Page 42 of Keep Me

Double crap.

Matty’s face cracked into a smile, and my stomach roiled. I didn’t know what facial expression I was making, but my blood pressure spiked when he started making his way over to me.

People were filtering out in all directions, and soon, there would be no one to hide behind. If I had any chance of getting out of here without talking to him, I would have to take the back exit right away.

I quickly tossed the hat and iPad into my bag, and just as I was about to stand, the guy next to me cleared his throat.

“So, uh, I know we only just met but I was wondering if you wanted—”

“Really sorry, I’m running late.” His face fell, which made me feel like an ass. It wasn’t his fault I was hiding away from my best friend and biggest crush.

“I’m meeting a friend to watch the Crushers practice game. Can’t be late,” I sang, and there it was. That smile that distracted me from Matty for all of two seconds before.

“No problem. See you soon,” he said as I hustled out of the room faster than The Flash on crack.

I dipped into the center of a group of students as they filtered out, crouching so I could hide in the herd and Matty couldn’t get to me.

“Britt.” Well, that didn’t stop him from trying. My breath caught in my chest, but I didn’t dare look back. I had no doubts he was right behind me. I sped up, working my way to the front of the crowd and kept my eyes open, looking for somewhere to hide.

“Britt.”

I cringed. That was too close for comfort. How long could I go around doing this? Pretending I couldn’t hear him and ignoring his texts. Matty was determined to clear his own conscious only to break my heart, and that thought was just too hard to bear.

When a group splintered off, I followed them, then froze when I’d entered a new lecture hall. One in session.

I had two options. I could either step back out of the room and risk bumping into Matty, or I could stay and take the lesson. My hand rested on the door, but I already knew the answer. I had to take the lesson. Going outside and facing Matty was a nonstarter.

Taking in a deep breath, I walked down the aisle, feeling the eyes of the other students on me as I scrambled to find a seat in the back corner.

I was hidden away and had at least an hour before I was supposed to meet Sienna, which would give me time to think about my strategy with Matty. When the lights lowered, my heartbeat slowed alongside it. I was safe for now.

“The next section of this course will start withThe Mysteries of the Roman Empire.”

Roman Empire? I didn’t even realize there was a class on this.

Pulling my beanie down, I sank further into my seat—a habit at this point—and hoped that no one would notice me. I just needed a little peace and quiet.

Oh, and to not think about Matty for two seconds, but that was impossible.

“I like your hat.” Sienna knocked me on the side and threw me an amused smile.

I was glad she was happy, because I wasn’t smiling. I was a hot mess and on edge, worried that I’d see Matty at every turn. The only place I felt safe was in that class about the Roman Empire. In there, no one cared about anything except the rise and fall of Juluis Ceasar. I’d gotten into a long discussion with the guys inthere, and if I didn’t already have my classes locked in this year, I’d consider changing. I got so invested in it I was at serious risk of being late for this, and considering Sienna held my grade in her hands, I didn’t want to piss her off. She was a hard ass at the best of times.

“Thanks,” I said, regaining my breath and adjusting the jersey Sienna told me to wear as I stood in the hockey locker room. The rubber floor didn’t just give me an unnatural spring to my step, but I could’ve sworn it made the place smell muskier than any football or baseball locker room I’d ever been in. Although, maybe that was to do with the ice. Did it make it damp?

I shook my head. It was not the time to worry about the ventilation in the men’s locker room. I was here to work, and so was Sienna. With a notebook in one hand and a recording device in the other, I smiled, ready to take on this new challenge.

“Jersey looks good on you too.”

“Thanks.”

“It’s almost like you’re willing to concede that hockey is the best sport.”

“No,” I quipped, lifting my toes up to ease the tension running through my veins.

I wasn’t uncomfortable in a man’s locker room. My three brothers played baseball, basketball, and football their entire high school careers, so I was always loitering around them, but thehockeylocker room was a different beast. These guys were huge, and there was a very real possibility that they’d slice your foot with their blades if they weren’t wearing their guards, and I liked my toes.

“Did you do something different with your hair?” she asked, tracking my limp lengths as I took the hat off. Frowning, I pulled at the ends before shaking it out, trying to make the style look intentional.

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