Academically Yours (Best Friends Book Club, #1)

by Jennifer Chipman

Dreams. I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt like I had any. What was I searching for? What did I want in life? I didn’t know.

“Fine. I don’t date. But that doesn’t mean it’s not going to happen this year. I’m just waiting for the right guy.” She had already met him. I knew it, Angelina knew it, Gabbi knew it—hell, I was fairly sure everyone in our entire dorm had known it. But they were firmly best friends. Yeah, right.

And I knew one thing—that I was absolutely, definitely, no way in hell going to fall in love. Not again.

I knew, that once I found the right person, I was going to be in it for the long haul. Once I met her, I was going to do whatever it took to keep her in my life, and make sure she knew that I was hers, forever. And she would be mine. Absolutely, unequivocally, mine. I was just waiting for her to walk into my life.

When did I become so discontent with my routine? No matter what I tried, it just felt like it wasn’t enough. But maybe it wasn’t something I was missing—it was someone. Someone to share this life with. Someone to laugh with. Someone to love.

And for some reason, her small smile just did something to me. Because the pure and utter bliss on her face… It stuck with me. I couldn’t put it out of my mind, and I went to class that day only thinking about that redhead girl’s lips tilted up as she basked in the glow.

She just seemed like… warmth. It felt like it oozed from her like she could be the light in any dark, bringing a place to life with just a smile.

And I couldn’t stop thinking that just as I had thought that maybe this life would be better with someone else in it, she appeared. With her red hair and the smile that lit up her face.

Because at the other end of the room stood the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Not even exaggerating, he was gorgeous. I think my heart skipped a beat.

All I knew is there was something in his eyes, in the way he was looking at me, that I’d never felt before. And for the first time in my life, I thought to myself, is this what it means for fate to exist?

Because this moment—the one I was sharing with a stranger, eyes never leaving the others’ even as we sipped our drinks, even as people floated around us—this must be one of those moments. It was determined by destiny, here to change your life and sure to make you re-evaluate everything you’ve ever known.

Seriously, did the man know how to smile? And why did I want to see it so badly? His smile—I wanted it directed at me.

“I’d much prefer to meet the love of my life in more of a… Unique way.”

“I kind of, ah, swore off dating.” “Hm.” Matthew mused as a new reaction spread over his face that I couldn’t quite read, and then he chuckled at me again. “You know, it’s a shame.”

“What is?” Matthew looked at me with the sincerest look in his eyes when he said, “That we hadn’t met before.”

I couldn’t stop picturing Noelle at that mixer last Friday, so imagine my surprise when the redheaded girl I saw the first day of classes turned out to be her.

And as soon as our eyes had met—as I caught her staring at me across the room—I knew that she was someone special. I wanted to meet her—wanted to know her name. No… I had to know her name.

She was like a magnet, and I was being pulled in her direction.

And when she had asked me how I wanted to meet someone, I almost said it. Just like this.

But there was something in me that wanted to hear Noelle’s laughs fill the room, to see her warm face smile at me.

It was like now that I had seen her, my mind was specifically tuned to her frequency, and all it wanted to do was seek her out.

And God, if knowing she was out in the cold without someone to warm her hands did something to me, I wasn’t going to show it.

I wondered if I had ever thought someone’s blush was beautiful before. If there had ever been a girl that I had seen just once and been so easily… bewitched by before. It wasn’t like she was even trying to cast this spell over me; she just was.

I was mesmerized, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her. She carried herself as if the very world depended on her light, the warmth of her smile. Maybe it did.

“You know I’ve never understood how you are best friends with my older brother.” I wanted to laugh. I had witnessed their friendship begin in college just as ours had. It seemed like wherever Charlotte was, Daniel wasn’t far behind her.

“That’s a fairytale, Char,” Angelina said. “Not real life. Like, do you really think someone’s going to swoop you up and ask you to get married to them tomorrow?” Charlotte just frowned and mumbled under her breath, “Well, it could happen.” Angelina just scoffed. “I think it’s more likely that I’ll fall into bed with my enemy than you getting married just like that.” She snapped her fingers.

