Focus (The Crescent Chronicles, #2) (12 page)

I took a sip of my water. “I’m meeting
Jared at the gym. He’s supposed to train me to fight.”

“
What?” Hailey’s eyes
nearly bugged out of her head. “Why would you willingly subject
yourself to that kind of torture?”

“
Because he’s the best,
besides Levi, and I can’t ask Levi.”

“
I can’t argue that Jared’s
good, but why can’t you ask Levi?”

“
Don’t get me
started.”

“
But I thought things were
better with you guys.” She picked at the fruit salad on her
plate.

“
Things are good, but I
don’t think Levi would approve. He’d just tell me to let him
protect me.”

“
I get it. But if Jared
pushes you too far, just let me know. I’ll kick his ass for
you.”

I laughed. “Good to know.”

After lunch, I did some studying and
then changed for the gym. I opted for a tank with a built in bra
and some running shorts. Jared was waiting for me outside the
weight room when I got there. He was in shorts and a t-shirt, and I
caught more than a few girls checking him out. “It took you long
enough.”

“
Shut up. I’m, what, thirty
seconds late?”

“
Forty-five.”

“
Big
difference.”

“
Hey, you’re the one who
wants my help. The least you can do is be on time.”

“
Don’t forget you’re
returning a favor.”

“
Yes, and that my best
friend would kill me if he knew I was doing this. I still don’t get
why you don’t ask him—and don’t give me those stupid excuses
again.”

“
Fine Jared, I admit it. I
just love getting sweaty with you, and since we can’t have sex,
this is the best I can get.”

He laughed. “All right, let’s get
sweaty then.”

“
So where do we
start?”

“
Right over there.” He
pointed to an empty bench.

“
Aren’t we going to use the
machines?”

“
No. We don’t use machines.
If you’re working with me, it’s free weights only.”

“
Okay then.” I walked over
to the bench.

He started off with light weights,
going over some fairly simple arm exercises. Then he moved on to
abs, legs, and he didn’t stop.

“
Oh my god. Please tell me
this is the last one.” I tried to sit up, but my abs
protested.

Jared leaned over me. “You’re the one
who wanted this. Remember that, Princess.”

I groaned. “Fine. What’s
next?”

We were back on arms and I thought I
was going to drop. When I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he said
the words that were music to my ears. “All right, I think that’s it
for today.”

“
Seriously? How long have
we been here anyway?” I hadn’t worn a watch.

He grinned. “Two hours.”

“
Oh my god, no wonder I’m
dead.”

“
Suddenly wishing you asked
Levi, huh?”

“
I’m just hoping I can walk
tomorrow.”

He laughed.

I picked up my water bottle from where
I left it on the ground. Before I could take a sip, Jared grabbed
it and gulped half of it down.

“
Gross,” I muttered after
he tossed it back to me.

“
Drink up, Princess. You
don’t want to get dehydrated.”

I was too thirsty to argue. I managed
to avoid touching my mouth to the bottle as I drank
some.

He sniggered. “What? Afraid you’re
going to catch something?”

“
Yes.”

“
I’m going to pretend you
didn’t actually mean that.”

“
Pretending is always
healthy.”

I picked up my keys and ID, and we
walked back downstairs. As we reached the bottom, I noticed
Michelle. My stomach turned. Other than Levi, she was the last
person I wanted to see.

“
Hey Allie,” Michelle said
with a forced smile. “And Jared…” Her smile got more real…the
wheels in her head were turning. “Did you guys work out
together?”

“
No, we just ran into each
other,” I answered quickly.

“
Isn’t that a coincidence?”
She did a leg stretch right there in the lobby.

“
Not really. Levi wants her
protected at all times, and I make it my business to know where she
is. Let’s go.” As little as I wanted to listen to Jared, I followed
him out.

“
See you two around,” she
called.

“
Go to hell.” Jared flipped
her the finger right as she turned around.

“
Okay, what’s the story
there?”

“
What story?”

“
I’d bet a lot that you two
have history.” I fixed my ponytail.

“
Perceptive.”

“
So when did you sleep with
her?”

“
History has to mean I
slept with her?”

“
It doesn’t?”

“
Nope. Bryant did
though.”

“
Really?”

“
Uh huh. More than a few
times. Dad sent him to Europe before things could get too out of
hand, but she blamed him for leaving. She thought she could piss
him off by sleeping with me, but I wasn’t interested.”

“
Because she was your
brother’s ex?”

He turned to look at me. “Do you really
think I’ll just sleep with anyone?”

I thought about it for a second. “Maybe
not anyone…but most.”

“
I have standards, plus I
don’t inbreed.”

“
Inbreed? Do you really see
it that way?”

Jared looked over his shoulder, like he
was double checking no one was listening. “If Pterons kept shacking
up with each other, we’d end up like the wolves.” He cringed as he
said it.

“
They were in love, weren’t
they?”

He shrugged. “Who knows? Who
cares?”

Maybe Michelle wasn’t as much of a brat
as I thought. Maybe she was just heartbroken.

“
Thanks for the workout…I
think.”

“
You think?”

“
We’ll see if I can still
move tomorrow.”

“
If you can’t, then we’re
making progress. You’re in good shape, but if you want me to teach
you any real fighting technique, you’re going to have to push
yourself harder.”

