Read Breaking Noah for Free Online Page B

at first, probably thinking if he ignores me long enough I’ll get tired and leave. I’m about to clear my throat when he finally looks up.
    “Yes, Ms. Hamilton?” His eyes don’t meet mine, they kind of wander around everywhere else.
    I tilt my head and smile. “You go out of your way to ignore me in class, Professor Bain. That’s not very fair of you. My education could be suffering,” I comment.
    “I highly doubt it,” he says dryly. “And I offer you the same level of assistance as I do all my students.”
    “How many of them have you stalked?” I smirk. His expression freezes. Setting down the papers he is holding, his eyes meet mine in a cold stare.
    “That shouldn’t have happened, Zara,” he says, his voice firm.
    “Maybe not.” I shrug. “But it did. Anyway, my aim isn’t to make you feel awkward. I was hoping you could help me with this.” I thrust the homework task across his desk.
    His brow creases. “You told me
Pride and Prejudice
is one of your favorites.”
    “Still”—I shrug—“my future is riding on this year. I want to be sure I’m on the same page as you.”
    He studies me for a long time, like he’s gauging my motive, and then finally nods, succumbing to my need for help. After all, that’s why he said he showed up at my place—he was worried about me, and I’m pretty sure that means that if I was in a bad spot, he’d want to help. His personality is very much Captain Save A Hoe, if you ask me.
    “Okay. We can run through the material.” He pauses, checking his watch. “I have a meeting now, but I have office hours tomorrow. If you don’t have any other classes around three, we can meet then.”
    I uncross my legs, swing them in front of me, and jump down from the desk, a smile on my lips. He catches my eye for a moment and then looks away.
    “Thanks, Mr. Bain. I really appreciate this,” I say, pushing the papers into my backpack and slinging it over my shoulder. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    —
    The apartment is empty when I arrive home, but that’s not unusual. Between his classes, work, and his dedication to drinking, I rarely see Dillon. Not that it bothers me. As awful as it sounds, he is a means to an end for me. I did truly love him at one point, but since Karly’s gone, it all seems pointless. It doesn’t help that every time I see his face, all I can think of are the times we all spent together. I know Dillon only through Karly, and now when I’m with him, I want only her. I’m a terrible human being. I’d give anything for just one more conversation, one more sleepover, one more anything with her…in a heartbeat, no second guesses.
    I settle down on the bed with a bowl of ramen and my laptop. I check my email first. My heart swells when I see a new message from Ryan, my brother. Given the lack of Internet in war-torn areas, his emails to me are few and far between, so hearing from him makes my day. Hell, it makes my month.
Zara,
    How’s my baby sister doing? I hear you’ve moved to Evanston with that asshole you call a boyfriend. Seriously, you can do so much better, but I know you know this, so I won’t go on about it.
    Things are good here. I’m safe, which is always a plus, huh?
    How’s school? I hope you’re making friends and not doing that emo “I don’t need anybody” thing I know you probably are doing. Try and let people in, okay? I worry about you—which is ironic, considering I’m the one living in a fucking desert doing real-life G.I. Joe type shit.
    You know I love ya. 194 days and a wake up. See you soon, munchkin.
    Ryan
    I bite my lip and try to hold back my tears. Even with his rather short emails, especially when what I write to him could be considered a novel, it makes me smile knowing he’s thinking about me when he should be worried about his own life. He truly is the best big brother a girl could ask for. Other than Karly, he’s the only person who really knows me. Even though he’s three years older than I am,