Breaking the Rules: The Honeybees, book 1 Read Online Free Page B

heard from the animal shelter, and it was past the date they’d said they’d call.  
    He grinned. “I’m Devin,” he said. “I’d shake your hand, but we’d probably both fall over.”
    “Sophie,” I said, wondering how long he was going to talk to me. He was cute, sure, but I had zero interest in being hit on, if that’s what this was—certainly not right at this moment, when I was breathing harder than I’d prefer to admit, but also not at this point in my life. Not when I was working hard to restabilize my life. Not when I couldn’t afford to let anything distract me from my goals. Besides, guys were nothing but heartache. Maybe, long in the future, once I’d had closure with Matt and had figured out my living situation once and for all, maybe then I would think about starting to date again. For now, though, the idea was unimaginable. It had only been a week since Matt had moved out, and though I was enjoying having the house to myself, I still felt raw and hurt.
    Devin got in front of me and began running backward, so we were having our conversation face-to-face. I wished he would run ahead so that I could stare at his ass, which was probably very nice, and continue my workout uninterrupted.  
    “Sophie,” he repeated. “Is this your first time training for a marathon?”
    “Is it that obvious?” I asked, feeling myself blush through the redness I knew was already on my cheeks from exertion.  
    “Not at all,” he said, grinning again, and I noticed the way his smile lines crinkled around his eyes when he smiled. I liked it.  
    But I would not be swayed by his charm or his good looks. “And what about you?” I asked, more to be polite than anything. “Have you run a marathon before?”
    “Nah, just a half,” he said, waving a hand dismissively as though he were talking about buying a certain brand of dish soap rather than completing a life goal. He returned to my side, and I was glad to have my field of vision clear again…even if he was fun to look at.  
    “That’s still pretty impressive,” I said.  
    Maybe he sensed my lack of enthusiasm or maybe he was just a social person, but he gave me a quick salute and a wink, and ran ahead to talk to a couple of guys who had been running fifty feet in front of us. Watching them, it looked like they knew each other already. I wondered whether the three of them had all done the training program together in the past.  
    He did, I noticed, have exactly as nice an ass as I’d expected.  
    I pulled my eyes away from Devin and returned my attention to my form. This was what I was here for, after all, not to flirt. I was breathing heavily, and I would need to improve dramatically   if I wanted to be able to run a whole 26.2 miles in a few months.  
    My mind drifted. It was lonely without Matt, but even when he’d been here I’d gotten used to spending a lot of time alone, and I didn’t mind the extra space in my already cramped house.
    Work was going well. I had a few loud students, like Brandon and Jeff, and a few I was trying to draw out of their shells. One, Angelina, was the most careful girl I’d ever met, way more than most five-year-olds. In fact, in certain ways she reminded me of me at her age, never wanting to make any mistakes or color outside the lines. She did love coloring, though, and art in general, and she’d told me on the first day of class that she wanted to be an artist. Coming back to my classroom from art twice a week, she always proudly showed me her creations. I smiled thinking about her. I knew teachers weren’t supposed to pick favorites, but Angelina was a very special girl.  
    Somehow, I got through the run without my lungs bursting, but I was glad when it was over. Back in the warmth of the running store, I got my bag from the locker I’d rented and checked my phone. I had a missed call and a new voicemail from a number I didn’t recognize, and called the voice mailbox as I got my stuff together to head out.