Before Ryan Was Mine (The Remembrance Trilogy - Prequel) (2 page)

“Sorry, dude,” he mumbled.

“No problem,” I said and casually waved him away as I moved toward my objective.

The red-skirt girl stopped and visibly stamped her foot. “Julia!”

Her name flew around in my brain with the speed of a hummingbird around a tree full of orange blossoms. It suited her to a T.
Beautiful
, but without the need or desire to shorten it into something less dignified; like how Grandma Matthews had reduced my Aunt Elizabeth’s name to Betty. I never understood how the hell Betty came from Elizabeth anyway.

“What?” The girl with the pretty name simply looked at her friend—perplexed—and stopped, flopping down her book bag and taking her seat. She patted the one next to her with a teasing smile. “You’ll have plenty of time to get into the professor’s pants later. Just think of all the opportunities to discuss this bullshit in his office. Of course, it might be difficult trying to convince him why you’re so passionate, since psych has nothing to do with your major.”

“Jeesh, Julia! Fine!” Her friend relented and threw her body down in the seat next to Julia, as I moved into the one behind them and sat down. Leaving my backpack between my feet, I opened it and pulled out a notebook and a pen. Afterward, I was free to observe the girls the last few minutes before class began.

My hand went to my mouth as I leaned on my elbow to watch and listen.

“Just look around.” Julia motioned with her hand. “There are plenty of hot guys who aren’t geriatric.” She shrugged. “Choose,” she said with a small giggle, digging out her notebook and a pen. “Besides, what about Jason?”

“Nope. He’s
your
boyfriend.”

“Ugh,” Julia groaned, “I know. Tasty, that one,” she said, tongue-in-cheek. The two of them burst out laughing, and I found myself wondering about this poor bastard, Jason. Julia’s laugh was infectious. I saw how the people around her noticed her, most of the men doing a double take. I didn’t bother trying to hide my admiration and watched her openly. “Not bad looking if he could just keep his mouth shut.”

A pretty blonde next to me was staring wide-eyed at me as I listened to Julia and her friend’s conversation. I glanced at her briefly, preoccupied, when she began speaking. “I’m really looking forward to this class. I took a college credit course online from UCLA in sociology and I just loved it.”

I huffed inwardly, trying to concentrate on Julia’s words. “I’m pretty sure psychology and sociology are on two different planets,” I answered, dismissing her.

“Well, it’s an
ology.”
She shrugged carelessly. “So, I’m sure I’ll love this, too!” the blonde said. “I’m Rita.”

Okay, this chick was way too enthusiastic; making my brain hurt and the nasal quality to her voice was irritating. It was all I could do not to laugh out loud. Did she just fucking say what I thought she said? It’s an
ology
? My eyes widened against my will.
Okay
.

“Ryan,” I mumbled. I pulled the text out of my backpack and feigned interest in it as if it were Gray’s Anatomy. Now,
that
was interesting. I’d spent hours as a child, pouring over the pictures and pages of the copy my father kept in his study, memorizing the structures and systems of the body. It was then we knew med school was in my future. Like father, like son.

I glanced at Julia as a guy on the other side of her made a move toward her. Something in my gut didn’t feel right, and I shifted uncomfortably in my chair. The guy was standing there, grinning and openly gaping at her foolishly, asking her name and stammering like an idiot when she told him
. What a douche.

Finally, after a couple more minutes of meaningless chatter and Julia’s obvious indifference, he left her, defeated and minus her phone number, to go find his seat. Julia pushed her hair behind her ear, and I found myself looking for the pulse in her neck, wondering if her skin smelled sweet and if the blood rushing just beneath the surface would make it warm under my mouth. I took in a deep breath.

“Why are we taking this class again?” the girl named Ellie asked. She was sitting directly in front of me and leaned into Julia.

“It’s required, though I’m not sure for what. It has little relevance for my marketing degree.”

I couldn’t help myself, and I wanted her to notice me, so I leaned forward and spoke.

“Or, anything else, for that matter,” I interjected softly.

Sparkling green eyes shot to mine for the first time, and I was instantly sucked in. There was deep blue-green around the irises, lightening to jade, then resuming the darker shade around the pupils; utterly captivating. She paused, a small smile spreading out on her full lips. She had two barely-there dimples that showed up when she flashed her white teeth as her face lit up. She was gorgeous, though now I could see she had very little make-up on.

