Just One Year(10)

***

The next evening, I was reading downstairs in my room when Caleb appeared at the door.

“Fucking Mensa, Teagan? How could you keep this from me?”

Feeling my cheeks heat, I closed my book. “Who told you about that?”

“Shelley.” He entered and sat at the edge of my bed. “So it’s true? You’re a genius?”

I shook my head. “It’s no big deal.”

“It’s no big deal that you’re a genius—a flipping genius?”

A few years ago, I’d taken a test that qualified me for that particular high IQ society. Those who score at or above the ninety-eighth percentile on Mensa’s approved intelligence tests are granted membership.

“It’s nothing special. It just means I can pass a test.”

“Bloody hell. You don’t realize how impressive that is?”

I shrugged. “I mean…I never really think about it. I—”

“Let me tell you, then. It’s really fucking impressive.”

“Okay. If you say so…”

Blood seemed to rush to my head. I wasn’t that used to compliments, apparently.

He lay back horizontally on the bottom of the bed, placing his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. “I knew you were more than just a house mouse.”

“A house mouse?” I asked. “What’s that?”

He laughed. “I’m not even sure. It’s just the first term that came to mind. Maybe it’s like…a creature that hibernates in the basement, gnawing on cheese occasionally. At least now I know you’re doing brilliant things down here. I’d give anything to be able to ace tests.”

“You strike me as someone who’s very intelligent.”

He continued to look up at the ceiling as he confessed, “I’m clever, not necessarily intelligent. I have the potential to be smart, but I get distracted very easily. That’s my downfall.”

I was currently distracted by his long, lean body splayed out on my bed, and by his intoxicating scent now saturating the air in my room and making my legs feel weak. My quiet sanctuary had been overtaken by his masculine energy.

“Distracted by what?” I asked.

“Everything. The smell of bacon. A pretty girl. A fly on the wall. Songs in my head. Random thoughts. Medication commercials at two in the morning. Pornographic imagery. You name it, it distracts me.”

“So, like ADD?”

“Not like ADD. Actual ADD. I’ve always struggled with my attention.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Yeah. So, school has always been a challenge for me. It took me a few years to garner the courage to start university. It’s part of the reason I’m late to the game. I feel like I might officially be the oldest freshman at Northern.”

Because he was a freshman and I was a sophomore, I sometimes forgot that Caleb—at twenty-two—was three years older than me.

I was sorry he struggled in school. It was hard for me to imagine because academics had always come so easy to me. I realized I was lucky.

I suggested something I hoped I wouldn’t regret. “Well, if you ever want to study together, let me know. I can quiz you or hold you accountable, make sure you’re not goofing off.”

Caleb’s face lit up as he rose to a sitting position. “You’re serious about that?”

Slightly unsure what I was getting myself into, I said, “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious.”

“I know, but sometimes people offer things hoping the person won’t really take them up on it. Like when you see someone you haven’t seen in a while and say, ‘We should get together sometime.’ Half the time, you know that’s not going to happen, and you probably won’t ever see them again after you walk away. I’m the type of person that if you ask me over for dinner, I’m texting you immediately to set a date.”

“That’s a little annoying.” I laughed.

“It’s called follow-through. More people should follow through with things in life instead of just talking about them. If life were nothing but empty promises, where would any of us be?”

“Oh, that’s so deep,” I joked.

“It is.” He gave me a look. “So anyway, if you’re serious about studying together, I’m gonna take you up on it. I think just having someone physically there who’s also studying might help my wandering mind.”

“Yeah, sure. Why not? You know where to find me.”

“Down in your dungeon.” He winked as he placed his hand briefly on my arm.

That single touch sent an electric current through me. Holy crap, I needed to get laid.

I sighed. “Will you stop making my need for privacy sound like some horror movie?”

“You know I’m kidding, right? I just like to tease you, because every time I do, your face turns red. If you had no reaction, it wouldn’t be any fun, and I probably wouldn’t do it.”

“What brought you down to my dungeon tonight again?”

“I found out you’re a genius and had to let you know, remember?”

“Oh, that’s right. My little sister loves to talk, doesn’t she?”

“She’s a great kid. She means no harm.” He grinned. “She told me you took her out yesterday.”