Read Promise for Free Online

of calculus, we spent from nine-thirty in the
morning to ten at night together. Of course, we were in class and
team meetings the majority of the time, but sometimes it was just
us. I felt a tiny stab of guilt, feeling like I was again sneaking
behind Mom's back, but it was a teeny-tiny stab. After all, she had
no basis…and it was just studying.
    One Monday in mid-October, we sat outside on
the quad's lawn. The air was still warm, but we didn't drown from
the humidity. I kicked off my flip-flops and sat on the grass,
absorbing the sunshine. I closed my eyes and tilted my face to the
sun for a few minutes, but I felt Tristan watching me, making me
self-conscious. I surrendered and reluctantly pulled my books out
of my bag.
    Tristan had a notebook on his lap and pencil
in hand, so I knew he was already working on something. I left my
calculus for later, not wanting to bother him, and pulled out the
communications text instead. I still had three chapters to read
before I could even start on the paper he was probably already
writing. He was always several steps ahead of me in our
assignments, but, for some reason, still had me review his nearly
perfect essays.
    I stole a glance at him one more time before
delving into the text. He caught my eye, grinned and winked,
bringing that fog into my brain. Why does he do that to
me? Apparently pleased with himself, he bent over and his
pencil flew across the page.
    "Hey, Tristan," an unfamiliar female voice
called from behind me a little later.
    He glanced over my head and immediately
stiffened.
    "Hey," he muttered.
    "We're going to the Phi Kaps' house for a
pool party. Wanna come?" a different female asked as they came
closer.
    He shot them a strange look, almost like he
was angry.
    "On a Monday?" he asked, his voice full of
skepticism. I could hear something else underneath—a steely
hardness.
    "It's the Phi Kaps. Any day is good enough
for them," the first girl said. "So, you coming?"
    The girls stood by his side now, towering
over him as he remained seated. If he looked up, he'd have an
eyeful of long legs in short shorts and big boobs in tight tops,
but, for some unfathomable reason, he looked at me instead. They
were exactly who I'd picture Mr. Beautiful with—a much better match
than me, no doubt. Apparently, they felt the same. They didn't give
me so much as a glance.
    I wondered if Tristan was the college party
type. There was definitely something edgy about him. And what
warm-blooded male would pass up a pool party with college
girls—especially these girls?
    "No, thanks," he replied, holding my eyes,
the steely undertone still there.
    I blinked in surprise and, through my
peripheral vision, saw both girls' mouths fall open. They obviously
weren't used to rejection. They glanced down at the notebook in his
lap, shot their eyes at me and then back at him.
    "What ever ," they both huffed and
stomped off.
    Tristan relaxed as he took a deep breath and
let it out slowly. I didn't understand his rejection. It occurred
to me he was just being polite.
    "You can go, if you want," I said. "You don't
have to stay here with me."
    He smiled. "Not interested. In going, I
mean."
    "Seriously. I'm used to hanging by
myself."
    His smile faded and his eyes flickered. "Do
you want me to go?"
    Yeah, right. I definitely didn't want
him to go. It made me sad and lonely to just think about it. But he
didn't need to know that.
    "Does it matter what I want?" I asked, a
slight edge to my tone. How did I get here, where being alone
was a bad thing?
    "It matters very much to me," he
murmured.
    My heart skipped. I stared at the ground,
embarrassed.
    "No, I don't want you to go," I whispered. "I
just don't know why you'd want to stay. Most people don't hang
around this long."
    "I'm not most people."
    He definitely was not like most
people, but I knew he wasn't thinking along the same lines I was. I
didn't know how to respond, so I just returned to reading my
textbook, hoping he would forget the