“Yes, well, I think we picked this class because my friend here is warm for the professor’s form.” Her perfectly manicured brow shot up, and she laughed softly when her friend shoved her in the shoulder.

“Thanks a lot!” Ellie protested, throwing a glance over her shoulder at me.

Julia was still looking at me, her eyes skirting over my face. She looked away, nervously glancing at her watch. I could sense her discomfort and then it became my own. I wanted to ease it.

“I picked it because it was the least offensive psych class and might have a slight relevance to my pre-med program.” Yeah, it was cocky, but I needed this girl to know I wasn’t some brainless idiot, wasting my mind and opportunities, like that last loser who was just trying to pick her up. I knew I was being an asshole when I mentally dissed him, but I didn’t care.

Rita continued to stare in open admiration. “Wow, med school. You must be really smart.”

Julia and Ellie smirked at me, Julia’s eyes widening in feigned innocence. “Yeah, you must be
really
smart!” she shot out in a veiled attempt to tease me about Rita’s obvious effort to divert my attention back to her. No way in hell that was going to happen. Julia was beautiful, but, also witty and intelligent. I found her engaging and intriguing.

Ellie burst out laughing, and Julia batted her eyelashes at me, openly mocking the other girl’s comment. “I’m only teasing. I’m Julia and this is my best friend, Ellie.”

“Hi. I’m…” I began to introduce myself only to be cut off by the start of the class.
Fuck!

The professor noisily adjusted the microphone on the podium at the front of the class before his gruff voice began rattling off the syllabus for the course. He might as well have been reciting a grocery list for all the attention I paid him. Thankfully, Rita was the type to take rigorous notes. It would be easy to get her to lend them to me if needed, or better yet, maybe I’d have to make a study partner out of the vivacious brunette who now held my rapt attention. It was stupid. I never got all giddy over women but what I was feeling was magnified by the three times she glanced over her shoulder at me and burned me with those intense green eyes and a sly smile. My stomach did little flip-flops, my palms were sweating and my heart sped up. I wanted to know more. Much more. I couldn’t wait to speak to her, but the damn class droned on for 45 more minutes. It seemed like ten years.

When it ended, I’d already loaded my stuff in my backpack and remained seated until the two girls in front of me rose from their seats.

“So Ryan, do you live on campus?” Rita tried to make conversation as we waited for the people to my left to shuffle out in front of us. I was essentially standing next to Julia, while she waited in her row and I could smell her perfume wafting up like a musky dessert filled with vanilla and something that made my heart slam against my ribs.

I shoved a hand in my pocket. “Nope.” I threw the answer over my shoulder with no other explanation and looked down at Julia. Her smiling eyes found mine, and she bit her lip to stifle a laugh. She knew I was blowing Rita off and she approved.

I ignored Rita’s comment and spoke instead to the object of my new fascination. “So, as I was trying to say before, I’m…”

“
Ryan
,” Julia interrupted. As long as I lived, I didn’t think I’d ever forget the first time this woman said my name. “Um… yeah, I heard. Before.”

I smiled. “Yeah. Where you from?” I asked.

“Kansas City. At least, my mom lives there. My dad is closer. San Francisco.”

We inched our way toward the aisle as the students filed out.

“Oh, is that why you chose Stanford?”

“No. I mean, partly. It was the reputation, and my crystal ball said I was going to meet the greatest people here.”

“How’s that working for ya?” I chuckled as we finally made it to the end of our row. I waited for her and Ellie to exit, allowing them to move ahead of me.

“It was rough at first, but things are looking up.” She leaned in and nudged my arm with her shoulder and electricity shot through me like a lightning bolt. She was quite a bit shorter than me. I could have rested my chin on the top of her head, and I found myself wanting to do just that. I nudged back instead, and she laughed softly.

A smile slid across my face again, the damn thing seeming to settle permanently on my lips. I was giddier than I’d ever been in the presence of a girl, but I felt at ease and comfortable, too. We slowly climbed the stairs toward the exit of the lecture hall, and I realized in literally seconds we’d be outside, and if I didn’t say something quick, I wouldn’t see her until the next class two days from now. I shook my head. Just because she made me hard beneath the belt and all soft and gooey inside didn’t mean I had to get stupid.

