Then I sigh louder.
“You know, I get the very subtle sense that you want to complain about something but I don’t have the time right now. This statistics class is kicking my ass again.” Arden runs his hand roughly through his buzzed hair then throws his pen into the open spine of his textbook.
“Intro to Stats? I took that sophomore year.”
“Bully for you,” he grunts, slamming his book closed. “Distract me. What’s with all the sighing?”
“My stupid ex-boyfriend is in my med school cohort. I thought I got rid of him after graduation but it turns out a festering sore doesn’t just heal once it’s stopped oozing.”
Arden grimaces. “Thanks for the visual. Who’s this prick? He giving you a hard time?” I don’t imagine the way his voice deepens with the threat of violence.
“I can handle it. I just was hoping I’d be able to start this year fresh without any distractions and now that he won’t leave me alone…”
“You need me to talk to this guy?” Arden’s hands have balled into fists on top of the table. If eyes could genuinely darken, his would be black as night right now.
“Down dog,” I tease but I don’t know if it reaches him. He’s all of a sudden very rigid. I’ve seen him this mad before. Right before he punched Jason Till in the face sophomore year of high school, breaking his nose in two places. The blood had splattered onto my new Gap sweatshirt. The one my dad had gotten me after a particularly nasty fight he had with mom.
I need to deescalate the situation and fast. “Wait, what do you mean again?”
“Huh?”
“You said ‘this class is kicking my ass again’. You’ve taken it before?”
He nods, his fists loosening ever so slightly as he’s brought back to reality. “Last semester but I failed it. And if I fail it again, I’m going to have to stay an extra semester to catch up so I really need to pass it this time.”
Getting up from the couch, I walk over toward the table, looking at the cover of the book he’s got in front of him. I remember this statistics class. It was one of the easier ones for me, mostly because I enjoyed it. I probably still have my notes, too.
“I could help you study.”
Arden’s eyes bolt to mine before they narrow into slits. “What’s in it for you?”
I feign offense. “You think I wouldn’t just offer something out of the kindness of my damn heart, Arden?”
“Ithinkyou’re about to have a very busy semester and you tutoring me would take a lot of time and energy for both of us. And if we agreed to do it, you’d need something in return.”
Something.What could I possibly need from Arden? He already gave me a roof over my head when I needed it most. I really don’t think I can ask for much else.
Unless…No, Danika! Get your mind out of the gutter. This is Margot’s brother.
Shaking my head of any thoughts, sexual or otherwise, I try and get back to the task at hand. He is right, I’m going to be crazy busy and I shouldn’t have to dedicate my precious free time to something if I don’t get anything in return.
The wheels are still turning in my head when Arden speaks again. “I have an idea. Not sure you’re gonna like it though.”
“Color me intrigued,” I say, sitting in the seat opposite him. Arden’s eyes are blazing as he gives me his full, undivided attention.Oh, thisisinteresting.
“You want this ex off your back, right?”
“I don’t need you fighting for—”
“You help me pass statistics, I’ll pretend to be your boyfriend.”
My mouth gaps open. Then closes again. “You want to be my boyfriend?”
“I said pretend.”
“You want to be my pretend boyfriend?”
Arden sighs but a grin tugs at his lips, that dimple coming out to play. “If this guy thinks you’re taken then he’ll be less likely to bother you, right?”