Plus-size nerd and the Bad Boy (Curvy Romance Book 1)

Ch.4: I Need to Stop Flirting with Her (Luke's POV)

I need to stop flirting with her, like right now. I don't know what the fuck I'm thinking. This whole week had been bizarre. I couldn't stop thinking about her. I needed to hear her voice, to watch her quirk her eyebrow in that sexy way she does when she finds me irritating. I even talked the boys into going to eat lunch with her today and her friend. Of course Dean talked a bunch of shit about it, though. Dean, man, he's been getting on my nerves lately, making me want to beat the shit out of him. Especially that shit he pulled at lunch.

When he made that comment about bathing suits and Anna looked so hurt, it took everything in me to remain cool. Still, I couldn't help running after her when she got up to leave. I noticed Nate doing the same, but I didn't question it, thinking he was just having my back...but now that I think about it, he was getting a little chummy with Janet; he even called her Red. Huh.

I went to the locker room bathroom, washed my face first, then reached for my apron so I could untie it. My mind instantly went to the way Anna tied it up for me. She was funny and sarcastic. I liked that she wasn't easy.

I threw the apron off as I continued to wash myself off. Deciding I was clean enough, I dried off and went into the hall, noticing Anna wasn't out yet. Maybe she went to class already.

Shrugging my shoulders, I pushed off the wall and started slowly walking back to class when I heard her scream. Don't ask me how I knew it was her, but I did. Not even thinking twice, I pushed open the door to the girl's locker room.

"Anna, it's me, Luke—are you OK?"

No answer.

"Hey!"

Still nothing, just my voice echoing off the walls. Fuck. I didn't know what to do so I crept in, looking around until I heard her whimper again.

I turned toward the locker area and there she was, standing on top of the bench seats and pointing to the floor. She looked at me in panic. I wanted to laugh at her so badly, but I didn't think she'd appreciate it.

I leaned against the locker, just watching her, until she finally glared at me and pointed back to the floor. She was mumbling something, so I moved closer to hear her, but all I could make out was one word.

"Mouse."

Mouse?! Oh hell no. I jumped up on the bench too, eyeing the floor. I'm not a bug or critter person, unless it's a dog. Anna looked at me, her mouth pressing into a thin line.

"Are you serious, Luke?" I looked back at her like she was crazy.

"What the hell do you mean? I'm not a mouse catcher."

We looked at each other for a couple of seconds before her eyes widened and she threw her head back and laughed. Her laugh was contagious, and I couldn't help but join in.

We laughed for a couple of minutes. She wiped her tears away as we thought of a plan to escape. The mouse was white and I could just barely see it peeking at us through the back of a locker.

"OK, so how about we just make a run for it, straight to the door?" She looked back at the mouse, and then at me.

"OK. On three." I nodded my head.

"One..." I looked down, then back at her.

"Two..." She smiled as she got ready.

"Three!" We both took off running toward the door, not looking behind us. We burst out into the hallway and slammed the door shut behind us.

I couldn't help myself, I grabbed her hand in mine, lacing our fingers together as we walked back to class. I felt her tense, but she didn't pull away, which made me smile. I was about to ask her what she was doing this weekend when the bell suddenly rang. I don't know what I was thinking, but as soon as the doors flew open and students filed out I did something stupid, something out of pure instinct, or maybe just asshole-ishness. I threw her hand down.