In Ruins Read Free Page A

how you apologized for your teammate’s rudeness…” I remark.
    He sucks in a deep breath, and, with one last shake of his shoulders, his apparent hilarity finally subsides. “I’m sorry,” he repeats. “I just didn’t take you for the type.” His shoulders twitch with a residual chuckle.
    “The type ?” I raise my eyebrows, still annoyed.
    Ben frowns, like he expects me to know what the hell he’s talking about. “Oh,” he says.
    Oh ?
    “My bad. I just thought…well, Zayne Stevens, you know? It’s been the same every semester since he started teaching my sophomore year. Girls signing up for an easy elective so they can stare at his ass. Only to find out it’s one of the hardest business classes at the school.”
    “Well, that’s not why I took the class. I didn’t even know he was supposedly good-looking until some girl told me tonight.” Inwardly I think Julia is probably one of the girls Ben just described, and she might be in for a rude awakening. “I’m here to learn. I’m not afraid of a difficult class.”
    “ Psh ,” Devin scoffs, “Carl will ace that shit.”
    Ben eyes me thoughtfully, nodding slowly. “Yeah. I’m getting that,” he says. “I’m sorry.”
    “You said that already,” I remind him.
    He flashes his too-perfect grin. “But this time I mean it.”
    I offer a flicker of a smile despite myself. At least he’s honest.
    “Well, good luck, anyway. I took that class last semester. I mean, you learn a lot, but it can wreak havoc on your GPA if you’re not careful.”
    I shrug. “I’ll be okay.”
    Ben smirks. “I don’t doubt it.”
    Devin taps my shoulder. “Uh, Carl, don’t freak out, but there’s a seriously hot guy over there who’s been staring at you all night like he either wants to eat you or kill you,” she says, pointing to the back of the bar, and Ben turns to follow her gaze.
    I suck in air and swallow down my anxiety. Because I know exactly who the hot guy who wants to kill me is, and I don’t know if I can handle seeing him.
    But I can’t help but look, and I will away the tears that threaten as dark green contemptuous eyes greet mine.
    “Hey, that’s our new defender, Tucker Green,” Ben says, surprised.
    Tucker is surrounded by people, particularly girls, who are obviously vying for his attention. But he’s distracted by my presence, and he just stands there, glaring at me.
    Ben laughs. “You know, Carl, I think it’s you he wants to eat, and me he wants to kill right now.”
    Ben waves to Tucker, who nods once and sips his beer, eyes barely straying from mine long enough to acknowledge him.
    “So do you know him, or is he just that competitive over beautiful girls?” Ben asks lightly.
    “We went to high school together,” I murmur, and I think he expects me to blush or something, or thank him for his compliment, but the only person I care about thinking me beautiful is looking at me like he wishes I would disappear. So I do him the favor.
    “Thanks for the beer, but I—uh, need to go. Dev, you stay. I’m just gonna walk back to the dorm,” I mutter quickly, and then I turn and rush out of the door before she has a chance to ask questions.
    I speed-walk the first half block until I can round a corner, and once the bar is out of sight, I stop and catch my breath. I haven’t been running like usual lately. I haven’t been exercising at all, in fact. The pitiful truth is, I’ve barely been able to pry myself out of bed since our breakup.
    My throat feels too tight and my chest aches. I hate how he affects me. I hate that I know he will always affect me.
    And then a hand is grabbing my arm and I almost scream, suddenly remembering how stupid it is to be out alone at night, until I turn and realize that I am physically safe, though my heart is in mortal danger.
    “What the fuck is wrong with you?” Tucker growls.
    I shake my head. I’m sorry , but I can’t articulate it. I shouldn’t have to be sorry for being out at a bar at my