Play The Part (Player Next Door Book 3)

40 | Do For Love

Chapter 40: Do For Love

I tapped my finger against the edge of my calculator, so tempted to use it. 

The competition was just a few days away and I was determined to do better than last time. I know I can do better. An emu could do better. 

But there have been so many distractions lately.

I thought back to this time last year, when I had all the time in the world.

I had my record player, my math work and I technically had a boyfriend that I didn't see much... because he was busy seeing someone else but, I didn't know that then.   

Innocence is bliss, in a world like this. 

I tried not to think about last year because that would make me think of Kaden and Julia and then going to summer camp and meeting Luke. 

And then I would be distracted again. 

I sighed and grabbed my water bottle to take another swig. My headache after last night was still strong. 

"Ahh," I exhaled and tried to look at my open textbook with fresh eyes. 

And then my fresh eyes wandered. 

Wandered round the quiet library. Someone sneezed and there were a couple whispers from time to time, but otherwise, it was fairly calm - and crowded. Finals were coming up so people were taking the time to cram. 

That's when I noticed Jake by one of the bookshelves. 

He was looking through the book titles, his dark eyebrows furrowed in thought. I watched him in his jeans and black t-shirt, the tattoos on his left arm visibly on display. He pulled a hardback book off the shelf and flicked through the pages.

Jake had a muscular build, though he doesn't talk much about working out. He doesn't talk much.

"Psst," I whispered, "Jake."

So much for no distractions.

"Dawson," I whispered again, finding it weird to call him by Luke's name but it was Jake's name too so is it really that weird? "Jake!"

"Sssh!" someone shushed me from the table next to mine.

All the shushing and psshting finally reached Jake and he looked up, his brown eyes widening in surprise at the sight of me. He closed the book shut and held it in one hand as he approached my table. 

"Studying for the mathletes?" he guessed.

I nodded, "It's not going too well, Jake." 

"It's going fine," he placed his book on the table next to mine and sat opposite me, "You're good at this and, in a few years, it'll all be irrelevant anyway." 

"No it won't," I said, looking down at his book cover and seeing that it was some kind of english literature or poetry book, "Are you writing?" 

"I'm always writing," he smiled, resting his fingers on the book, "I'm actually speaking to a few different studios and agents. I'm trying to see if I can make something happen this semester." 

"Ah, well I'm sure in a few years it'll all be irrelevant anyway."

A pearly white smile appeared on his smooth face but his gaze was downcast, "Those are the comforting words I'm looking for, Millie Ripley." 

My phone buzzed in my pocket and I jumped at the way it attacked me. I felt like a little piranha in my pocket. 

I pulled it out of my pocket to read the text I'd just received while Jake leaned over and grabbed my water bottle.