“You asked.” He leaned close to my ear and murmured, “So you’ve been asking around about me?” He tapped his pencil on the table.

My heart skipped a beat.

He can’t possibly know that. I’ve only talked to Jenna and Tim. They’d never tell anyone I’d asked about him.

“You’re delusional. Why would you think I’ve been asking about you?”

“You know my last name. I didn’t put it in your contacts when I gave you my cell number,” he whispered. He was so close his breath fanned over my neck, moving wisps of hair. His cologne swirled around me, sun, salt water, and something all him. “And you know about Tanya.”

Smiling at him, I used my thumb to flick off the top of my pen and reached over, drawing a large circle around his name on his homework.

“No, Mr. Victor, I just know how to read. You should learn. And everyone knows about Tanya. She’s as easy as you are.”

The bell rang. I shoved my things in my bag and threw it over my shoulder, walking away without looking back. But I wanted to look back. He was quite nice to look at, but he was off-limits. He was also maddening to the point I wanted to scream. So I kept my eyes focused straight ahead and settled for picturing him in my mind.

I can’t believe I’m stuck with him in biology for the rest of the year. Ugh. I wonder how much a hit man costs. I have my college fund… maybe that’d be enough.

Jenna was waiting for me outside biology. “I see you and Brody are talking. Anything interesting?”

“Is that jealousy I hear in your voice?” I teased with a smile. “Don’t worry. It isn’t like we were having a conversation about anything important, unless you consider him calling me a bimbo important.”

“He did not!”

“Yeah. He’s already activated my bitch-mode, and I’ve only known him two days.”

Someone chuckled behind me. I looked over my shoulder and let out a frustrated sigh when I saw Brody.

“He’s behind us, isn’t he?”

I smirked at her. “Now’s your chance, Jenna. Ask him out,” I said loud enough for him to hear.

She elbowed me in the ribs, glaring at me before ducking into her classroom. Laughing, I waved and jogged up the stairs.

“Where should we sit?” he asked when I turned the corner into my next class.

“What are you doing? We don’t have this class together,” I said through clenched teeth.

Brody twirled his pencil between his fingers. “We do now. My schedule changed. So, where do you sit?”

I didn’t answer him. Walking to my seat, I threw my books down.

Brody looked at the girl in the seat next to me. “Bummer. I thought we could be table buddies again.”

“You do realize this is AP English, right?”

“Yes. Oh, look! There’s an empty seat behind you. We can pass notes during class.” He winked as he walked by.

Ugh, he gets more annoying every time he opens his mouth.

I turned in my seat and looked into his eyes. And forgot what I’d wanted to say. His eyes were such a brilliant shade of blue, framed by the longest, blackest lashes I’d ever seen. Girls would kill for his lashes.

He quirked an eyebrow at me when I didn’t say anything.

“What class do you have after this one?” I finally asked.

“Computer science. Should I save you a seat?”

“Thankfully, we don’t share that class.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you didn’t want me in your classes.”

“Ya think?” I turned toward the front, grinding my teeth when I heard him chuckle softly behind me.

As soon as English class was over, I grabbed my bag and walked out of the classroom, trying to disappear in the crowded hall.

“What’s wrong with you? You look like you’re going to explode,” Jenna said as soon as I walked into American history.

“Two words. Brody. Victor.” I ticked them off on my fingers.

“What about him?”

“Evidently his class schedule was changed, and we now share the same English class.”

“You lucky bitch!”

I moved out of the way of someone trying to get down the aisle before looking at Jenna and nearly yelling, “Lucky? He called me a bimbo! How am I lucky to be sharing classes with him?”

“Do you sit together in English, too?”

“Ugh! Are you listening to anything I say? He’s a tool.”

“Yeah, but he’s a gorgeous tool.” She laughed.

I dropped into my seat. “Can’t deny that.”

This day sucks.

I didn’t realize how much my day was going to suck until I walked into my next class.

“I saved your seat for you.” He gave me an amused grin. I wasn’t sure what was so funny to him. I was pissed.

“Why are you here? How’d you know I was in this class… and where I sit?”

“I figured it was a good bet that since we are in the same AP biology and English courses that we’d share other AP classes, as well.” He shrugged a shoulder. “As far as knowing where you sit, I asked.”

My heart skipped a beat, and not in a good way. “Who’d you ask?” I whispered.

“Why? Are you okay?” Brody stood and reached for me.

I flinched away from his hand. “Yeah, I’m fine. Why?”

“You’re pale and look—”

“Who’d you ask?” I asked him again. If Jaden found out he’d been asking about me, it was going to cause problems… for both of us.

“I didn’t ask anyone. I saw the seating chart on the teacher’s desk.”

I sighed. “Good,” I said, distracted. Putting my books down, I slipped into my seat next to Brody. “That’s good.”

We didn’t speak to each other the rest of the class period. It wasn’t until I was gathering my things to leave that he spoke.

“I guess I’ll see you after lunch in AP calculus,” Brody said, walking past me.

“Yeah, lunch will give me time to mentally prepare myself for your annoying presence. I’ll save you a seat.”

After lunch, I sat in my usual seat in calculus. I looked up just as Brody walked into class. I moved my messenger bag from the seat next to me. He hesitated, looking around. I looked down and flipped through my textbook. Seconds later, I felt him pull out the seat next to me and sit down.

“I thought you were kidding about saving me a seat,” Brody said.

I shrugged a shoulder. “I figured I was fighting a losing battle. There are other open seats. You aren’t obligated to sit here.”

“Am I welcome to?”

I glanced at him. “What do you mean?”

“Do you want me to sit here?” he asked quietly.

“Why would I care where you sit?”

He grinned. “Just curious why you saved the seat for me.”

“Like I said, there are other open seats. Take your pick. And for the record, I didn’t save the seat for you. It’s an open seat. No one sits there, so it didn’t need saving.”

He folded his arms behind his head and leaned back in the chair, stretching his legs out in front of him. “I like this seat. I think I’ll stay here.”

“Whatever,” I muttered. “What class do you have next period?”

“Why? Are you gonna save me a seat?”

What constitutes the insanity plea for murder? Could I strangle him and claim temporary insanity?

“Nope. I want to know if this torture is going to continue.” I flipped through my notepad and tried to ignore him. Impossible.

He laughed, and I felt a little flutter of something in my chest. I bit my bottom lip to hide a grin.

When calculus was over, Brody and I went our separate ways. I was sure I was done with him for the day, and I let out a sigh of relief. I hated how he made me feel off balance, how he was able to get under my skin. And I especially hated the flutters I felt whenever he laughed or leaned close to say something. It confused me. Like it or not, I was with Jaden and even if I wasn’t, Brody had a reputation. I wasn’t looking for a one-night hook-up, not even with the gorgeous Brody Victor.