Adam's Pulse

Part 9

Chapter 9

Sloan could feel him staring at her.  It didn’t matter that the professor was throwing information at her as if she was about to be on Jeopardy, what mattered was that she could feel him.  She knew he was getting closer, that he was walking straight towards her.  It was odd, but strangely comforting.  She shook her head at the thought, making the professor frown at her.  Since when had Sloan enjoyed the feeling of being stalked?  Because there was no other way to describe the feeling that was flowing through her at that moment.  She felt as if she was the mouse and the cat was getting a little too close for comfort.

“Excuse me, Jones,” Adam paused a sigh escaping his mouth.  “I mean Professor Jones.”

Still, Sloan did not turn in his direction.  Instead, she watched as the professor smiled.  It wasn’t a normal, friendly smile.  It was more of a cat who got the canary smile, and for some reason, Sloan knew that the professor held something that Adam wanted. 

Questions flew through her mind.  Who was this professor?  It was obvious that Adam and he knew one another; it was obvious that they had a past she wasn’t aware of.  Sloan narrowed her eyes as she memorized each detail of Professor Jones face.  She tried to pick up similarities between the two of them, wondering if they were somehow related.  Her eyes stopped when they connected with his amused ones.  There it was, she thought, the eyes.  There was no doubting that their eyes were similar.  They both held a bit of wildness in them, but it was the blue that really caught her attention. 

Just as Zeke’s had been earlier, Professor Jones eyes were striking.  Her head turned slightly, wanting to catch the color of Adam’s, but when she realized what she was doing, she straightened her spine and glanced away.  She couldn’t worry about what color eyes the man had; she had to worry about more important things, like her brother.  Even with that thought flying through her mind, she knew his eyes would be blue.  They weren’t the same color as Zeke’s were. Where Zeke’s were light, Adam’s were dark. 

A small laugh reached her ears, making her jump slightly.  She glanced up, expecting to see Jones standing in the spot he was moments earlier, but when her eyes connected with the open doorway, red flushed across her cheeks.  How long had she been standing there, thinking about a man’s eyes who she knew she could never trust?

“Hey,” Adam whispered as a hand dropped onto her shoulder.  “I was wondering if I could talk to you for a minute.”

She stared at the hand on her shoulder until it dropped.  Still, curiosity made her turn towards him.  “Sure.”

He shifted on his feet slightly, and Sloan knew that for some reason, he was nervous.  A smile flew onto her face at the thought.  How could this man, who exuded confidence, be nervous?  “I wanted to apologize,” he blurted, making her eyes widen.  “I mean to say that I shouldn’t have been so harsh to you earlier.  I know it wasn’t your fault that you hit us.  I’m just a little overprotective when it comes to Ally.”

Sloan’s eyes flickered towards the woman still sitting in her seat.  Ally smiled at her, waving as if she couldn’t be happier.  Sloan raised her hand with unsure movements, and with a quick flick of her wrist, waved back at the woman.  Ally brightened as if the gesture proved something Sloan wasn’t aware of.

“Don’t encourage her,” Adam mumbled under his breath.

Bringing her attention back to him, she frowned.  “Encourage her to what?”

He shook his head in exasperation, and Sloan knew that she was caught up in something she wasn’t aware of.  “Look,” she snapped, “if you’re apologizing because your girlfriend is making you, don’t worry about it.  Tell her I said it’s okay.”

“I’m not his girlfriend,” a voice said beside her, making her jump.

Mumbling a curse, Sloan stared at Ally.  “You move quick.”

Ally shook her head.  “I move quietly.  I’m not his girlfriend,” she said, changing the subject.  “I’m already mated.”

“Married!” Adam shouted, making Sloan jump again.  “She’s already on her way to be married.”  He reached over, grabbing her hand.  Holding it up for everyone’s inspection, he pointed at the small ring on the woman’s finger.  “See, engagement ring that I did not give her.”  He frowned as if a thought occurred to him. 

“That’s nice,” Sloan said, unsure of what was happening between Ally and Adam.  At that exact moment, they stared at one another.  Ally’s smile kept getting larger while Adam’s frown kept getting deeper.  The two of them may not have been boyfriend and girlfriend, but it was obvious that there was more going on than met the eye.  “I’m just going to go now,” she whispered, hoping that they wouldn’t hear her exit.

As soon as the words left her mouth, the two of them snapped their heads towards her. 

“See ya,” Adam said with a smile.

Ally frowned at him, before turning towards Sloan.  “Do you care if I walk with you?  We’re going to the same place anyway.”

“How do you know that?” Sloan asked as unease slithered up her spine.

Pointing at the binder clutched in Sloan’s grasp, Ally chuckled.  “If you don’t want people to know your schedule, don’t put it where everyone can see.”

Sloan glanced down to see her schedule protruding from her binder.  With a frown, she tucked it back in.  “I don’t mind,” she said, ignoring the woman’s other words.  Sloan was just paranoid.  She wasn’t used to people talking to her without wanting something in return.

“Good,” Ally said with a large smile before pushing passed Adam.  “I have a feeling you and I are going to be great friends.”

A reluctant smile formed on Sloan’s lips.  She had to admit that the woman was hard to dislike. With her caring smiles, Sloan couldn’t help but feel as if she were already a person this woman cared for.  It was her eyes, though, that worried Sloan.  There was understanding there. 

Shaking her head, Sloan continued down the hall with Ally by her side and Adam behind them.  It felt nice, having people around her.  With a sigh, she wished her life were different, wished that she could enjoy this feeling.  However, she knew, she knew that no matter how much she wanted this to be her life, she couldn’t let them get too close.  She couldn’t allow them to find out all her secrets, not when she was so close to getting her brother back.