Read Online The Intern: Vol. 3 by Brooke Cumberland - Free Book Online Page A

study sessions. I found myself really opening up to him and feeling comfortable in my own skin. He made me feel again. He had become a really good friend, and I was truly grateful for that.
    On the day of our presentation, we both stood up and spoke as the slides displayed pictures and graphs. It really went perfect because he was the perfect partner.
    The last slide was our ‘credits,’ which was really just our names and references we used in making the presentation—or so I thought was our last slide.
    The class applauded lightly, and I began shuffling the papers on the podium together so I could go back and take my seat. However, Brandon clicked one more time to a slide I hadn’t seen before.
    Counting Stars by One Republic begins pla ying through the speakerphones as I read over the slides.
    Cecilia West…I ’m crazy about you.
    Crazy about your face.
    Crazy about the way you tap your feet when you’ve had too much caffeine.
    Crazy about how you scrunch your face up when you ’re thinking too hard.
    Crazy about the way you snort when you laugh too hard.
    Like I said…crazy.
    My eyes widened as I read over the words. The class was stunned silent as he clicked for another slide.
    Cecilia West…Please, tell me you’re crazy about me, too.
    Otherwise, I ’m just plain crazy.
     
    I stood frozen in place. The entire classroom was quiet, looking eager for my answer. Even the damn professor was smiling like a hormonal teenage boy about to see tits for the first time. Fuck…I bet he was in on it.
    God, this is so embarrassing.
    I turned and looked at Brandon. A hundred feelings rushed in that I hadn’t ever felt before. He was one of my best friends. How had I missed this? Had he always had feelings for me? Suddenly, I was seeing him for the first time. His charm, his looks, his wall-of-steel body. How had I missed it?
    Bentley. Oh, right.
    Jackass. He ruined me for all men. It was hard not comparing every other guy to him. My feelings for Bentley were raw and real, and came out of nowhere. Those feelings needed to be bottled up and put away. I had to move on.
    I told him yes and we ’ve been together ever since. The room filled with gasps and applauses, embarrassing me completely, but I felt lighter somehow. Like I had finally decided to let someone else in.
     
    *   *   *
     
    Cora begged me for two weeks to go to this new intro to kickboxing class with her, so finally, I agreed. I was sick of her begging me, so I caved.
    “ This better not leave any bruises on me,” I groan as she drives us to the gym. “I haven’t worked out in like…forever. I’ll probably fall and hurt myself.”
    “ Stop whining. It’ll be fun. Plus, we can impress all the guys with our new moves.” She wiggles her eyebrows as if that should sell me on the idea.
    “ What guys? You mean the old, drunk ones that come into the bar every night?”
    Cora and I both got our summer jobs back. She and Simon spent another school year in Florida while I stayed in Nebraska with Katelynn.
    “ School just ended. Trust me. College guys will be coming in.”
    “ And why does that even matter? Are you talking about Simon coming in every night?”
    Simon and Cora are still pretending they aren ’t anything, but I’m not stupid. Once I called Cora and she answered the phone half-asleep. She quickly brushed me off saying her guy friend was out grabbing donuts and that she had to go. Curious, I called Simon right after and he told me he was out running to the bakery. When I asked what he bought, he said donuts.
    Ever since then, I ’ve tried to catch them in their lies, but they’ve made it pretty hard. In person, they pretend to hate each other, but behind closed doors…well, that’s a completely different story happening.
    “ I don’t care about Simon. But yeah, I’m sure him and his stupid friends will come and bother us.”
    I grin as I watch her cheeks blush as she talks about Simon. She’ll never admit it though. I’ll have to