Mine: A Love Story by Scott Prussing Read Free Book Online Page A

to grab ‘em where you can. But really, the easy credit was the draw. The other is just a bonus.” He gives me another once-over with his eyes. “A very nice bonus, I have to say.”
    I feel myself blushing. I don’t know how to reply to that. Luckily, Chris takes me off the hook.
    “What about you?” he asks. “Are you one of those vampire fanatics?”
    “No, not really. I’m a sucker for love stories, though.”
    “That’s good,” he says. “I’m glad to hear you’re not a complete vampire freak.”
    “I liked the Twilight books,” I admit, “but it was more about the romance and passion than the vampire stuff. I figured the books would be part of this class, so that would save me some reading.” I smile. “But getting a credit for something that sounded fun and easy was the main thing.”
    “Can’t argue with that,” Chris says.
    He pauses for a moment. I can tell he’s thinking—I bet he doesn’t know he’s biting his lip. He looks like he’s about to get serious.
    “So, Heather,” he asks finally, “is there some lucky guy from high school you go home to on the weekends?”
    His question catches me so off guard I almost miss a step. It’s a good thing I don’t wear heels—I’m sure I would have tripped.
    “No,” I say. “Just my dog, and he doesn’t need to see me every week. What about you? You got a girlfriend?”
    He shakes his head. “Not anymore. I just broke up with her.”
    Uh, oh. A rebound. Be careful, girl! Maybe that’s why he seems so interested. I definitely don’t want to get involved with anything like that.
    “I’m sorry to hear that,” I say. I really am sorry to hear it—not to hear that he’s single, but that it just happened recently. “When did you two break up?”
    “About ten minutes ago,” he says, “when this totally cute girl started talking colors at me.” He tries to keep a straight face, but his mouth stretches into a grin.
    “Stop it!” I say, but I can’t help laughing.
    “Actually, we broke up back in June.”
    I do a quick calculation. Three months. Not bad.
    “How come?” I ask. “If you don’t mind me asking.”
    “Naahh, I don’t mind,” he says. He doesn’t look troubled at all. I wonder if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. “She said I was too sweet.”
    “Really?” I definitely did not expect to hear that. Maybe she was one of those girls who like bad boys. Lots of girls do, I know.
    “And too funny,” he continues.
    Oh, he’s kidding again. “Yeah, right,” I say. “I think you’ve been dreaming, Chris.”
    “And too good in bed,” he adds.
    I crack up. “Now I know you’re dreaming. Were you too rich and too smart, too?”
    He laughs. “Hey, were you listening when she broke up with me?”
    Now we’re both laughing. I haven’t had this much fun in a long time. Marissa and I laugh a lot, but it’s different with a guy.
    We keep walking. Chris is really easy to talk to. And our few silences are comfortable, too, which is not something I’m used to. Silences at home are usually just the prelude to an explosion. I like this much better.
    We reach my dorm waaay too quickly.
    I’m sitting on my bed, strumming my guitar. Not playing anything, really, just fooling around. I got it out as soon as I got upstairs, didn’t even take my new clothes out of the bag, which is still sitting on the floor. I like the weight of the guitar on my lap, the feel of the strings beneath my fingers. Playing the guitar helps slow my mind when it’s racing. And believe me, it’s racing along pretty good right now.
    The door swings open and Marissa comes bustling through the doorway. She tosses her bag onto her bed and sits down next to me.
    “So, how’d it go?” she asks.
    “You mean after you shoved me at him?” I say, trying to sound stern.
    She grins. “Yeah, then.”
    “And after I blurted ‘red, blue, green, black?”
    Marissa’s hands fly to her cheeks. “You didn’t!”
    I strum a chord on my guitar.