All in

Chapter 5

Jason's POV

It was Thursday afternoon. Cat and I (I had finally gotten used to calling her Cat) had finished discussing market forces of demand and supply. We were slowly making our way down an impressive list she'd organized, and even though my brain was pretty much fried, I kinda liked this stuff. I just hoped it stayed where it was supposed to stay. Deep inside my brain for when I needed it later.

The nagging headache I had woken up with was still hanging around, but whatever. I'd learned to deal with way more than a stupid headache in the past year, and it was totally worth the pain, just so I could be here and watch Cat.

Something about this girl intrigued me. Was it her smile? The way her eyes got really dark when she was concentrating and that little frown appeared between her brows? Was it the way she chewed on the end of her pencil (like now) when she was thinking?

Was it the fact that she had punched Troy Lewis in the throat and threatened to kick him in the gonads?

Or was it the fact that there was a piece of her hidden away? I'd felt it Monday night, and I felt it now. It was in everything that she wasn't saying, and everything that she wasn't saying filled the silence with mysterious pieces of her. It was those little pieces that I wanted to explore. It was those little pieces that made her different from any other girl I had ever met.

We'd been studying all week and had fallen into a routine. I showed up at her place just before noon, and we'd head to the library to study. If she wasn't meeting Anabeth at the pool afterwards, I would drive her home around five.

We hadn't talked about anything other than Economics. I hadn't brought up the drive-in, and she hadn't said a word either. Not even when she returned my sweater, smelling all fresh and full of Sunlight detergent.

But something was up today. She was distracted, and I had caught glimpses of that sad look in her eyes.

My cell pinged ad I reached for it, grimacing when I saw that it was Lauren. For, like, the tenth time. She wanted to hang out later, but I...

I glanced over my laptop at Cat. She was gnawing on the end of her pencil again, tapping her fingers along the top of the table.

"Something up?" I asked.

Her head whipped up, and she studied me for a few seconds before shaking her head. "No."

"You sure?"

A nod

"Yep."

Huh. She wasn't making this easy for me. I don't want to sound like an arrogant dick or anything, but yeah, this is totally gonna make me sound like an arrogant dick. I'm not used to having to work to make a girl like me. It's just always been easy. Mum said that when I put my mind to it, I can charm the pants off anyone. Said I had been doing it since I was born and dad had to practically wrestle me from a couple of enamored nurses. Something about my rosebud mouth.

Apparently Catherine Moss hadn't gotten that particular memo.

"What are you doing tonight?" I asked, watching her closely.

Cat's eyes were dark again. She cleared her throat, which was a delaying tactic, one I'd learned she used a lot when she was trying to figure out what to say. Or more importantly, what not to say.

"I have a dinner to attend."

"A dinner."

Her eyebrows shot up.

"Yes."

"Sounds exciting."

"It usually is."

"What do you guys do?" I was picturing chocolate fountains and a lot of British accents.