Rush Read Online Free Page B

he
told you about me is probably true.”
    I stared at him openly. “Huh? Why would
you say that?”
    He shrugged. “I’m a terrible person. You
should stay away from me. Far away.”
    “I expected you to tell me how wrong he
is about you.”
    “What would be the fun in that?”
    I shook my head. “You’re very strange.”
    “That’s what they tell me.”
    We reached the cafe. It had little
bistro tables at the edge of the long, wide second-floor hall with its rows of
international flags. Ever since I’d started at Central Willamette, I’d wondered
why we had a hall filled with those flags.
    I stood at one of the tables and scanned
for Paige, but couldn’t see her. “I guess my friend isn’t here yet,” I said.
    “Get a table and I’ll pick up your drink
for you. What do you want?”
    “I’ll have a sixteen ounce mocha.” I
opened my bag and started digging around for my wallet.
    “Don’t worry about the money. I’ve got
it.”
    He walked off before I could protest. I
really didn’t want him buying me anything, even a coffee. However, I also didn’t
want to run after him and argue about it in front of all the other patrons. I
sat down at the table to wait. When he came back, we’d discuss the money.
    Paige still hadn’t arrived when Max
returned with the drinks. He set mine in front of me and took the other chair.
I had the money ready and I pushed a five dollar bill across the table at him.
    He jerked his head back slightly, as if
affronted. “I told you I’ve got it.”
    “I can’t let you buy me a drink.”
    He slid the bill back toward me. “I’m
not buying you a drink. It’s just coffee.”
    “You know what I mean. I need to pay my
way.”
    “I’m not taking your money, Caro. Put it
away.”
    “No. I need to pay for my drink.”
    “If you won’t put it away, it’s going to
stay on the table. I’m serious.” He narrowed his eyes at me.
    Was he really offended that I wouldn’t
let him pay? I sighed and took back the fiver.
    “Okay, fine. You can pay.”
    “Thank you.” He leaned back in his
chair. “Now, what would you like to know about me?”
    Why does your dad hate you? But I couldn’t ask him that. “Did you really run away when you were sixteen?”
    “Yep.”
    “Where’d you go?” Trent’s family was
from Billings, Montana.
    “I hitchhiked to Seattle.”
    “That’s dangerous.”
    “No shit.” He gave a careless shrug. “I
came through okay, though.”
    “I’m glad.”
    “Are you?” His gaze sharpened.
    “Yeah. I hate thinking of kids living on
the streets. Runaways...it’s scary, that’s all.”
    He held my gaze a lot longer than was
comfortable. I flushed, but for some reason I couldn’t understand, I didn’t
look away. His eyes were blue. Dark, deep-ocean blue. There was pain in
them...but then it disappeared, so quickly I wasn’t sure it had ever been
there.
    “It’s nice of you to care,” he said
dryly.
    “Well, I do.”
    Awkward silence. I took a sip of my
mocha. He drank whatever it was he’d gotten. I glanced around, looking for
Paige. Rescue me, best friend. But she wasn’t in sight. I was on my own
with this strange, intense man I wasn’t supposed to like.
    “So, what’s your major?” he said.
    Ah, the quintessential college
ice-breaker. “French.”
    “Really, French? That’s different.”
    “Yeah. Not too practical.” My parents
and Trent were always bugging me to change it to something “normal,” like
education. But I didn’t want to be a teacher like my mom. I didn’t know what I
wanted to be.
    “What’s yours?” I said.
    “Business.”
    My brows rose. “Business, huh? I never
would have tagged you as a business major.”
    “I own a business. I thought it might
help my career to spend a few years in college.”
    “Wow.” My brows rose even higher. “You
have your own business?”
    So not what I’d expected from him.
    “Yeah. I’m a graphic designer.”
    Again with the surprises. I’m not sure
what I