Breaking Free: A Living Again Novella Read Online Free Page A

himself was a breath of fresh air.
    She could tell in the way he talked and his mannerisms that he was different. That didn’t make her shy away from him or be afraid to be his partner. To her, that wasn’t a big deal at all. He hadn’t looked at her like a bimbo cheerleader that couldn’t do anything, or someone he could use and throw away like many college guys. That wasn’t her and never would be her. The farthest she had ever gone was kissing Chasen at homecoming and prom, and she was going to keep it that way.
    “He’s a nice guy,” Alexis answered, swinging her legs over the side of the bed. She pulled out her cheer shorts and tank top and Hailey followed her.
    “Let’s go eat before practice. At least when they try to kill us, I’ll have something in my stomach.” Alexis laughed, knowing that was true. They had thought cheerleading in high school was rough. It was nothing like being a college cheerleader.
     

     
    Alexis walked into the Biology lab, her stomach fluttering with nerves. She had no idea why she felt so nervous to meet Greer here. They had been texting since yesterday and they had decided on ten in the morning. When he had texted ‘We can get lunch after, even though I don’t eat pizza on Thursdays’, she had smiled.
    She had the directions on the lab they were to complete, so she started pulling out materials while she waited for him. It was only 9:45, but she knew from talking to him the little she had that he would be there early.
    “Alexis,” Greer’s voice echoed throughout the lab. A few people looked up at him, watching as he made his way over to her. He was wearing a similar outfit to yesterdays: jeans, despite the Florida heat, a solid colored, v-necked tee shirt, and sneakers.
    When his eyes met hers, she smiled. He didn’t smile back, and he looked away before she caught a hint of his lips curling up before he sat down next to her.
    “What do we have to do today? I’m not late. You’re early.”
    Alexis slid the lab sheet over to him. “I was early. How are you today, Greer?”
    He finally looked at her, and when his pupils fixated on her face, she breathed out. He really was so handsome. Greer didn’t answer, just continued to look at her face. She noticed that he was looking at one feature at a time. First, her eyes, then her cheeks, nose, and lips. He then looked away quickly.
    “Let’s do our lab. I don’t like when it gets busy in here.”
    Alexis nodded. “I got the materials out already. We just need to fill this out as we go.”
    After over two hours, they felt that they not only had the lab correct, but had mastered the concepts. Alexis felt proud. She had always been good at science, but Greer was really something. The terms and the facts that he knew were mind boggling. He was like a walking encyclopedia.
    Her stomach growled, making her realize it was lunch time. “Do you want to go get lunch, Greer?”
    Greer looked over her shoulder, seemingly trying to figure out something before he answered. She remembered him telling her that he couldn’t have pizza today.
    “Want to get a sandwich today?” Alexis wasn’t sure if he liked sandwiches, or if he would break the routine, but she had to ask.
    Finally, Greer looked at her briefly. “I like sandwiches. I eat sandwiches at home on Tuesday and Thursday.”
    Alexis stood, putting her purse on her shoulder and gathering their notes. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow in class, Greer.” She turned to take a step when she felt his hand on her arm. As soon as she looked down, he withdrew it like a snake had bitten him.
    “I’ve never liked being partners before,” he said softly. “But I do now. I can eat a sandwich with you.” Greer closed his eyes, then reopened them. “I… want to have lunch with you.”
    Why did those words make her feel like cheering? For whatever reason, she knew that had been very hard for him to say. She wanted to ask him a million questions, but knew that he probably wouldn’t