Ever So Madly Read Online Free Page A

he got bored. I tended to zone out during these things so it never bothered me. It was more a formality I attend than anything. My whole existence was tailored to this life. If I didn’t know it at this point, I wouldn’t.
    I stirred, feeling eyes on me, and I scanned the coliseum-shaped room to see if someone had turned in their seat to stare at me. It wasn’t until my eyes reached the edge of the aisle we sat in that I saw him.

 
    Chapter Five
     
    Madden
    My mind hadn’t left her in two nights. I ran through our conversation over and over in my head. Why hadn’t I asked for her scan? Why hadn’t I gone with her? I tried not to live in past actions, but I found it impossible not to run through every scenario that would have left me with a way to contact her. I had myself so turned around and distracted, I almost missed my first lecture. The morning bells rang, and I had minutes to get in and take a seat. I slipped into a row near the back to avoid unwanted attention. Already out of place with these people, the last thing I wanted was to be anything but background noise.
    I scanned the row to see what I’d gotten myself into. There wasn’t a single face like mine. Deep down I’d known it would be the case, but it was harder in person. Like a moth to the flame, my eyes fell on her. Not four seats down, she sat with Jacob. She looked up at the same moment.
    “J…” I didn’t know what to say to her. I’d run through a million things from that night, but not one plan of attack for this occurrence.
    She looked down at herself for a moment like she was nervous, but she replaced the mask over her emotions and looked me in the eyes. I moved closer.
    “You’re a jumper. Interesting.” She stood and took a step toward me like I was a game that became much more intriguing.
    Her brother laid a hand on her shoulder. They exchanged something in a look.
    “You worry too much. Let’s go sit with him.” She turned to me. “If that’s okay, Mad?”
    I was stunned, but I did my best to keep my guard up as well. “Please do.”
    They followed me back to my seat, and we blended into the crowd as the spaces around us filled in.
    “More than a scab, I see,” Jacob said. “And here I thought you were only here for the fair.”
    “Some people are more than they seem,” I commented looking at J, holding my hand out to her. “I’m Madden, and since we’ll be seeing more of each other, it might be better to be on a first name basis.”
    She placed her hand in mine, but she had changed. As if dictated by protocol, she slipped into an almost regal figure. She must have been the daughter of some dignitary or adviser to the House of Akillie. The breeding seemed so ingrained it had to be instilled with generations of snobbery.
    “J. Let’s stick with J.”
    I hadn’t noticed it before, but her voice was articulate. It spoke of her birthright. She wasn’t a jumper. She wasn’t here because she had earned her place like I had. She was here because her place was garnered at conception, but it hadn’t changed her. She treated me like anyone else from the moment I met her, while her brother seemed to hold some air of pretension. It was a puzzle I turned over in my mind. I wanted to figure her out as much as she did me.
    I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it. Her cheeks pinked a little, and I had to wonder if the reaction was also training.
    “You forget I already know what to call you, but if you prefer J.” I half shrugged, wondering what the big deal was.
    “Today I want to be just J. It’s easier.”
    My mind spun. Jacob rolled his eyes. J’s lip curled up, and she scowled at him.
    “What does your name matter?” I released her hand, drawing her attention back to me.
    She scooted to the edge of her seat, bringing her face closer to mine. I was suddenly hot, remembering how she tasted. “Because we are no more than equals sitting here, and I don’t want to change your perception of me.”
    Usually the class