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that'd drive the most religious man to sin, or at the very least could make her a victim of the first ever slip-and-fall pregnancy. Walking around in stilettos near a bunch of drunken guys did not a safe-sex evening make. But watching her carelessly wiggle into scraps of clothing caused an unfamiliar reaction in me. Envy. I envied her. The way she bounced through life without worries. She'd never known true fear or heart-wrenching ache.
    "I'm over here," Killian said and pointed in the opposite direction than I'd started to go once hitting the parking lot. I veered to the right and followed beside him. We split at the front of his truck and got in. The engine roared to life and he backed out without beginning his explanation. Excuses. Normally, I wouldn't care. I should've been happy when he hadn't shown up, but instead I was confused. Then hurt. Then seriously pissed.
    The fact he hadn't moved his arm after putting it behind me, across the back of the seat to look through the rearview window, hadn't been lost on me. He wasn't touching me, so I let it go. I wanted answers, but I didn't know how to demand them without sounding as psychotic as I felt.
    He lifted his hand and rubbed his head. "I meant my grandma's ashes. Grandpa has Alzheimer's. He knows she's gone, but when something triggers a memory—happy, sad, whatever—he hides her. Most of the time, he subtly gives away the stashing place, but tonight he just rambled on about some living angel. It took me an hour to find her." He laughed humorlessly. "The damn garden. He's never taken her outside before."
    We were stopped at a light, but he didn't look at me. His left knee was bouncing and he white-knuckled the steering wheel. I didn't know this guy very well. Hell, I didn't know anybody very well besides my mom, but I believed him.
    "Can I get your number? That way if something like that happens again at least I can text you or something. Let you know I'm gonna be late."
    "You plan on giving me a ride to other school functions?" I raised an eyebrow at him. I wasn't sure how I felt about that. Was this an angle men played?
    He chuckled. "Chill out, woman. I'm not gonna sneak in dates with you. If I'd known you were rooming with Jewel, I could've called her to warn you I was running late. It's just common courtesy. Besides, we need to be able to reach each other to swap expertise on our classes." He glanced at me. "Oh, I'm free Tuesday afternoon, and if that day is good for you, I can make sure I'm not scheduled to work at the advertising agency. I'm not sure what your schedule is like, so if that doesn't work for you, then let me know when you're free and I'll get off work. I'll have to make arrangements for someone to be with my grandfather either way. The last couple of episodes have been too close together. I wasn't sure how long I'd be able to handle him by myself once I moved back home, but he's getting worse."
    He was like a girl. Worse actually. I knew this because I'd seen babbling chicks on television and on movies who knew when to shut up. He lacked that ability. It was as if the cosmos were playing some cruel joke by gender-swapping our personalities. But the universe didn't have a sense of humor. I had firsthand knowledge of how vicious it could be.
    We pulled into a parking spot in front of the student union, and I grappled with which part to address first. I hadn't agreed to any tutoring or studying sessions with him. Was I really willing to take this step? I also wondered why he had Jewel's number, but it was none of my business. Surely, she'd have said they'd dated while she chattered on all evening. Then again, he said he didn't date. God, now I was rambling. At least I'd kept it internal. Okay, Liv, you can do this.
    "Let me see your phone." His brow furrowed, but he handed it over after unlocking the screen. I created a contact for me and sent a text to my phone so I'd have his number before handing it back. It wasn't really a yes to spending time with