Hindered Secrets

Chapter 10

In the spring Jada decided to take a full load at school. Most of the classes were Internet based but she still had two on campus. She worked as much as possible and during any free time that she could spare she spent the time with her kids. It was almost at the end of the semester and she had a major paper due. After her science class she walked to the library to do some more research. It was pretty packed considering a lot of the students were doing the same thing. Some were in groups of two-four and cramming for exams. An hour went by and she stood to go put a book back on the shelf when she was rudely bumped into. She fell into a chair in front of her, and the book that she was holding fell to the floor with a loud smack.

"Just great," he muffled under his breath. His papers had flung out everywhere.

She bent over to help him pick up the remaining papers. "I'm sorry, I should have looked before I stood up."

"I'll never get this all sorted out now." His voice was somewhat soft but his tone however was impolite.

"Would you like me to help you," she said apologetically, "After all it is partially my fault."

Without even looking up at her, he rolled his eyes with a huff, "I think you have helped enough."

She wanted to say that she was sorry again but why should she he was being so rude to her. An ass; just like a man. When she handed him the last sheet of paper their eyes caught each other. His eyes were crystal blue as if she cold see right through to his enter soul. He was well tanned and his hair was dark of waves. In a split second she could have sworn to see him smile, exposing little dimples in his cheeks. It looked like he hadn't shaved in a few days; the hair was a little stubby. She got a whiff of his cologne as he grabbed the paper from her. His hands looked so soft, callus free.

"I think this is the last sheet," she said.

"Thanks." He stood quickly and jetted out the door without even looking back.

"Well, thank you to!" she whispered to herself.

In the past year or so, she hadn't cared to get involved with anyone again. For one she didn't want a life like she had before. She couldn't let her children live that way. And how could she bring a man back into their life after all they had been through. She tried not to think of men even though some of the men at the café had asked her out a few times she always turned them down. It didn't matter what the excuse was or even if they heard the same one fifty times she always said no.

When the fall semester started up again, she had walked into her first class and there he was. The guy who last semester about knocked her over. She sat away from him but then when the class was asked to get into groups of two neither one had a partner, therefore they were paired together. He was reading something in the textbook and not once looked up at her. Then he searched through his bag and pulled out a notebook, a pen and a spiral. After he plopped the materials down he swirled around in his seat; the aroma of his cologne made her nose crinkle up. He held out his hand for hers to shake. "I'm Derrick. I guess it looks like we are partners for the semester."

"Hi, I'm uh....Jada." She wanted to say that they all ready met but decide to omit that from the conversation. His hands were still smooth. She wondered what he did all day while he was not at school. Apparently he had a good job because his hands would have told her otherwise.

He still looked the same. His eyes were dreamy. His dimples went in when he smiled. Her stomach felt a little squeamish just thinking about him.

When their hands touched, he smiled. Her hands were so soft. Her nails were well taken care of but were not polished. Her hair came just below her shoulders, jet black. Her lips looked so soft that he wished he could touch them just for a second, just once. He had not forgotten about the day in the library, but was too humiliated to let her know. He had been watching her. While studying in his group he would watch her study all by herself. He continued to watch her the rest of the semester. She was always alone, keeping to herself. She ate alone, studied alone, walked alone. It made him wonder if she acted the same way off of campus. Did she even live all by herself? It made him wonder so much because she was so pretty, so fascinating that he didn't understand why she would want to be by herself. The moment her hand touched his, he knew he wanted her. He looked down and noticed that she was not wearing a ring. He smiled a little and hoped that maybe, just maybe he could get a little closer to her by the end of the semester.