Ellie turned as we poured out with the stream of other students from the auditorium into the foyer of the building. “See ya later, sweetie,” she said to Julia. Her gray eyes darted from me to Julia and she smiled devilishly, like the cat that swallowed the canary. “Nice to meet you, Ryan.”

I panicked slightly, even knowing there was a chance I wouldn’t see them both on Wednesday—there was no assigned seating, and the hall was huge—I could easily miss her in the swarm of students. My backpack thrown over my shoulder, I rubbed the back of my neck.

“Bye, hon.” Julia hesitated as Ellie left us. “Um…” She pointed in the direction of the library but hovered, not stepping in its direction. “Do you have another class now? I was going to go read the assignment in the library.”

It was the first week of classes and most of the work would be reading, except the trigonometry and chemistry class I had next hour. I nodded, pulled my sunglasses out and shoved them on. “Unfortunately, I do.” I hoped she felt as disappointed as I did that we couldn’t keep talking. “Chem.”

“Oh, that’s right. You’re a science snot.” Her lush lips smiled, as she squinted in the sun and lifted a hand to shade her eyes.

I chuckled at her teasing. “Guilty. My entire family is, except my mother. Tell me about the ‘M’ on your butt.”

Her eyebrow shot up. “What?” she asked incredulously.

“The ‘M’,” I stammered. “On your butt. On your back pocket.” This was as good a way as any to make sure she knew who I was, even if it was a little awkward.

She frowned, not understanding, then astonishment flooded her features, her eyes widening. “You were looking at my ass?”

“Well, I couldn’t see your face.” Shit, this was weird. I felt out of my element, nervous and ridiculous. I couldn’t believe I’d just mentioned her ass. I laughed uncomfortably, hating myself for not being smoother. “My last name is Matthews. We have to be friends now. You’re branded. It’s a sign.” I was seriously attracted to this girl, but I wanted to know her mind more than I wanted to get in her pants. The thought left me stunned as I wondered if I could be friends with someone I was so in to.

“Ah.” Her head nodded once as realization of what I was doing dawned on her. She raised her eyebrow and nodded to indicate someone was hovering behind me. I turned to look. It was the other girl from the lecture hall.

“So, I’ll see you Wednesday?” Rita asked awkwardly, stammering slightly. I’d forgotten all about her and didn’t realize she was still around.

I shoved one hand in the front pocket of my jeans and opened my mouth, then shut it again. Rita wasn’t the one I wanted to sit next to during the next class. “Um… I guess?” I inwardly grimaced as my eyes locked with Julia’s. I came off rude and that was unfortunate, but I wanted to speak to Julia, and I was running out of time before my next class.

“Okay.” Rita answered shortly then turned away, disappointment clear on her face.

I returned my attention to Julia.

“The jeans are branded, for sure. Miss Me-s. Lots of girls have ‘M’s’ on their butt’s,” she challenged with a grin. “Are they all branded? ’Cuz, you don’t look like the kind of guy who lacks female companionship. Obviously.” Her eyes darted to mine then she nodded toward Rita’s retreating back.

I bit my lip and my hand swiped through the side of my hair. The last thing I needed was Julia thinking I was a user. “I think there might be a compliment in there if I dig deep enough,” I teased. “Look, I wanted to meet you. So, sue me.”

Our eyes met and held again, and I almost blurted out that I wanted her number. I told myself to get a grip. I never acted this dumb in front of a girl.

Julia rocked on her heels and glanced at her watch. “You’re gonna be late.”

“I’d blow it off if it wasn’t the first class of the semester. I really want to talk to you some more.” Suddenly, I was happier than hell that I didn’t get into Gerrity’s class last semester. I already liked this girl more than most I’d met at college and I’d only spoken to her for a few minutes. There was just something about her. Not the way she looked, though she was beautiful, but I wanted to know about her life, to invest time in her. It was a gut feeling, but this girl was going to be important to me, she was a long-term investment. “So maybe you could agree to meet me outside the lecture hall on Wednesday and we can sit together. Then this class might be bearable?”

Julia’s smile widened immediately, and she nodded. “Okay, sure. I’ll make sure my ass is branded. But that other girl will be bummed.”

I smiled back and wished I had more time to get her number. “Oh, well. Good. See ya.”