Chapter forty“Why did you go and leave me Indi?” Leif asked with a long sigh as he closed the book he was holding with a thud.
“Yeah...sure…” I replied, completely distracted, as I looked over the medical journals, books and papers surrounding me.
“Yeah sure what?”
“Huh?” I looked up at him like he had just this minute popped into my kitchen, and hadn’t been there for the last few hours studying with me.
“I said, ‘why did you go and leave me?’” He repeated.
“What are you on about Leif? I didn’t go anywhere, I’m still here.” I replied, looking at him now like he had lost the plot.
“Wow you are distracted. No, I mean why did you finally get your major and leave me in alone in our classes?” He sighed wistfully. “There is this really hot new girl I could have really used your help getting.”
I laughed at him. “Because I didn’t want to remain the eternal student, it doesn’t mean I have left you. Its your fault that you changed your majors and had to go to new classes”
My mind raced back year ago when I finally managed to stop crying over Jace and the betrayal I was feeling. Though the betrayal was still there and I never wanted to see him again, I owed it to him for showing me what it was I should have been doing with my life.
Soon after uni started back up, I picked my major in medicine. I wanted more than anything to become a doctor. Saving Jace, though I wish I hadn’t now, gave me the push I needed. I had remained calm and knew what to do, and I almost got a thrill for helping save someone’s life, so much so I wanted to do it every day. It was either that or I watched too much ‘Scrubs’.
No one questioned my moping around for weeks after Jace disappeared. Everyone but Aunt Ruby assumed it was because Leif and I hadn’t worked out again and no one questioned me when he still came around. Aunt Ruby knew differently and knew it was because of Jace, though she didn’t say anything about it, just let me know she was there if I needed to talk.
I was loving every minute of studying to become a doctor, even though my work load had picked up dramatically, leaving my social life to almost zip. It was worth it, as it allowed me to keep my mind from Jace, though Leif continued to think differently. I wouldn’t ever see him if he didn’t come to my house to study with me, we still had the odd class together, and most of the time he came to my house to study because I wasn’t a distraction for him and he would sit down and do what he needed to. Where I was in my finishing years, Leif had changed his major and because of it somewhat had to start all over again. He claimed he was still not sure what he wanted to do. Personally I think his heart wanted something completely different to what he was actually doing. It was either that or he just didn’t want to give up his sleep-ins or the cute girls that walked the halls.
“So who is she? Do I know her?” I asked him, coming back to the present. I ignored the papers and books surrounding me for the moment.
“Her name is Belinda,” He grinned at me. “And we have some classes together.”
I rolled my eyes. “That doesn’t answer my question.”
“No, you don’t know her. She is doing her degree in business, and she is hot!” He continued, a stupid smile on his face. I rolled my eyes again. It was just another conquest for him. Leif would never settle down, he was just too much of a ladies’ man.
“She agreed to come out to dinner with me before we went to Malcolm’s party. Please come with us, that way you can meet her.” He pleaded with me. I looked down at the books surrounding me and was about to tell him no when he interrupted me. “Don’t say no Indi, please, you could do with a night out and I could do with a lay.” He laughed as he got up off his chair and pulled me from mine. “You can show Belinda what a good dancer I am so she will fall for me!” He swung me around, making me laugh at his stupidity. My feet slipped around on the tiles on the floor.
I was still laughing when he swung me into his arms. Quickly he lost his smile as it turned serious. He stared at me for a moment, like he was in deep thought. It was almost as if he was thinking of kissing me.
“I have work to do” I said breaking the silence between us, loosing my smile as I pushed on his chest so he would let me go. I didn’t think about my feet and the grip I didn’t have, as his hands left my body, my feet started slipping. I felt myself start to go down, when he reached out and yanked me to him so I couldn’t fall.
“Thanks,” I said with a smile as I steadied myself. He still didn’t smile back, and continued to stare at me. “Do I have something on my face?” I asked, confused about why he hadn’t let me go yet.
“No, sorry,” He replied, letting me go this time. “Please come out with us tonight, I really want you to meet her.”
I grimaced. “Oh, I would love to, but I can’t.”
