Ryan enters the room, and the knot in my stomach loosens at the sight of him. I feel an instant grin filling my face as I take in his gray long-sleeve shirt and black jeans.
But when he sees me sitting there, it doesn’t seem like he has the same reaction. He pauses, just for a moment, and a whirl of emotions crosses over his face—surprise, confusion, and almost a flare of frustration.
Why would he be frustrated with me?
I see the moment he controls his expression and smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes. As he sits down next to me, he says, “Hey, Claire. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I bite my bottom lip, nervous again. “Yeah, I had an idea to run by Janet, and I think you’ll want to be part of it with me.”
“Oh?” He looks at Janet. “What’s up?”
Janet gestures at me. “Claire wants to open a tutoring center, specifically for students in Calculus who need extra assistance with their algebra skills. And she thinks you’d be interested in helping.”
I look over at Ryan, hoping to see him smile and agree, but he’s silent. Instead, he looks at Janet, then back at me. He sits back in his seat, shakes his head, and says, “No, thanks.”
What?
CHAPTER 8
Ryan
I keepmy eyes on Janet, but I see Claire’s mouth drop open out of the corner of my eye. Of course she’s shocked and disappointed. We used to do everything together.
But that was before.
Before she got engaged.
Before she promised forever to another man.
Before I realized my future would never include her.
And now? Now isafter.Now I’m making plans without Claire and maintaining my distance, both physically and emotionally. That’s why I’ve been holding my office hours in the library and avoiding our cubicles altogether.
So working at a tutoring center with her? Yeah, no thanks. I don’t want to be locked in a small office with her for hours every week, working closely together and laughing and joking and feeling a stab every time her ring catches the light.
But Janet narrows her eyes at me. “Ryan, I think you should take a minute to think about this.”
“I just don’t know if I have the extra time to dedicate.”
Janet’s eyes flick over to Claire, then back at me. “You know what we discussed two weeks ago…” She lets her voice trail off, unsure if Claire knows about my tenure being at risk.
I appreciate that she’s trying to help me maintain my dignity. “There’s no need for secrets. Claire knows about my tenure.”
“That’s part of why I thought of it,” Claire says softly, and I turn to face her. She looks me in the eyes and says, “I wanted to help you out.”
Now I feel like a jerk. My chest tightens, and I run a hand through my hair. “I appreciate that, Claire. I really do.” I hope she hears the sincerity in my voice.
“But?” she says.
“But I just… I don’t know if…”
Janet interrupts my stammering. “I did have another idea for you, Ryan.”
I raise my brows and turn to her, hoping she’ll give me a way out of this. “Oh? What were you thinking?”
“Liam Patel is hoping to create a committee to oversee all the budgetary spending in the math department, and he needs someone else to work with him.”
Oh, heck no.
