“Might as well have been,” I mutter. “You need hobbies.”
“I have hobbies. The gym. Cooking. Annoying you.”
I exhale sharply.
“Alright, grumpy,” Troy says, easily switching gears. “Where are you from?”
“Originally? Arizona.”
“Nice. Any siblings?”
“No.”
Troy waits a beat.
“Aren’t you going to ask me?”
“No need,” I say flatly. “I know you have one. Tara.”
That gets his attention. His brows lift slightly, a grin playing at the edges of his mouth.
“How the hell do you know that?” he asks, turning to glance at me. “Greer, are you stalking me now? Staying up late looking at my Instagram photos?”
My face heats.
“God, no.”
Troy laughs, way too amused. “Suuure.”
“She came into the bookstore last week,” I say, clearing my throat. “I saw her name on her student ID.”
Troy tilts his head slightly.
“So, you work in a bookstore. And your boss is Mr. Abernathy.”
I immediately regret saying anything.
“See, Greer? This is nice. Conversation. Getting to know each other.”
I glance at him. He’s watching the road, but there’s a satisfied look on his face.
“We don’t need to get to know each other,” I say. “We just need to work well together.”
“And don’t you think working well together starts with knowing basic human facts?”
“Not really, no.”
Troy grins. “Greer, you are truly a joy.”
I roll my eyes. Outside, the university comes into view, and I mentally prepare to launch myself out of the car the second he parks.
Troy just keeps driving slowly like he has all the time in the world. He drops me off near the engineering building, and I barely get out a grumbled “thanks” before he drives off, still smirking like he’s won something.
Annoying. I push him—and the entire stupid car ride—out of my head and focus. Because I don’t have time for distractions, I’m here at UMS for one reason and that is to build a future I can actually rely on. I have to graduate with top grades. Get a good job. Be stable, independent.
Because I’ve learned, over and over again, that if I don’t take care of myself…
No one else will.
