See Me

Free See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Book: See Me by Nicholas Sparks Read Free Book Online
Authors: Nicholas Sparks
Tags: Romance
far cry from the kind of bar he used to frequent. During his wild years, he’d favored pro bars – for professional alcoholics – those dark and dingy out-of-the-way dives with or without blaring music in the background. He’d expected problems almost as soon as he walked in the door, and the world had obliged him. These days, he avoided places like that at all costs. He knew his triggers and his limits, and though he’d come a long way in keeping his anger in check, there was always the possibility that he’d find himself in a situation that quickly spiraled out of control. And there was no doubt in his mind that even if he was involved in an incident in another state, Margolis would find out and he’d live in a cage for the next decade, surrounded by people who had the same kind of anger problems as he did.
    Realizing that he was drifting, he forced himself to focus on the lecture again. The professor was telling them that some teachers found it beneficial to read passages from books that were age appropriate, as opposed to books that were geared toward older or younger students. He wondered whether to jot that down in his notes – did he really need to remind himself of that in the future? – before deciding,
Oh, what the hell
. If she thought it important enough to say, he’d make note of it.
    It was around that point, however, that he noticed a dark-haired girl peeking at him over her shoulder. While he’d drawn the expected stares when he’d entered the classroom – even the professor had done a double take and broken off in midsentence – by now the stares had been redirected toward the front of the room.
    Except for this girl. Definitely watching him, almost scrutinizing. He didn’t get the sense that she was flirting; rather, it was almost like she was trying to figure him out. Not that it mattered to him one way or the other. Stare or not; it was her choice.
    When class finished a few minutes later, Colin closed his notebook and stuffed it into his backpack. Flinging his backpack over his shoulder, he winced when it thumped against his bruised ribs. After classes, he planned to head to the gym to work out, but he wasn’t up for contact just yet. No sparring or grappling; just weights, core work, and a half hour of jumping rope. He’d take a break for a bit, then pop in his earbuds and run five miles while listening to the kind of music his parents had always hated, and after that, he’d shower and get ready for work. He wondered how his boss was going to react when she saw him; he suspected she wouldn’t be pleased. His face wouldn’t exactly blend in with the touristy atmosphere, but what could he do?
    With an hour until his next class, he began walking toward the library. He had a paper to write, and though he’d gotten a start on it last week, he wanted to finish the first draft in the next couple of days, which wasn’t going to be easy. Between training and work, he had to utilize his limited free time efficiently.
    Still sore from the fight, he walked slowly, noting the reactions of the girls who passed him. They were nearly uniform: They’d spot him and do a quick double take, revealing expressions of shock and fear, and then pretend not to have even noticed him at all. The thought amused him – a single
Boo!
would likely send them fleeing in the opposite direction.
    As he turned onto a different walkway, a voice called out from behind him. “Hey, wait up! You, up there!” Certain it wasn’t directed at him, he ignored it.
    “Hey you, with the hurt face! I said wait up!”
    It took Colin a second to make sure he had heard right, but when he stopped and turned, he spotted the dark-haired girl from class, waving. He glanced over his shoulder; no one else was paying attention. As she finally closed in, he recognized her as the girl who’d been watching him in class.
    “Are you talking to me?”
    “Ya think?” she said, stopping a few feet away. “Who else has a hurt face around

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