shoves it back into her bag.
“Just lunch.”
I consider that and the person she’s having it with. There’s only one Adriana I know personally. It’s not an uncommon name, so there’s no reason for me to jump to conclusions, but I am. There’s a good chance whoever Cecilia is talking to is someone I don’t know, but the knot in my stomach is telling me otherwise. That her Adriana and mine are one and the same.
And if that’s the case, Adriana Aguirre and I are going to have some words.
CHAPTER 33
CECILIA
Idon’t know what I expected when I agreed to grab lunch with Adriana after class. Some part of me assumed it’d be awkward. Mostly because of me. But it hasn’t been awkward. It’s been … nice.
“What year are you?” she asks, dipping a fry into some ketchup before popping it into her mouth.
“Junior. You?” I ask, taking a bite of my own food. I used to come here all the time. The Wolf Den was a popular hangout for the cheer squad and for most of the athletes at PacNorth. From the look of things, it still is.
The restaurant is packed with several students standing around their tables since there aren’t enough chairs. Not that anyone really cares. The food is good and relatively cheap, and when you’re a college student, you can’t afford to be picky. Also, the bartender rarely cards. A perk if you’re an underclassman and want a drink with friends. Not that I drink anymore.
“Same.”
“Any plans after graduation?” I ask.
She pauses and thinks about it. “Not really,” Adriana says. “Get a job, most likely. Maybe move out of Richland. I haven’tgiven it much thought.” She takes a bite of her burger and adds, “I’ll probably move, though.”
“Where will you go?” It feels weird to think about leaving Richland. It’s always been my home. But I won’t lie and say it doesn’t have an appeal. If I lived somewhere else, I wouldn’t have to worry about running into Austin. Not on campus and not around town. My parents would still be here, so of course I’d come and visit, but some separation could be good for us. Dad could focus more on work. Mom could host more of those charity functions she enjoys.
