“Why are you so tired to day?”

I placed my hand on the small of her back and helped her walk a little faster out of the room. “I told you earlier that I didn’t get much sleep.”

“Why?” She asked, as she dug around her suitcase of a purse.

“I had a paper that needed to be finished, and I’m still not done.” I didn’t have the energy to argue with her. Not today.

“Okay, well, am I gonna get to see you later tonight?”

“I doubt it babe,” I added a little extra sugar so that she wouldn’t aggravate the hell out of me. “After weights I’m going back to the library to try and finish my paper. I won’t be home until late.”

Her bottom lip stuck out, and made me chuckle. “Stop that. We’re going out this weekend.”

“Fine, but I’ll miss you.”

“Mmm… How much?” I leaned down and kissed her lips lightly.

She wrapped her arms around my neck and deepened the kiss. “A lot.” She nipped my bottom lip.

For one whole minute, I almost forgot that I had a ton of things to do. Almost. That was the effect she had on me.

“I got to go babe.”

“Okay, but call me later.”

“I will.” I waved bye and watched as she walked away. Her tight little ass swayed back and forth with each step. She had the cutest butt. I loved watching her walk away. There was much pleasure in the curve of a woman’s back where it met her plump ass, an irresistible pleasure.

I had to shake off the dirty thoughts to keep myself from sporting a boner in front of the guys.

When she walked through the double door and out of my sight, I ran off to the weight room. I was fifteen minutes early. There was no way I was going to give the coach any reason to be pissed off again. He could be brutal.

“My sweaty ass balls are glued to the side of my leg,” Worm yelled out from the bench next to mine. “I’m hitting the showers.”

“Seriously man,” I huffed out a large breath while lifting the bar high above my head. “I didn’t need to know that.” A soft laugh escaped me.

“Just keeping it real.” He called out tossing his sweaty rag in my direction.

“You’re going to The Edge this weekend right?” Jeremy asked. He stood behind me and helped me place the bar back in place.

I sat up and wiped the sweat from my face. “I told you I don’t know yet. Probably, but I have to see how much work I get done today and tomorrow. I don’t need more reasons to fall behind.”

“You’ll be fine.” He insisted. He always insisted. He could be as needy as Holly sometimes.

I rolled my eyes and stood up from the bench. I let out an exasperated breath as I walked over to where the barbells were lined against the wall. Grabbing my choice of weight, I sat down on the bench close by. Slowly I curled the weight up to my chest.

“Coach isn’t even in here. Why are you still lifting?” Jeremy made his way over next to me.

“Some of us still do as we’re told you know? We can’t all be so perfect on the court and slack off.” I retorted.

“Psh.” He smirked. “Whatever, I’m going to take a shower. You better come this weekend.”

Nodding my head I replied, “You know I’ll probably be there.”

My response sufficed him. It didn’t take much to twist my arm. He knew I’d come. That’s probably why my grades were for shit. Too many times I’d went to The Edge or someone’s house party or even spent the night cozied up in the bed with Holly.

Grades didn’t come easy to me. I always had to work hard to rake by, but add slacking off on top of it and it made for a disaster. Now I’d have to spend the rest of the semester digging myself out of the hole I’d buried myself in.

“Quitting time Jack.” The coach called out to me as he walked back into the weight room from his office. I was the only one left in the room and he waved his clipboard around so that I’d notice I was alone.

“Got it coach.”

I placed the weights back against the wall and rushed off to the showers. No one else was in there thankfully, because I wasn’t in the mood to listen to there bullshit. I wanted to hurry and finish and get my ass to the library. Rubbing my hands hard against my scalp I let the warm water rush down over me and rinse away the shampoo.

My record timing shower had me at the library only fifteen minutes after weights was over. The door opened easily, and as I walked inside I immediately scanned the desk for Grace. I knew that she’d be there somewhere. However, I didn’t see her as I walked in and found a table close to the back and beside the window. The seclusion was always nice. I needed complete silence to work. My brain wouldn’t function otherwise.

A couple of times I looked up from my notebook in search of the girl that I couldn’t keep my mind off of. I never saw her though. Maybe she hadn’t come into work after all. I buried myself deeper into my books and tried to pound out some work. She’d just be a distraction anyway.

I don’t know how long I sat there, but I was aware that I had read the last paragraph three times and still had no clue what it said. My eyelids were too heavy and I’d started to lose focus.

“Jackson.” I heard a soft voice call out my name.

When I looked up I saw Grace standing there across from my table. Her head tilted slightly to the side and her blonde braid laid flat against the front of her shirt. I started to speak, but I guess I’d been staring too long. She spoke instead.

“I brought your jacket back. I wasn’t sure if you would be here.” She hesitated. “It’s behind the desk up front.”

“Oh right, my jacket.” I smiled up at her and watched as she shifted her gaze to the floor, and I couldn’t help but smile bigger. She was so shy. “You can keep it if you need it.”

“That’s okay. I’m fine.” She replied.

She took a step back, and I knew that she was about to walk away. I quickly spoke again hoping to keep her there a little longer.

“Hey, do you know anything about college Lit?”

She shook her head and pressed her lips together tightly. “I don’t know. I’ve never taken any college courses.”

I sat my pencil down on the notebook in front of me, and leaned back in my chair. “I’m supposed to write a paper on one of the books on the professor’s list. We had to randomly choose them out of a bucket he passed around the room.”

“That sounds exciting.” Her eyes lit up. “Which book did you choose?”

I held up the paperback and glared at her.

I could tell she was fighting back laughter. “I’m sorry.” She tried to keep a straight face. “You just don’t strike me as a Jane Eyre kind of guy.”

I sat there for a minute keeping a stern look on my face, but I couldn’t hold it in any longer. I had to laugh too, because she was right. Just her face alone was making me it hard for me to keep my composure.

“I’m sorry.” She apologized again.

“No, I don’t mind. It was funny. You were funny.” I said. “So have you read Jane Eyre, because you do seem like that kind of girl”?

“I have.” She nodded.

I knew it. “Good, sit down.”

“I can’t. I have to get back to work.” She pointed over her shoulder.

“It’ll be okay. I just need someone to read what I’ve written. I have to have a second opinion. My grades are depending on it.” I pouted my lip hoping to sway her decision.

She looked over her shoulder, and then towards me. “Okay.” She held out her hand.

I handed her my paper, and leaned back and watched her as she read.

She hadn’t even made it through the first page when she sat the paper back down on the table.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Uh,” she hesitated.

“Just say it.”

“You haven’t read the book.” She blurted out.

“Yes I have,” I lied.

“Nope.” She shook her head.

“Okay fine. So I skimmed it. Not a big deal.”

“You have to read the book.”

I growled under my breath. “I don’t have enough time now to read the book, and I need a good grade.”

“Well, I’m no literature professor, but he or she will know you didn’t read it. Your information is all wrong.”