“Yeah, I know, you have too much work to do.” He sounded a little annoyed now.
“Actually,” I started with a smile, “I have a blind date. He’s some friend of Emily’s boyfriend or such other.”
“No way!” Leif exclaimed, grinning widely. “You…on a blind date, now this I have to see. I know we can make it a double date!”
“Fine.” I said with a roll of my eyes, knowing if I had said no or something along those lines he would have given me some other way to come. I was used to him inviting himself along to things, besides I had nothing to lose. If the guy turned out to be a terrible date, at least I would have others to talk to.
“Sweet! So where are we going?” He said, still grinning.
“Where the hell is he? I am starving and he should have been here by now.” Leif complained as he took another sip of his drink.
“He must have run into a problem,” Belinda said from her own bar stool, next to Leif. She was a surprise to me: she was nothing like the usual girls he went for. Belinda was quietly spoken and almost shy. I took to her instantly and hoped that Leif would keep this one longer than the others.
“Give him 5 more minutes,” I said, trying to pacify Leif. “If he still hasn’t shown up then we can eat, ok?”
“Yeah,” Leif mumbled, clearly unimpressed as he looked at his watch for the hundredth time. I ignored his sulkiness and continued my conversation with Belinda about her degree.
“So, what do you hope to do when you are done?” I asked her with a smile, ignoring Leif’s long sigh.
She was about to answer my question when she was interrupted by a tall man with black hair and blue eyes. “Sorry I am so late, I had car troubles and didn’t have your number,” He said in a rush, taking the seat next to me.
I turned to look at him, automatically assuming it was Dillon. “Ahh...that’s ok.”
“Oh, I am an idiot, you are Indiana right?” He asked looking at me in confusion. He also looked almost hopeful.
I smiled. “Yes, that would be me.”
“Great!” He beamed, “I am Dillon.”
“Hi Dillon.” I stuck out my hand as he confirmed who he was, he took it and gave it a small shake before he let it go, still smiling.
“So can we go eat now?” Leif almost whined.
Dillon looked at him, a frown creasing he forehead. He turned back to me with a questioning look upon his face.
“Now it’s my turn to explain,” I said with a sheepish smile. “This is a good friend of mine Leif and his date Belinda. Leif thought it would be fun to invite himself along to join us for a double date. I hope you don’t mind and I would have called you if I too had your number. Please don’t be embarrassed to say you don’t want him here, and would rather continue with the original plans, Leif will just have to get over it.”
“Oh no, it’s fine with me.” Dillon gave an almost forced smile.
“Great, let’s go eat then!” Leif cried hurriedly, getting up off his chair. He pulled Belinda up from her seat and walked towards the maître d’.
“Thomas said you were cute, but he never said how cute.” Dillon told me with a real smile once Leif and Belinda had left us alone.
“That’s sweet, thanks,” I said with a small blush, but felt confused. “But ahh…who is Thomas?”
His answer sounded like he wasn’t too sure himself. “Oh, ahh, he is dating Emily.”
“Oh yes,” I nodded. “The match maker.”
“Can’t say I am complaining,” Dillon said with another smile, making me blush again.
“Oh, wow, those comments are going to go my head,” I laughed as I grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the booth that Belinda and Leif were now seated in. “So, Emily tells me that you are at uni! What are you studying?”
The conversation continued to flow for the rest of the night and I found myself really liking Dillon. He was sweet and continued to throw compliments at me all night, making me swoon.
I opened my eyes to the sun streaming in my window, and quickly closed them again with a groan. It was then that I felt the hand on my hip and the warm body pressed into my back stir at the sound.
I turned around slowly and took in the face of Dillon, who was as naked as I was under the sheets.
“Morning,” He spoke quietly, grimacing as he did.
I put a hand to my pounding head. “How much did we drink?”
“I’m not sure. All I remember is you asking me to come home with you, to be honest I don’t even know how we got here.”
“Oh, Amy would have got us home,” I said, not concerned. I grinned stupidly at him. “So, you can’t even tell me if I was any good?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing,” He began, a stupid grin also spreading over his face. He shuffled slightly to lean over me. “But that can be rectified.”