Free The Neighbor (The Neighbor #1) by Claire Adams Page A

right?”
    “Safe is good. We’re not making a mistake.”
    If I was with anyone else it would have seemed like
I was trying to forget Ryder. In the recess of my mind perhaps I was. It was
unfair to Max but I still followed him back to the college and climbed the
stairs to his low-rise dormitory.
    Max had a single room because it was his second year
on the floor. It was organized and clean. I felt as if he was expecting
company. The Max I knew was a slob. A queen futon was set in the bed position.
It was turned down, which I viewed as a bit much.
Since it was the only place to sit in the room, I sat down on the edge of the
cushion.
    “This is Chez Max. It is a step up from last year. I
can get things done in this space that I could never do with a roommate.”
    I looked at Max and laughed.
    “I mean studying and shit. I can see that dirty mind
of yours at work.”
    Max sat next to me. I was a little tipsy and I felt like I was in one of those bad sit-coms that
show the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other. Max leaned in to
kiss me. His lips and tongue waited for reciprocation. I tried, but I pulled
back.
    “Sorry Max. I am just not ready for this to happen.
I need to be alone for a while so I can get used to being away from home.” I
stood up from the futon and stepped back
    “Jenna, I don’t think it’s about being away from
home. You and Sayler joked about this Ryder guy but I think there’s more to it.
I think he hurt you and you can’t admit it.”
    “When did you get so enlightened?” I laughed. “Maybe someday Max.”
    “I’ll walk back to your room with you. You are still
planning to sit next to me in sex ed ,
right?” Max said.
    “Of course Max.” I laughed.
    Max took me home. We were both silent the entire way
and when we reached my dormitory he hugged me and quickly said goodbye.
    ****
    I didn’t sleep well that night. I had not been
expecting the Max drama and I was worried things would be tense between us. In
addition, I had a splitting headache from the beer.
    I managed to roll out of bed in the morning. There
was not time for a shower so in went the ponytail.
      “Good Morning
Max,” I said to him in front of the dining common.
    “Hey Jenna. Are you ready to learn all about sex? Not as if you need the help.” Max smiled.
    “Please Max. Let’s not make my sex life a running
joke. I also want to make sure that we are cool after last night.”
    “My ego was slightly bruised but I will be fine. I
will not mention last night or Ryder again.”
    “I thought I could go one day without hearing the
man’s name. Perhaps tomorrow.”
    “Sorry Jenna. Today is the last day you’ll hear his
name.”
    I sighed.
    With my heavy bag of books in tow, I walked into the
cavernous Tobin lecture hall. The scene was intimidating. It was
packed to capacity because it was a requirement to take it. I thought it
was a way to control the spread of STD’s on campus. It was not a bad idea since
there were also new one’s cropping up.
    When I got settled in my
chair, I heard the door close. My first college lecture was set to begin.
    I was still retrieving my things from my bag when I
heard the professor state, “Welcome to Freshman Human Sexuality.”
    The familiar voice stunned me.
    “I am Ryder Curran. I will be your instructor this
semester.”
    My hands were too slick to hold a pen. My palms were
soaked in nervous sweat and I began trembling. My sex education instructor
stood at the lectern. The man I had given a blowjob. The man whose mind I blew. The man who blew all over me.
    I grabbed the syllabus, which confirmed my fears. It
was Ryder. The man I tried to forget and now had to see three times per week in
Tobin Hall. Do I approach him after class? If I do what the hell do I say – Hi, remember me I’m the 18 year old who
sucked your cock last week. Do I tell Max or anyone else? Do I attempt to
crawl under my chair? Maybe I should transfer to a school in another state or a
different