The Broken Pieces Left Behind

Chapter 3

"You? What are you doing here?" I asked a little unkindly.

Blue-green eyes widened in surprise, maybe because of my snappy tone but I wasn't in a good mood. Lack of sleep will do that to you. The question was though: What was Jack O'Connor doing standing outside my door? He had lived in this building for two years and not once did he ever venture unto my floor.

He had a look that most girls found appealing and to be sure his blue-green eyes and shoulder length brown hair all made an attractive package. Especially with his lanky, slightly muscular frame extending more than a head taller than I was. Not counting that the way his t-shirt pulled across his chest attesting to said muscles. There was just something about him that people were drawn to.

All I really thought when I looked at him was that he desperately needed a haircut. He did however have a nice mouth with - dare I say - totally kissable lips and dimples that revealed themselves when he smiled. 

"What do you want Jack?" I asked tiredly, waving away my earlier question.

His eyes traveled up the length of my body, from my unpainted toenails to my legs barely covered in a pair of sleep shorts and faded t-shirt. A grin stretched across his lips before his gaze landed back to my face. A silver of something snaked through my body - which was probably irritation - because he so shamelessly checked me out. I did not even want to know the mess I looked like. 

I didn't fall asleep immediately after asshole Damon left. I was now paying for my crying jag with gritty, no doubt puffy eyes, tangled hair and an annoying headache.

"Well," he started the tone of his voice revealing exactly what he was thinking and while he could get girls to do practically anything for him when he flashed those dimples at them; I was not one of them. I crossed my arms and arched an eyebrow waiting to see what he was going to add to that. 

"We were supposed to start our project today," he informed me, maybe rethinking what he was really going to say.

I groaned and ran my fingers through my hair, only to get them caught in the ends and I had to tug slightly to untangle it.  Right, now I remember. This is what happens when my plans are interrupted. Stupid Damon. 

"Great," I muttered unhappily moving from the door way allowing him to come inside. 

Mr. Sykes our English teacher, had given us an assignment to "Research and Report on Influential English Writers and the impact their work had on modern Literature". Given that I would much rather do this on my own I was not happy when he announced that we were to be given partners. It also irked me that Jack O'Connor was to be my partner.

I protested the unfairness of all of this citing that if we were required to have partners I would much rather do it with Erin. A plea that I clearly lost. 

He apparently wanted to expose us to different people - why? I don't know. Mr. Sykes explained that when we were given to choose our own partners we chose friends - who else were we supposed to choose? That our thinking was the same and that reflected in mediocre reports. He wanted differing opinions, for us to socialize more hence the different partners.

Now I was stuck with Jack O'Connor standing in my apartment studying the place. Thank god I decided to clean yesterday. His eyes returned  to mine and my irritation returned. It was only then that I fully realized that I was standing in front of him very under-dressed. 

"Stay Here," I instructed not waiting for a reply moving towards my room.

After brushing my teeth and changing into a pair of jeans and a more presentable t-shirt I combed the tangles out of my hair. Gathering my books I went returned to my guest.