Chapter Five
CHAPTER FIVE
MARIE
My heart thumps in my chest as I set an empty notebook and a cup of pens and pencils out on an empty table near the library’s front desk. Is this too much? Am I being too fussy? I don’t want Garrett to think I’m being over the top, but I want to make sure he has everything he needs to work on his class assignments. Haven had called two weeks ago and asked if I’d help Garrett with his classwork once he was accepted and enrolled into the program. Of course, I immediately said yes. The chance to spend one-on-one time with the man of my dreams? Sign me the hell up!
Still, I don’t want to freak him out. I try to be cool, calm, and collected around him. To be flirty and fun, but inside, I’m always a nervous mess, wanting to impress him and show him I’m an interesting, attractive woman he should pay attention to.
“Geez, are you going to serve him milk and cookies too?” Ally teases, coming up behind me and looking over my shoulder. She has open campus on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and has been coming to the library during that time to get extra SAT prep work in.
“I just want to make sure he has everything he needs,” I say, defending myself as I move the pens over a little.
“Riiiight.” Ally moves around me and leans against the desk so she can look me in the eye. “It’s not at all because you have the biggest crush on Garrett in the history of the world. You’re worse than the pick-me girls in my class.”
I roll my eyes. “So I like him, so what? Wanting him to succeed isn’t a crime, and neither is making sure he has everything he needs.”
Laughing, Ally shakes her head and grins up at me. “You’ve been trying to nail down Garrett for years. Do you really think helping him study for his English class will be what convinces him to throw you a bone—literally?”
I hate how easily she sees through me. She and Haven are the only people who know the extent of my feelings for Garrett… everyone else just likes to laugh at my little “crush.” Still, I’m not about to admit to the hope burning in me that this could actually be an opportunity for something more between me and Garrett.
“Ally!” I exclaim, feigning shock and pressing my hand to my chest dramatically, playing it up to hide my real anxiety. “How crude! My intentions for Garrett are pure, and I have no desire to climb him like an oak tree. For shame!”
“You’re so dumb,” she giggles.
“And you’re in my way.” I playfully shove her away from the desk.
“Man, I hope I never go as gaga over a guy as you,” Ally groans. “This is sad.”
“Don’t you have studying you should be doing?”
She shrugs. “Yeah, but this is way more entertaining.”
“Back to work,” I order, pointing toward the computer station across from the one I’m setting up for Garrett. Ally’s books and study materials are spread out on the desk around the monitor. “Go on, before I make you scrub down the fairy tale house in the children’s section.”
Ally scrunches up her nose in disgust. “Ew, gross. No, thank you. I’d rather study.”
She moves back to her chair, plops down, slips her earbuds in her ears, and turns her attention to one of the SAT study books opened in front of her. I make my way back to the front reception counter, where Kathy is helping a couple of patrons check out their books. Sitting in one of the roller chairs, I focus on work for a while and try to distract myself so I don’t keep glancing at the front door for Garrett.
It’s about twenty minutes later when a deep, familiar voice says, “Hey, Marie. I’m here.”
Startled, I look up and meet Garrett’s green gaze. He’s standing on the other side of the reception counter, smiling at me, a messenger bag slung over his good shoulder. His dark brown hair is a little longer than he would usually wear it, and his scruff thicker, but it gives him this rugged appearance that makes my stomach flip with instant desire. Swallowing, I give him a friendly smile and make my way over to him.
“Hey! It’s good to see you on your feet. Feeling better?”
He shrugs and glances down at his arm, which is out of his cast and in a stabilizing sling.
“Mostly,” he answers. “Gotta wear this thing for a bit yet. Still have some achiness, but nothing major. Feeling pretty good overall.”
“That’s good to hear.” I push to my feet and hurry around the counter to reach him. Wrapping my hands around his good arm, I press myself against him. “Right this way. There’s a place set up just for you.”
He lets me steer him toward the table I’ve prepared for him. Ally looks up as we approach and gives Garrett a chin jerk in greeting before dropping her gaze back to her book. Letting go of Garrett’s arm, I pull out the desk chair for him.
“Get comfortable,” I tell him. “We need to get started.”
He arches a brow at me. “Thanks, Marie, but you don’t really have to help me that much. I don’t want to take you away from work.”
“Don’t worry,” I reply. “I’m happy to help, and I’ll just kind of be around when you need me, okay? Let’s be real. With your arm like that, you won’t be able to type or write properly. So, come on. Show me your syllabus. I want to get a better idea of what you need to get done for this English class.”
He sighs, but then shrugs his bag off his shoulder and hands it to me. I pull out his laptop and turn it on, and then he directs me to his school’s website and we log-in to his student portal. The syllabus is a PDF, so I download it and we go over the assignments listed. Since he’s in an English class, there are a lot of essays he’ll have to write, and a few research papers.
