Feral: Part One Read Online Free Page B

down the hall to snatch a cereal bar from the counter. “I’ll see you later tonight,” I called back to my mother before striding out the door to my old, blue Focus.
    I should’ve realized by the no-longer-random texts from Cole during my morning routine that my day was going to turn out to be one giant mess.
    After calculating I had enough time to swing through Starbucks and get a mocha, I ended up stomping on my brakes to let a cat finish crossing the road—what could I say? I was an animal lover—and the hot drink splashed from its open top onto the side of my thigh, burning my skin through the fabric. Maybe it was what I deserved for taking off the lid to let it cool quicker. If that wasn’t bad enough, I got stuck behind the slowest train in America and a three-car wreck.
    I was going to be late, and the colorful expletives pouring from my mouth seemed to be the only relief I had available from my current situation, especially since I had Bahr. I’d heard rumors that he was a pretty big hard-ass, and even though it was the first day of class, usually a time when most instructors just went over their syllabi and expectations, I had a feeling he wouldn’t be thrilled to see a student coming in even a few minutes late, much less ten or fifteen.
    Thankfully, when I rushed in, I found the room devoid of anyone who looked like they might be in charge of the growing congregation. On the downside, there was Madison, front and center, ready to take notes and kiss ass as best she could.
    I groaned internally and trudged to a seat somewhere in the middle of the large classroom, not too close as to appear an overachiever like Mads, but not too far away as to look like I just didn’t care about the class. In my personal experience, I had learned that even teachers would often make presumptions based on a student’s choice of seat, and I tried to remain in a neutral area.
    As I sat and listened, I realized that something had gone wrong.
    From the way most people were talking, it sounded like something happened to Bahr and they were having trouble finding a last minute replacement for the anatomy and biology instructor. After a good half hour, people were beginning to get anxious and some students were preparing to leave.
    I myself was pondering a drive to the nearest IHOP, where I could settle down with a large stack of strawberry pancakes, a plate full of sausage, and my medical terminology text, when a familiar head of hair and heliotrope eyes practically floated into the room.
    This time he was dressed in slacks so dark it was almost impossible to distinguish their color—I guessed they were some shade of blue. His shirt was cornsilk-white and he wore a suit jacket in the deepest shade of seal-brown. He lacked a tie, and just like the last time I had laid eyes on him, the top buttons of his shirt were undone and his espresso-colored mane was brushed back away from his face.
    “Cazzo,” I muttered under my breath. Fuck.
    I nearly choked when his eyes darted to mine, and I shook my head to clear it. Stop thinking too hard, I chided myself mentally. It’s not like he can hear you. He probably just saw your name on the list and was looking to see if it was the same Sofia.
    His smile was utterly dazzling. His lips were a flawless, pale shade of coral, and his brilliant, white teeth were perfectly straight. The combined features seemed to light up the room with their beauty, and I felt a twinge of jealously that those lips probably belonged to someone else.
    Immediately, I began to reprimand myself. I not only had no right to be envious of his wife, but it was entirely ludicrous to feel such an emotion. I had met the man only once. I had no connections to him whatsoever, no time invested in his interests or anything. It was silly I could feel envy over a man I did not know.
    “Hello, everyone. I am Doctor Simon Treviso,” he began with that beautiful, but elusive accent. He propped himself up on the desk, his legs