As soon as we put away the supplies, she says, “I’ve got good news.”
“Yeah?”
“My weekly mentor meeting is with the dean tomorrow. Due to your good behavior, I’m going to recommend you no longer need to be monitored during personal time.”
“Oh, okay.” It is good news, though, honestly, I haven’t minded spending time with Paige the past few days.
“Please lay off the video games.”
I nod, as I wonder how I’ll occupy my time with the floor being done. Maybe I should join more clubs. Or have my mom send some decent books. It will be nice to have some downtime to do something else. Or nothing at all. I could lie in bed and listen to music. Actually, that would be really nice.
“And it gets better—you’ve got ten minutes to change into civilian clothes and meet me in the parking lot.”
“What?” I ask, sure I heard her wrong, as we step into the hallway.
“You can go off campus for a couple of hours.”
“Really?”
She nods.
“Seriously?” There’s no way. It hasn’t been a month yet, and it’s not like I’ve been a perfect cadet since I’ve been here. In the back of my mind, I was actually worried there was a chance I may never get to leave for anything other than community service. Don’t get me wrong—the community service trips are nice and much better than campus, but it’s not like I get to do whatever I want during those times.
She nods again and laughs. “Yes. I got permission from the dean as a reward for finishing the gym.”
No freaking way.
My arms automatically fly around her, engulfing her in a hug. I feel like I won the lottery. Or was just cured of an incurable disease. Or was granted parole from prison. Okay, that last one is actually kind of accurate.
“All right, that’s enough,” she says, stepping away from me and smoothing out her hair, though not a single strand is out of place. Her cheeks are tinted a rosy color, and she stares at the ground as she says, “It’s not a big deal.”
But it is a big deal. She has to know it is.
Going from absolute freedom to absolute captivity has been the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Even ten minutes outside these gates will be like heaven. I’ll get to wear my own clothes. I’ll get to walk around without the constant worry of forgetting to salute someone important. I’ll get to do whatever I want or absolutely nothing at all. I’ll finally be, at least for a little while, back in control of my own life.
I’m tempted to hug her again, but she’s already headed for the door.
I sprint to her side, having the most energy I’ve had in weeks despite all my running this morning. She didn’t need to do this for me. I have no idea how much effort it takes to get permission from the dean, but even two minutes of effort is more than she had to do. In fact, it’s more than anyone has done for me since I arrived here.
As much of a pain in the ass as she’s been, I suddenly have a … slightly more than lukewarm feeling when I look at her. It’s not a full-on warm fuzzy, but damn if one little thing didn’t just make my whole image of her transform in a fraction of a second.
She just might not be the cold, heartless robot I had pegged her for.
CHAPTER 11
PAIGE
“Did you sign up for the CFA next week?” Leah asks as we walk to my car in the student parking lot.
“Not yet.”
“How come? I thought you were going to do it on Thursday?”
I remove my hat and gloves. It was cold this morning during PT, but now, with the sun out, it’s turning into a beautiful fall day. Much nicer than we’ve had lately and a perfect day for a hike in the mountains. “I know,” I say to Leah. “I meant to, but I ended up getting cold feet. I want to feel confident before I sign up.”
“How can you not feel confident? You’re in great shape.”
“My shuttle run time is still too slow.”
We reach the parking lot, which is almost empty of cars now, since everyone is already enjoying their few hours of freedom.
“Want me to time you?” she asks as she reaches for the front passenger side door. She pauses and then takes a step back and opens the door to the rear seat instead.
“You can sit up front,” I say.
She waves me off. “Logan can have it. I don’t mind.”
After I join her inside, she says, “So, tomorrow? Should I time you?”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Thanks. I need to see where I stand now. Last time, I was three-tenths of a second above the goal.”
I scan the parking lot for Logan but don’t see him yet. I still can’t believe the dean agreed to let him leave campus. The rule is a month of good behavior before it will be considered. I must have been persuasive.
“Hey,” I say, looking at Leah over my shoulder, “what about your application? Have you heard back from your congressman or senator about the nomination?”
“Not yet.”
I offer her a reassuring smile. “You still have plenty of time.”
“When did you hear last year?”
“September.”
She slumps in her seat. “That’s why I’m worried. It’s the middle of October. What’s taking them so long?”
“Maybe they consider Naval Academy nominations later in the year. Remember, Alex didn’t hear about his until November.”
“Maybe,” she says with a sigh.
I glance outside again, and there’s Logan at the edge of the parking lot. He’s wearing worn jeans, a white shirt, and a denim jacket. On his head is a black beanie. He doesn’t look anything like the Logan from ten minutes ago.
My heart does a double beat, and my hand immediately reaches up to cover it.
“Man, he’s hot,” Leah says from the back seat.
“Huh?” I ask, still preoccupied with the fluttering in my chest.
“Logan.”
I take a couple of deep breaths and am pleased when my heart returns to its strong, steady beat. “Sorry, what’d you say?”
“Logan. Hot. I could stare into his eyes all day long. Does he have a girlfriend?”
I twist in my seat to face her. “What about Steve?” Steve is from her hometown. They’ve been together for two years, despite the hundreds of miles between them for nine months at a time.
“Not for me! For you.”
I laugh at her words. Not only because it’s Logan—the guy I either bickered with or ignored up until last week—but also because I am not interested in having a boyfriend. School is hard enough without the added nuisance of a guy. And then I’ll hopefully be moving all the way to Colorado for the academy. There’s absolutely no room in my life for a boyfriend. Not now. And probably not for at least the next five or six years. Once I’m a fighter pilot, I can start thinking about frivolities like a boyfriend.
“You don’t think he’s hot?” Leah asks.
I glance out the window as he spots me and starts walking our way. I have to admit he looks like someone out of a magazine, not someone from Wallingford. And his pale green eyes are nice. What draws my attention, though, are his lips. The upper one has this prominent dip in it. It makes him seem like he’s got a permanent smirk, which initially irked me, but I’m beginning to realize it’s just his normal appearance. His normal cute appearance.