“
Harder? Okay, I can do
that.”

“
Good.” The way he said it
let me know he actually respected me, and that was a lot coming
from Jared.

“
Bye, Jared.”

“
Catch you later,
Ali-gator.”

“
You did not just say
that.”

“
I think I did.”

“
Oh my god, you do have a
geeky side.”

“
What can I say? You must
be a geek to bring it out of me.”

“
You know it.” I turned and
walked back to the dorm.

Chapter Ten

Time had never moved as fast as it did
that semester. I was so busy trying to get through classes, go out
enough to enjoy the experience, and figure out what in the world
was going on with my relationship with Levi, that before I knew it,
it was October. It didn’t really feel like October. Without the
turning of the leaves, it didn’t quite feel like fall, but I loved
the warm weather. There is something awesome about wearing a tank
top and shorts a few weeks before Halloween.

Sometimes it was possible to forget
just how much of a mess my life was. A full course load can do that
to you. I was managing okay, except for French. Who would have
thought an intro class could be so hard? Foreign language just
wasn’t my thing. Hailey had actually helped quite a bit, but when I
asked her to help me with my papers, she just did them for
me.

“
What? You asked for
help.”

“
Can’t you explain how you
figured out the tense?”

“
I’ve already tried to
explain it five times.”

“
Fine, thanks
anyway.”

“
Just ask Levi.” Hailey got
up from my desk chair.

“
He’s never going to let me
live it down.”

“
Come on, it’s not that big
of a deal. You’re just failing intro French.”

I glared at her. “I’m not
failing.”

“
Really? Because that’s
what I thought you said when you asked for my help.”

“
Okay, okay. I know I can
be melodramatic sometimes. I got a C on my last paper, and I can’t
end up with anything less than a B in this class.”

Hailey picked up my phone and tossed it
to me. “Call him. You know he’s going to help.”

“
And hold it over my
head.”

“
So? You two are making
out, I’m sure you can handle a tutoring session with
him.”

“
Maybe in a public
place…”

Hailey laughed. “Are you more afraid of
him or you?”

I shrugged. “Both.”

“
I’m going to go do
laundry. When I get back, I expect you’ll have called
him.”

“
Fine, but could you do me
a favor and wash these jeans for me?” I picked up a pair from my
hamper. “I think I’m obsessed with them.”

“
Not a problem.”

I waited until the door clicked closed
before making myself pick up my phone from where it lay on my bed.
Finally, I leaned back against the pillow and pressed
call.

“
Hey, love.”

“
Hey, Levi.”

There was a momentary silence when I
tried to get up the nerve to ask. I’m not sure why I was so afraid.
I just didn’t want to deal with him rubbing it in my
face.

“
As much as I love
listening to you breathe, is there a particular reason you called?
Or is it just to hear my voice.”

“
Very funny. There is a
reason.”

“
I’m listening.” I heard a
door close, and I figured he’d gone into his bedroom.

I took a deep breath and let the words
out. “I need your help.”

“
My help? This is going to
be interesting.”

“
Forget it.”

“
No, no. Come on, you know
I’d help you with anything.”

“
It’s French. I’m going to
destroy my GPA with freaking intro French.”

He laughed. “Have you had dinner
yet?”

“
This is serious, Levi.
Will you help me?”

“
Of course, but answer my
question.”

“
No. I haven’t eaten.” I
was never in that much of a rush to go to the dining
hall.

“
I’ll pick you up in thirty
minutes. Pizza or Chinese?”

“
Neither. I need help with
French, not food.” Although takeout did sound good.

“
And I need food to help
you so I’ll see you outside in thirty minutes.”

He hung up before I could
respond.

The door opened, and Hailey walked in
with her empty pop-up hamper. “So, I have twenty minutes until I
need to move my clothes, want to get dinner?”

“
If you were only two
minutes earlier, I could have saved myself.”

“
Saved yourself?”
Understanding crossed Hailey’s face. “Wait, from Levi?”

“
Yeah…evidently he needs
takeout to help me with my French.”

Hailey sat down on her chair. “Want to
come with me to Bruff first? I don’t know where everyone else is,
and I don’t want to eat alone.” She referred to the campus dining
hall.

“
You don’t want to eat
alone? Wow. I’m impressed you even care.”

“
Are you
coming?”

“
Yeah, of course.” I might
have given her a hard time, but I’d have hated to eat alone during
dinner time. Sometimes the dining hall seemed the most like high
school—social pressure and all.

***

I was a few minutes late meeting Levi,
but he didn’t seem to care. “Hey, you ready?”

“
Yeah, I think I have
everything.” I patted my bag that was filled with my French book
and notebook.

He put a hand on my back, leading me to
his car. “So what are we working on exactly?”

I was surprised that he was asking
before dinner. I noticed the brown bag in the backseat when I got
in.

“
A composition about my
summer vacation.”

“
Oh, this is going to be so
good.”

“
I just can’t figure this
stuff out. I thought my last paper was perfect and I got a
C!”

Levi turned to me with mock shock. “A
C? Alert the authorities.”

I crossed my arms. “Yes, because caring
about my grades somehow makes me lame.”

“
That’s not what makes you
lame.”

“
That had better be a
joke.”

“
It is. It is.” Levi pulled
up out front of his place and parked.