I felt comfortable around him, and I liked talking to him. Yeah—this beautiful, tall, blonde man, who I seemed to run into everywhere I went on campus—I had to admit that he fascinated me.

“What’s on your mind?” Besides my future? You. The thought came faster than it should have.

I knew I had been thinking about Noelle Hastings more than I should have been, but as I looked up as I walked into my night class that Wednesday, I couldn’t believe my eyes. There she was. Sitting in the back row, coffee cup in hand, smirking at me.

And she blushed. I loved it when she did that, watching it spread over her freckled cheeks. Oh, God. I was totally obsessed with this girl, wasn’t I?

Two weeks. I had known her for two weeks. Two weeks that somehow felt like an eternity, because I didn’t want to go back to a time when I had never laid eyes on Noelle Hastings.

But something about being around her just felt right. Like something had clicked into place inside of me.

Angelina had already started her rant as I sat down. “Ugh. Today was awful. There’s this asshole at work who keeps pestering me over emails. I haven’t even met him in person, and I already hate him. It’s always Ms. Bradford this, Ms. Bradford that. Can’t he just use my first name instead of treating me so formally? Ugh. I hate him.”

“Everything okay over here, gentlemen?” And I was pretty sure I swayed on my feet at the sight of him standing there.

I was touching her. Holy shit, I was touching her, and I couldn’t help but notice how right she felt in my arms. I wanted to tuck her in and pull her in tight to a hug,

“You’re so warm,” she murmured into my shirt. “Can I stay here forever? Feels like heaven.”

“I know, sweetheart,” I said, feeling it too. “I know.”

“We don’t have to talk about books. Really,” I insisted, waving my hands at him in dismissal, “I’m sure you’re busy, and I don’t want to take the time from your schedule—” “I’ll always make time for you.” And damn if that statement didn’t make me feel all warm inside.

Those little conversations in the coffee shop, randomly seeing him all over campus—it was always the best part of my day. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. About him. Because… damn it, I wanted to spend more time with him. I wanted to get to know him and hear his stories; wanted to see his face light up as he talked about things he was passionate about.

“Hi.” I grinned back. “It’s been a few days.” “Missed me that much, huh? I mean I know I’m unforgettable, but…” Noelle laughed.

Noelle beamed. And that was when I realized—this girl was the sun. And I wanted to bathe in her warmth.

“Had you already…” She looked sheepish. “Look—it’s normal to give friends your phone number. So. I may have been planning on coming to find you if I didn’t see you.” Noelle shrugged. “Don’t make a big deal about this. It’s not like I was going to stalk you.” I laughed. “No, because I’m the one who always does the stalking, right?” She nodded solemnly like this was a very serious topic. “Exactly.” “I’m glad I ran into you,” I smiled. “Me too.”

“I had fun today,” he smiled. “I don’t think I’ll ever see Red Pandas again and not think of you.” “And do you?” I asked. He just blinked at me. “What?” My face split into a grin. “Think of me.” I gave a wink. He shook his head and flicked my nose. “You’re so…” “Charming? Alluring? Momentous?”

It felt like my whole life, I had been waiting for someone. Waiting for this. Waiting for him. Because when he touched me… He set my soul on fire. He filled me with warmth, and happiness, and somehow… a belief that maybe, everything might be okay again. That I could lose myself in him and never let go. That he would never leave me.

I was speechless and breathless, and I knew that if I wasn’t careful, I was going to fall hopelessly for this man. Maybe I already was.

I wanted to hold her again. Wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go. It seemed like even if I was determined to get this girl out of my head, she was all I could think about. About the little redhead who was beautiful and passionate and whose eyes lit up when she smiled.

That was what I liked about her so much. How she was not only beautiful but thoughtful. One-of-a-kind.

she had so often worn due to the cold climate of winter in Oregon. I loved how beautiful she was—enchanting. She was absolutely, breathtakingly, enchanting.

I wanted to have all of her days and all her nights, because I always, always wanted to be surrounded by her bright smile and warm demeanor.

Little sparks that you felt when you touched. It was all there, for the first time, with Noelle. Now, I just had to figure out how I could keep it. How I could have her—and keep her. Because I didn’t want to let it go or give up on it. I wanted her. No. I needed her.