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would rather not
discuss this in the middle of an East Park hallway. “Because,” I
whisper. He leans in close. “Britain’s going to use the photos from
the shoot.”
    His eyes widen. “Are you
serious?”
    I hate the fact that I
have to nod. Before I left for class, Britain told me that the
photos from the shoot were so good that there was no way she couldn’t use them. I
yelled at her a lot. And then I left.
    “ So soon, everyone will
see the two of us mostly-naked in the magazine, and then if we’re
seen around campus, people will put two and two
together.”
    “ And that’s bad
because…”
    I can’t believe he isn’t getting it.
“Because I’m not Rylan, Dallas. I pull my phone from the pocket of
my jeans and glance at it. “I’m going to be late.” I turn from him
again and make my way down the stairs.
    He continues to follow me.
    “ Okay, whoever you are, I
get it. I’ll leave you alone. If I see you in the halls, I will
ignore you like I’ve never seen you before in my life. Tomorrow.
Let’s break the rules tonight.”
    This boy is ridiculous. “And why would
I want to do that?”
    “ Because I don’t want to
sit alone at the symposium. Come on.”
    I pick up my pace. “Well, I won’t
publicly cause a scene if you sit next to me, if that’s what you’re
asking.”
    “ Thanks,” he
murmurs.
    I bite back the smile on my face and
hurry into the auditorium, Dallas right on my heels. Like I
guessed, there is hardly an empty chair in the sea full of hundreds
of seats. There are several solo seats scattered here and there. I
could technically just take one of those and Dallas would have to
find a seat somewhere else, but then I spot two vacant chairs next
to each other, and head for them.
    Why am I doing this to myself? Because
he’s pathetic and doesn’t want to be alone?
    That isn’t the real answer, but I
really don’t feel like thinking on it further.
    Dallas sits next to me. He’s about to
open his mouth again, but the professor introducing the speaker
walks on stage and everyone begins to clap. Thank God for being
late.
    I pull out my note book and flip to a
blank page. As I breathe in, I smell him next to me. His cologne is
like a spicy sea breeze, and instantly I’m back in that lounge
chair, Dallas’s tongue running over my hip bone.
    I cross my legs and clear my
throat.
    “ You’re taking notes ?” he
says.
    I glance over at him. He looks
impressed. “Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do at these
things?”
    He shrugs. “I never.”
    “ Well, I always do.” The
professor mentions one of the speaker’s books, and I pull it from
my stack, opening up the first page.
    Dallas leans closer to me. “Evan
Cosette.”
    Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck,
fuck, fuck
    Brilliant me, thinking it was a good
idea to write my name and phone number on the front flap of all my
books. Not the brightest move for a girl trying to hide her true
identity half the time. Not at all.
    I keep my composure.
“That’s right. Evan. ”
    One corner of his mouth curves up in a
crooked smile. “Huh. Yeah, I can see you being an Evan. One of
those cute masculine girl names. Suits your
personality.”
    I raise an eyebrow. “You calling me
masculine?”
    “ Bold is more like
it.”
    “ No, I think you’re
calling me masculine.” I turn back to the speaker, and he doesn’t
say anything else. But every time I glance at him through the
hour-long lecture, he’s still wearing that smug grin that I badly
want to wipe off his face.
    The question is, how?
    When the lecture is over, Dallas still
won’t let me get away from him. In the parking lot, I’m almost to
my car when he says, “Hold it, hold it. I barely got to learn
anything about you, Evan.”
    I reach my Saturn and pop the trunk,
throwing my books inside. “Can’t we do that at work?”
    “ Why can’t we do it
now?”
    I slam down the trunk lid and lean
against it. “Gee, you’re a lot less annoying when you’re either
licking my neck or