TER

horror as three textbooks tumb

strong arms wrapped around my waist, yanking me

cion, as three ginormous chemistry books landed, kicking u

e in Raffe's arms. When his che

gritted out and dropped his arms from my wa

me from whatever strange phenomena I lived with. Pure, unadulterated fe

y clumsiness. "Yeah, but I don't understand what happened! The bookcase wasn't shaking. Then suddenly, I heard a noise. It was as if so

ged good looks a

that after almost tripping and falling over books that barely missed yo

sked me doing something incredibly stupid. I studied the top of the bookcase. "Did you see what made the books fall?" The shelf hadn't moved, and while I'd been scanning

arms brushing. "Because it'd be strange th

mbering wrong? "You're right." I exhaled noisily. The one time I hadn't caused the weirdness, I still sounded like I was imagining things. M

e look of disgust on his face. He'd witnessed two of my "spec

long day, and I won't let anything happen

ple of feet apart. His focus flicked to my lips as he continued,

ck. "Did you thre

n't worry. We've alerted the school board th

for everything," I forced out, physically r

side of the store through the

eant to alert customer service. "B

to cause the books to fall. I was being stupid

onsidered unexplainable things instead

d me finding the thin gray carpet underneath me very interesting. "Thanks for saving me twice today." He hadn't hes

in case you get into another situ

cted that. He stepped closer to me, lea

n't taking out your phone." He pulled his pho

't even consider not giving him my phone number. Worse, he was right. I rattled off my number, prett

verything. My

Don't hesitate." He tilted his head and winced. "Even if you th

hink he was a jerk. "Okay." The tug was becoming too damn strong to

lway of the student center. Keith. "

e steps away from me, moving in

change left

helf just as Keith and Adam walked into

owed Adam as they str

at your heels." Keith waggled his brows at me, stil

him. When Raffe didn't tell him to back

they have a chance with you or any of

crobiology book from the bottom shelf, not caring anymore if it wasn't used. The school had said they'd cov

he was bored and wanted to be anywhere but

he wasn't stopping his friends from making fun of me either. In my world, not spea

e chemistry section and grabbed my advanced

holding the table and said your ass better hurry up or s

f Raffe with someone else bothered me more than should have been possible. I didn't even know him,

ffe chuckled. "She a

or my last two books-Statistics II and Economics I. Luckily, they were close toge

ast two books. I would wait until they were gone before I made my way there

enter, I marched to the cashier, ready to buy my books and hide in my ro

er, calm down, and go bac

care to correct him. What bothered me was that he th

tort, the three o

the guy at the counter a

utting all five textbooks on the c

ned the books. "Don't take it personally. They treat everyon

hey treated me like everyone else bothered m

football team captain, and the son of a billionaire who owns a majority of all the commercial real estate in Oregon? Add

hree of them acted screamed of arrogance. The kin

from what I hear, they live in the same ritzy neighborhood in Seattle. Everyone in that group does. It's sort of stran

me was disgusted that they would lump me in with other women, but it wasn't as if they knew me. Just because I felt somet

"Is that so? You won't try to lure one into your grasp? Raffe talk

kindness of his heart. Besides, I'm here to concentrate on my studies." And

's sm

heightened, I could read he had sincere intentions, so I added, "I have a scholarship, grant, or something that covers my books." Hell, I wasn't sure what to call what they

t, and you're covered." He put my books into an evergreen pl

orry if I held you up. I know yo

st meeting with my band to practice. No bi

e my cheeks hur

nt. I'd had my first normal interaction with someone, and I wasn't about to risk som

Raffe, but I pushed the insti

e, so I focused on the

would wind up be

some woman with no face. I woke up in a foul mood and w

ed then snatched up a thin lilac sweater and jeans and headed into the

ipped inside, turned on the water in the marble- tiled shower, and placed my clothes on the s

loor sending a chill down my spine. Within ten minutes, I had my hair dried, and I was dressed with makeup on. I

I'd gotten all the knots out of my long, dark-brown hair. My olive complexion was a hin

d the door ... and heard a

ng needs to be done. This is unaccept

e who wanted to fit in did: stayed and eavesdropped. Dammit, Skylar. M

with me under the moon? Or understand when I need to disappear and take care of my own needs? This can't happe

the judgmental one. I didn't care if she liked running under the moon or sleeping around. None of that m

eavesdropped so I wouldn't

bbed my bag. It was eight-forty in the morning, and my first clas

was heading into the living roo

as she hurried after me.

e and the TV stand and turned around as she sto

person people didn't mind hanging around. "No need." I forced a smile,

try harder, so I

inged, I gave up. I did

and I'm assuming you heard my co

y blood was already escalating from a jolt to a fizz. The one thing I cou

the walls started shaking or the kitchen table rattled.

s behind her head, her white shirt inching up to reveal a

n worked out. The idea of living in a residence hall surrounded by lowerclassmen worried me due to the lack of privacy, but I'd d

arched out of

would happen at any second, so I walked faster than necessar

artment when I returned from the bookstore last night. I'd gotten ready for bed and eaten some crackers then hung out in my room

I'd bee

from building. I needed to squelch my anxiousness, but between the encounter

tside, several in groups, headi

lways, I

hen the hu

h

oing to