Make It Count by Megan Erickson Read Free Book Online

students.
    He groaned. “Kat, that was awful and seriously not funny.”
    She straightened, wiping her eyes. “Yes, it was totally funny.”
    “No, it wasn’t.”
    “If it wasn’t funny, then why are you laughing?”
    He hadn’t even realized he’d been laughing. What was it about her that he found himself smiling whenever she was around? He rubbed his mouth to cover the rest of his chuckles. “Because watching you laugh makes me laugh.” Shit, did I say that out loud?
    Kat sobered quickly, her eyes rising to meet his. All flirting sex kitten gone as she absorbed his words. Finally, she spoke. “No one has ever said that to me before.”
    He looked away and shrugged, unwilling to continue the conversation further because he didn’t trust himself. But he mentally kicked himself, because he would have loved to hear her laugh like that all day.
    He ordered his smoothie, and they returned to their table. Alec kept telling himself he should leave and brave the icy rain, but Kat’s draw was powerful. He shifted in his chair and cleared his throat. “So, what’s your major again?”
    A faint blush crept into her cheeks. “Um, I’m actually undecided.”
    “Oh? Well, do you know what you want to do?”
    The blush didn’t fade and Kat shifted in her seat. “I’m not . . . I’m not sure yet. I just . . .” She straightened her spine and looked him in the eye, her voice strengthening. “I know that I want a degree. I know that I don’t want to be a secretary for my parents’ company, which is where I would be without graduating from college.”
    “Why’s that? There are other jobs you can do without a degree.”
    She shook her head. “I know myself. I’d give into the pressure of my dad—I love him, but he’s kind of a battle ax—and I’d take the easy way out. And then I’d be miserable.” She took a deep breath. “I believe I have some sort of purpose. Something I haven’t realized yet. I have to find it.” She peeked at him from under her lashes and threaded her fingers through her hair. “Does that sound stupid? I mean, I know you might not get it because I’m sure school was always easy for you, but—”
    “Don’t do that,” he cut her off.
    “What?”
    “Don’t compare me to you. We’re totally different people and we each have our own strengths and weaknesses. And I think that’s great that you’re doing something for yourself. It doesn’t matter if you aren’t sure what you want to do yet for the rest of your life. You’re only twenty. But you’re going for your goal, and I think that’s awesome. I’m proud of you.”
    She stared at him, her fingers motionless and tangled in her hair. Then she smiled that rare, genuine smile. “Thanks.” She released her hair and drained her smoothie, the straw gasping in the empty cup. “But I have to pass statistics first.”
    He winked. “Good thing you have me.”
    Her snort sounded sort of ironic. “Yeah. Good thing.”

 
    Chapter Five
    A LEC COULDN’T TA KE his eyes off Max’s arm draped around Kat’s shoulders. He had to be some sort of masochist, agreeing to come out to the bar with them, Tara, Shanna and Cam.
    And he was pissed off that twenty-year-old Kat had a fake ID. It was stupid and risky. When the bouncer studied it, flicking it in his fingers, Alec had glared at Kat. But she had pointed her finger at him and whispered “pinky swear truce” so he shut his mouth. Plus, she wasn’t his girlfriend. What say did he have in her life?
    So now he alternated between seething with anger and seething with jealousy. With a cherry of guilt on top of that sundae. He was the life of the party.
    His other roommate, Camilo “Cam” Ruiz, scanned the room like a predator as usual. He’d started school a semester late because he was in boot camp, having joined the Air National Guard right out of high school. He was in Alec’s major, angling to be a detective or something. On the weekends he wasn’t reporting for his