Chapter 29
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Emily gathered her books together into a pile and then slid them into her shoulder bag. She’d found a number for a tutor on the student notice board and had made an appointment. He was a final year medical student and advertised that he’d received straight As for all of his medical subjects. Emily hoped he might be able to help her with some tips on how to make better use of her study time or in understanding the content better.
To be honest, she wasn’t sure he would be able to do anything at all to help her. Maybe she would simply struggle her way through the course material. But if he could help, she was willing to spend some of her hard-earned money from the café on making that happen.
“I’m heading out,” she called.
Madi was washing dishes. She grunted. “Typical—you head out as soon as I need someone to dry.”
Emily laughed. “They’ll air dry.”
“See you later.”
She waved goodbye and hurried out the door. She didn’t want to be late and was meeting him at a library directly across campus. For some reason, she felt a little nervous about the meeting. Would he think she was simple minded? He was clearly very intelligent. But there was no shame in asking for help, and he’d advertised his services. She hoped he would be patient with her.
As she strode across the campus, she kept thinking about Aaron and his almost-proposal. He’d suggested they get married. That wasn’t the same thing as asking her to marry him. Was it?
She desperately wanted to marry him and spend every day together. It was what she’d dreamed of—a family with him. But not if he didn’t really want it. Not if it was simply for convenience. And he hadn’t said anything to make her think otherwise. He was a problem solver. She’d given him a problem, and he’d come up with a solution. That’s all it had been. He hadn’t raised the topic again since that conversation, so maybe he’d forgotten about it.
Puffing lightly, she raced into the library. She was two minutes late. That wasn’t bad. She’d been caught up at the café but had hurried home as quickly as she could. Where was he? She scanned the desks that were dotted around the ground floor then realised she didn’t actually know what she was looking for.
She sent him a text message asking for an identifying trait, and a young man in a red T-shirt and jeans looked around, a frown on his face. He spotted her, and she waved. It must be him. The frown disappeared and he smiled, suddenly looking friendly.
“I’m Emily,” she said.
“Hey, I’m Todd. Glad you found me. I was wondering how we’d spot each other. And when you texted, I thought I’d just have a quick look around. I figured you were close by.”
She sat next to him and pulled out her books. “Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me. As I said on the phone, I’m a first-year midwifery student and I’m struggling to understand my subjects, but also with the course load.”
“It can be a bit daunting when you get started,” he said with a nod. “Don’t worry. I’ll give you some tips that will help you feel a lot more confident.”
“That’s music to my ears.”
They spent the next hour going over her subject load, her study techniques, and some of the content she was learning. His advice was simple and helpful, and she was already feeling much better about everything by the time they were done. She couldn’t help noticing how athletic and handsome he was, and his demeanour was friendly and kind. He leaned close to her when he showed her something in one of her books, and she considered more than once that he might be flirting with her.
“So, do you live nearby?” he asked as they were packing up.
“Just off campus.”
“Me too,” he replied.
“I work at the Song and Dance Café.”
“Really? I go there all the time.”
“Great. Maybe I’ll see you when you come in for a coffee next time.” She slung her bag over her shoulder. “Thanks again. I really appreciate the help.”
He smiled, and there was a dimple in one of his cheeks. His teeth were impossibly white. As he picked up his textbooks, his biceps bulged beneath his tight T-shirt.
“Maybe I could buy you a coffee sometime.”
Her heart stuttered. She hadn’t been asked out by any man other than Aaron in a long time. She wasn’t used to handsome medical students flirting with her. It felt strange and yet exhilarating to be noticed.
“That would be lovely, but I have to tell you that I have a boyfriend.” Fiancé? Not quite. She hadn’t agreed to marry him, and technically, he hadn’t actually asked yet. But she was in love with him.
His smile faded. “Of course you do. Someone as beautiful and smart as you is always taken. But we can be friends. Right? Coffee as friends.”
She nodded. “Friends, for sure.”
As he walked away, she watched him go, her heart pounding. She’d never had a serious boyfriend before. This whole thing was new to her. She wasn’t sure if she’d handled the situation the best way she could, but regardless, it still felt a little weird to her. She’d spent the past five years hidden away at Joanna’s house, only emerging to see her sister or play with her niece and nephew. She’d had a few dates, but never anything serious. And now for the first time in a long time, she was being noticed. Even asked out. It was nice. But impossible—she was committed to Aaron. All at once, she couldn’t wait to see him. She called him and pressed her phone to her ear as she left the library.
“Hi, baby. How are you?”