Page 22 of Falling Princess

I know he’s aware of precisely where I am. I was instantly motivated to be as far away from him as possible, scrambling into the upper tier, where I slumped against the wall and closed my eyes, willing the sight of his naked chest to go away. Is this punishment for a grave crime I committed in a past life? Not that I believe in past lives and reincarnation and all that nonsense. They’re just stories. Charming in their way, but not truth.

I dozed and didn’t open my eyes again until the book in my lap fell with a scuffle. I managed to catch it before it tumbled beneath the bleachers. Auralia alone knows what filth is back there. I checked my phone. 6:39. Twenty more minutes of practice, and then I can get breakfast. My stomach rumbled. My untouched tea was still hot. I flipped my book open again and took careful sips.Fundamentals of Plant Physiology.I ought to be enraptured. Instead, my attention wandered.

It must be nice to be able to swim like that. Raina’s arms fly in graceful, purposeful strokes, her red suit easy to pick out.

And then there’s him.

I paused, mid-page-turn, to watch. Just for a minute.What do you think Raina sees in him, anyway?I asked Cata, as though it weren’t obvious. Broad shoulders and narrow hips, all lean power and drive. No conversational skills necessary for a man who looks like that.

I dropped my attention back to the book and stared at the text without comprehension.

There came a startling screech from the coach’s whistle, and then everyone was getting out of the pool. Unbidden, my gaze flicked downward.

One thing is certain—Lorcan of Tenáho might not be the tallest man in the room, but he is not small. The suits reveal everyone’s everything. Although there were at least twenty people on the deck, my eyes managed to fall on him. I blinked, shook my head, and marked my page.Breathe, I ordered myself.In and out.

It’s way too early for this confusion. The sun has barely poked up over the horizon.

Worse, I have to do it again, every single day.

“I’m starving,” Raina plunked down next to me on the bleacher seat. I hardly noticed her coming, I was so distracted by her boyfriend. “Why are you sitting all the way up here, anyway?”

“No reason.”To get away from, and a better angle on—

I sighed. Even my own brain betrays me. “How long does this go on?”

“Ten more weeks.”

I let my head fall back against the concrete wall with a thump.

I could still smell the chlorine on him when we got to class. Intro to phytology, my favorite. I pretended to be fascinated by my textbook on plant physiology, but it’s the prime example of human physiology I kept thinking about, even though I didn’t want to. I can despise him and acknowledge that Lorcan is an excellent specimen of male anatomy. I’m complex that way. Besides, it’s a scientific fact. I am simply documenting it, in my head, for no purpose whatsoever.

My babysitter took the chair directly behind me, presumably the better to keep track of me were I to attempt to escape his constant presence. I have yet to make a single friend outside of my little bubble.

This class is a lecture, so I focused on taking meticulous notes. Some students take them on the computer, but I prefer the handwritten method with my sparkly purple pens. Besides, I can kill time typing them up later when I am alone in my room, under the pretext of studying. My stomach growled hollowly. I pressed a fist to my belly button. Tomorrow I’ll bring a snack. I don’t know how Raina and Lorcan manage, not eating after all that exercise. No wonder they both eat huge, early lunches.

After class, I placed my textbook on top of my notebook and slipped the neat pile into my backpack. There’s a pool-scented shadow at my elbow. I glanced up.

“Do you want to share notes?” Lorcan asked. Blank. Bland.

I was so taken aback by the direct question that for a moment, I couldn’t formulate a response. “Sure.” Eloquence is the first victim of too-early mornings. Clearly.

I didn’t think I was imagining the hint of relief visible in the minute relaxation of his features. He must be struggling with the material. He wouldn’t be taking this class if it weren’t for me. I suppose I owe it to him to help out. My English is a bit better than his.

Afterward, I winged into the cafeteria without checking to see if my shadow followed (he did) and grabbed a muffin, which I stuffed inelegantly into my mouth during the walk back to our dormitory suite. It’s a great excuse to avoid talking to him. Our next class isn’t until 14:15—Intro to World Religions, my least favorite. I have the option of either studying or napping for the next hour and a half. I tried to sleep, but after laying there restlessly for a while, I couldn’t quite nod off, so I got up.

The lounge was empty. No sign of my guard, nor of my roommates. Lorcan’s bedroom door was closed. So much for sharing notes. I wouldn’t touch that door with a ten-foot pole.

I shouldn’t do it.

I’ll only get into trouble.

The temptation was too much to resist.

I snatched up my backpack and slipped out the front door, closing it carefully and silently. Alone. At last.

My pulse ramped up with excitement as I stepped into the elevator and pushed the button marked L. In the lobby, I passed a group of students, three girls and a boy. Behind them are two guards in sunglasses.

“Hello,” I said, brightly.

---