Page 10 of Idaho

"Here," he said with a shrug. "It sucks but one day I'll leave Tucson."

"Why does it...suck?" It was going to take time to get used to Americans' slang. Jo had already explained this one to me, so I knew he was displeased with the city.

"It's small for a city so there's not a lot to do unless you go to Phoenix."

The whole reason I had come here was for the Poly Sci department, but I'd been charmed by photos of the Sonoran Desert. Everything I read said there were a plethora of activities here, if you liked the outdoors and could withstand the heat. I hadn't ever gotten the chance to do many outdoor activities and was looking forward to trying some hiking and sightseeing.

"What's your favorite thing to do here?" I asked him.

He shrugged again. "I don't know. Drink, mostly."

I nodded, unsure of what else to say. This wasn't going exactly the way I'd hoped when he'd first asked me out. I wasn't much of a drinker. The few times I'd tried the consequences hadn't been worth the momentary feeling.

"You're really pretty," he told me, leaning forward. "I like your hair."

"Thank you," I murmured again, taking another sip of my coffee. I didn't know what to say to his compliment, but I was starting to feel uncomfortable with the way he was watching me. For some reason, I felt like prey. When he reached out to touch my black wavy hair, I eased back, giving him an apologetic smile. "Sorry."

"It's okay." He grinned at me and it was so charming I forced myself to relax a little. "I'm not trying to scare you away." He leaned back in his seat and gave me a wink.

It was probably just my lack of one on one social skills, but I really didn't want to be here with him anymore. I couldn't put my finger on why. "I have a class I need to get to."

He frowned, looking down at the watch on his wrist. "Why don't you skip it?"

"I can't," I told him as I gathered all my things. "Thank you for the coffee."

"Wait, Eva!" He stood up when I did and reached out for me, but I stepped back before he could touch me.

"Sorry, Alex." I smiled, hoping he'd understand.

He didn't look like he understood anything. His face twisted up in anger and he took a step toward me, making me take another step back.

"I have to go." I turned and hurried out of the coffee shop, calling myself a fool. I wasn't a timid little mouse. But I was on edge and didn't know why, and without my family and my father's guards around, I was feeling a little vulnerable. Since I didn't actually have class for another few hours, I headed back to my house to check on the girls.

"Hey," Jo called out when I came through the door. She gave me an apologetic smile. I could see the misery of a hangover there in her eyes. "Thanks for last night."

"Anytime." I set my bag and purse down and sat on the couch next to Brittney. "How are you feeling?" I asked them both.

They both groaned, making me laugh.

"I'm sorry we woke you up," Jo said, wincing as she rubbed at her head.

"It's okay." I looked over toward the kitchen. "Is something like that normal?" I asked.

They looked at each other and shrugged. "It was probably some drunk frat guy," she grumbled. "The landlord is going to be pissed though."

"He's kind of a dick," Jo said in agreement. "I'll deal with him."

"Let me know if you need any help," I offered.

We sat and chatted on the couch until it was time for me to leave for class again. As we parted ways, I couldn't help but feel a little excited despite the disastrous first date. This was the first time I was making all decisions on my own and it was so much better than I'd ever imagined. I just hoped I didn't screw it up by doing something stupid.

CHAPTER 5

Eva

Aweek passed and I was settling into my new routine. Christmas was four days away and I wasn't sure yet what I'd do over the holiday. Classes were out tomorrow through the twenty-sixth. Jo and Brittney were going to be going to their parents' houses. I'd probably end up spending the days with Thomas since we were both here without family.

I'd seen Alex in class since our date, but he didn't approach me, or try to talk to me. I considered apologizing to him again, but I didn't want to open the door for anything more, so I left it alone. It was best that I focus on myself and school for now. There was plenty of time to find Prince Charming later.