Page 9

“Dude, go for it! She’s basically forced to hang out with you. You can literally get paid to date her!”

My lip stings, reminding me to release it from in between my teeth. “She hates me.” I slump down further into my chair, arms crossed, regretting the way Ben’s face falls.

“Come on, it’s been all of an hour. You couldn’t have done something that quickly to make her hate you.”

“She hates Literature. She hates reading. She’s made that very clear. She’s so…” Stubborn? Determined? Beautiful? I take a breath. “She just wants to not fail. She’s got a lot riding on this, and I don’t think anything will get in her way. Let alone me.” I watch as Ben reads the response from his girlfriend. Even with the time zone difference between them, Michelle always finds a way to answer.

“Michelle says to go for it too. What have you got to lose?”

Staring at my blank screen, I turn that statement over in my mind. What have I got to lose? After spending time with Eden, I crave being around her. Talking to her, making her smile. Smelling her hair. Okay. Too weird. Although she does smell good. Like vanilla…

I sigh as I weigh up my options. Spend the next eleven weeks in close quarters pretending that everything is fine and I don’t feel this indescribable pull to her? Or risk it to pursue something with her, with the off chance that she’ll hate me?

“Fine. How do I do it?”

Ben looks like he’s ready to explode in joy. “You just have to find some common interest. Flirt with her.”

“You make it sound easy.”

“It is easy.” Ben reaches across the desk and places a hand on my shoulder. “Come on, bro. If there’s anyone who can charm the panties off a science nerd, it has to be you.”

I swat his hand away, not liking the way my mind drifts to Eden’s panties. What colour she would wear, what cut. Feeling my face heat up, I hope Ben doesn’t notice. “Dude, no. I’m not going anywhere near her panties.”

Ben smiles knowingly and nods. “Just you wait. Just you wait.”

* * *

By the time the second week rolls around, I’m determined to make a better impression on Eden. Or any impression on Eden. Or—at least—get through this session without Eden yelling at me again. A boy can dream.

It’s so strange how my usual tutoring sessions seem so dull compared to the ones with her. Monotonous, boring. Like a scene from a movie you’ve seen one too many times. Lacking that scent of vanilla that’s starting to drive me crazy.

I’m at my usual spot in the library when I see her walk in. While it’s still a sunny day, there’s a chill in the air. Eden’s outfit reflects that. She’s got a simple light-coloured dress on, knitted cardigan, and beat-up sneakers. When she spots me across the room she tucks a piece of her dark hair behind her ear and smiles. At least she seems more relaxed than last time, no longer looking like a rubber band stretched beyond its strength.

“Hey.”

“Hey.”

I give her a moment to sit down and get her stuff out. I try my hardest not to watch her as she does but it’s difficult. She has a habit of biting her bottom lip when she’s searching through her bag, which only makes it pinker. Her glasses slip down her nose and I want to lean over and push them up for her. With my tongue. Okay. Calm down. Focus on the work. Ben has really gotten inside my head.

“How have you been going with the content for this week?”

She’s noticeably calmer today than last time I saw her. The dark circles under her eyes have lessened, and she’s lost that furrow in between her eyebrows that I had grown accustomed to seeing.

“Good! Thank you for your notes, by the way. They really helped to clarify things.” We’ve been messaging throughout the week and I’m glad her constant spam of texts has helped her. It certainly has not helped me. I spent this week grabbing my phone every time it buzzed, praying it was her. And more often than not, it was.

“How are you going with that assignment?”

“It’s going better than I thought it would.”

When she shows me her first draft, I have to admit I’m pleasantly surprised. We go over some of her concerns with it, but all in all it’s a strong piece of work. My stomach grumbles when we start discussing next week’s content, and she laughs. I’m mesmerised for a moment watching how her face lights up before she clears her throat. “Need to get some food?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

We pack up in amicable silence, so I don’t know why I’m so surprised when she suggests we go eat together at this ramen place near campus. We go eat. Together. I can feel my palms sweating already.

“It’s one of my favourite spots in Melbourne. Gemma and I come here all the time.”

“Gemma?”