“All right, so I know you can’t look at a screen like this for too long,” I say, “and typing with one hand will be slow, but you can stay here as long as you need. Ally and I will both be around to help you when you need us. Just don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”
I stop, realizing I’ve been blabbering nonstop for a while, and I glance at him. Garrett is watching me with an amused grin.
“What?” I ask, frowning. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
He chuckles. “It’s nothing. You’re just taking charge so naturally.”
My cheeks flush. “Oh, crap. I’ve totally taken over, haven’t I? Sometimes I just get carried away. I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize,” he tells me. “You’re cute when you’re like this.”
“You… you think I’m cute?”
“Of course you’re cute.” He leans back in his chair and tilts his head as he looks at me. “A bit of a control freak, but I’m used to Haven bossing me around, so hanging with you will be a breeze.”
I stare at him, totally taken aback. Is he flirting with me? He’s never reciprocated my flirting before. We stare at each other for several long moments, and something crosses his face, softening his expression. His eyes suddenly dip. Is he looking at my lips? I instinctively lick them and his gaze narrows slightly. My heart is racing and I can’t help wondering what would happen if I were just to lean in closer and…
“Marie?”
Startled, I jerk back at the sound of someone calling my name. Who the hell…?
“Marie!”
Oh, shit. It’s my stepmother, Meredith. I’d recognize that grating, entitled tone anywhere. I can only imagine what she’s doing here, but she’s just going to keep causing a disruption in the library if I don’t hurry to see what she wants. Sighing, I stand and give Garrett an apologetic look.
“Sorry, I’ll be right back,” I tell him before slipping past him and hurrying toward the front of the library.
I spin around and find Meredith is standing by the front desk, her brown eyes narrowed with impatience as she gazes around. She’s dressed in a green wrap dress and high heels, her honey blonde hair pulled back into an elegant knot at the back of her head, and her face is smoothed out with just a little too much makeup. She’s tapping her foot on the floor, clearly annoyed. I glance down and see that she’s holding the hand of one of my youngest siblings, Stevie. The four-year-old has the same honey-colored hair as his mom, but my dad’s dark green eyes. When he sees me, his face lights up with a wide smile.
“Marie!” he exclaims.
“Hey, little man,” I say with a grin as I come to a stop in front of them. Looking up at Meredith, I give her a frustrated frown. “Meredith, you can’t shout like that in the library. You’re bothering everyone.”
She rolls her eyes and huffs. “Don’t speak to me in that condescending tone. I need you to look after Stevie for the afternoon. Your father’s at work, the other kids are all in school, and I have to get to a hair appointment downtown.”
I just manage to bite back an angry groan. Meredith does crap like this all the time… of course, what else is new? It doesn’t matter to her if I have a job or plans or simply want to be by myself—if she needs someone to watch the kids, she expects me to do it, no matter what. It’s aggravating and disrespectful, but no matter how badly I want to tell her no, I can’t stand the thought of leaving my siblings in the lurch.
Stevie looks at me with such excitement, I don’t want to disappoint him. I’ll say yes for him, but this just shows how little regard Meredith has for me, my time, and my career.
“Meredith, I…”
“Oh, I thought that was you, Mrs. Green. You look lovely today.”
Garrett is suddenly at my side, a charming smile in place as he gazes at my stepmother.
Meredith blinks and then her cheeks turn bright pink. She smiles and giggles like a teenage girl.
“Oh, Garrett, I almost didn’t recognize you sitting there,” she declares. “I’d heard about your accident, but you look like you’re on your way to a full recovery. I’m so glad!”
“Thank you, Mrs. Green.” Garrett shoots me a look and a grin before giving her his attention again. “I’m really lucky, especially since Marie agreed to help me with my schoolwork. I decided to finish my degree.”
Meredith’s eyes widen and her lips part.
“How wonderful!” she exclaims, looking between Garrett and me. “That’s such a fantastic goal to work toward, Garrett. Well, I won’t interrupt you two. I’ll just have Ally look after Stevie. She’s got open campus this afternoon, right? Where is Ally?”
“I’m right here, Mom,” Ally groans, popping her head out from a nearby row of shelves.
Meredith gives Garrett another smile as she hurries past us to take Stevie to Ally. I stare after her, totally floored by her sudden change of demeanor. Looking back up at Garrett, I catch him staring after Meredith as well. There’s a look on his face that I can’t explain, but it makes me pause. Is he angry?
Before I can fully process the look, he gazes back down at me and his expression shifts in an instant. He smiles and his eyes flood with warmth, banishing any concerns from my mind.
I give him a grin.
“Thanks for that,” I say.
“No problem,” he replies with a wink. “Can we get back to work? I don’t want to take up more of your time than necessary.”
I nod, warmth flooding through me even as my concern for his wellbeing spikes. “Yep, definitely!”
He turns and starts back toward the table and I follow, watching him closely and feeling absolutely giddy.