Teach Me (College Daze Book 2)

by Danielle Burton

  “What!”

  “Nothing.” She scrunched up her face when I narrowed my eyes at her. “So, what are you getting into tonight?”

  I gave her one last stare down before turning back to my yogurt. “Besides rest, nothing much. I have work tomorrow.”

  Benji walked by twisting the cap from a bottle of water. “Getting ready to do some work myself. You’re welcomed to watch.”

  I rolled my eyes and looked past him at the mess that was the back yard. Dirt and bags of cement lay scattered around a gaping hole in the ground that would become an in ground pool at some point, if the Adams men ever finished.

  Mama Adams’ insurance policy had paid out and they’d decided to build the backyard oasis she’d always wanted. Jay and Mr. Adams had been working on it for nearly a month, refusing to hire a professional. To me it looked like a disaster had struck. I wasn’t sure what all they’d been doing back there, but I’d heard talk of a Jacuzzi and was dying to use it.

  Benji slid open the door and stepped out and I turned back to Gabi. “I still can’t believe you’re leaving me.” I licked yogurt from my spoon then poked out my lip.

  Gabi giggled, grabbing another banana. “It’s not like I’m staying forever. Jay and I are just visiting my parents for a few weeks. Besides, you’ll have Benji to keep you company.”

  She wiggled her brows at me but I ignored her. “When are you leaving again?”

  “Next Sunday.”

  “Nooo, that’s too soon.”

  She laughed and hugged me sideways. “I’ll miss you, too.” She stood, taking yet another banana. “Now to find my groom. I’m in the mood for Sylvia’s.”

  I finished my yogurt then headed to the basement to watch some TV until bedtime.

  ~ ♥ ~

  I glanced at Benji as I passed him on my way up the stairs, then stopped and went over to where he was lying on the couch. “Are you sure you don’t want your room back? You barely fit on that thing.” He lay on his back with one leg extended so his foot was on the arm of the sofa. The other leg was bent, his foot resting on the floor.

  He looked over from the TV, his lips lifting into a small smile. “The only alternative is you sleeping here and I ain’t having that.”

  “Why is there no guest room? This house is huge.”

  “Never had any guests so they’re being used for other things. Don’t worry, Pops is in the very slow process of clearing one out.”

  “Oh,” I rocked on my feet, stretching one of the coils in my hair. “Okay, see you in the morning then,” I said, backing away.

  “Hold up.” He moved to a seated position and patted the spot next to him. “Come sit with me a minute.”

  I shuffled over and sank down beside him.

  Benji rested his long arm on the back of the sofa then tilted his head to the side and looked me over. “What’s going on with you? You’ve barely spoken to me since I’ve been back.”

  I shrugged. “Nothing, I just have a lot on my mind.”

  “Like?”

  I sighed while scratching at my chipped nail polish. Gross.

  Benji began caressing the back of my neck with his fingertips. “You can talk to me, Cammie. I want us to be open with each other.” His hand moved down to my bare shoulder, grazing the spaghetti strap of my top.

  I lifted his hand, ducked under it, and then moved it to his lap. “I’m just sick of all the drama in my life. It’s like my mom does things intentionally to hurt me.”

  “What’d she do now?”

  “A couple weeks ago I ran into her and found out she’s dating my ex-boyfriend.”

  Benji’s brows shot up and he reared back. “For real?”

  “Yup. Guess her engagement to Daddy Warbucks fell through.”

  He shook his head. “That’s fucked up.”

  “Tell me about it.” I pulled my knees up to my chest and ran through the rest of the story for him. “What type of mother does such a thing? It’s like she hates me.”

  “You ever thought about therapy? Never hurts to have someone to talk to. It’s helped me a lot.”

  “Maybe,” I said with a shrug.

  “If not, you can always talk to me. I mean, I’m no professional, but I’m here to listen whenever you need me.”

  Resting my face on my knees, I looked over at him. While his perverted ways remained, obviously a personality trait, the stay at rehab had seemed to do him some good. I’d suggested therapy to him during his stay at my dorm and you’d have thought I asked him to cut off his left testicle. I smiled softly, happy to see him getting better. “I’ll keep that in mind. But for now, I need to get to sleep. Work in morning.”

  “Alright, Miss Cammie.”

  I dropped my feet to the floor and stretched, preparing to stand.

  “Can I get a hug before you go?” He smiled over at me and opened his arms.

  I’d never noticed how pretty his smile was, with plump, pinkish lips and straight white teeth. Leaning over, I filled his arms, hugging his neck while he encircled my waist. “Night Benji.”

  “Goodnight…gorgeous girl.”

  I moved back, looking him over with one of my eyes narrowed.

  He just winked and leaned back against the sofa, grabbing up the remote. “See you in the morning, Cammie.”

  ~ ♥ ~

  I jumped in my sleep, catching myself from falling even though I was in the middle of the bed. I was starting to drift back off when there was a light knock on my door. I glanced at the clock and groaned. “Whaaaaat?”

  No answer.

  With a growl I flung the sheet away and rushed to throw on a robe to cover my nude body, two seconds from cursing out whoever was knocking at my door this damn early. Once I was sure none of my goods were showing I yanked open the door.

  Benji stood on the other side with his hands stuffed into the pockets of his gray sweatpants. When he faced me, he took a step back like the air had been knocked out of him. “Damn.”

  I looked down at myself and pulled my robe tighter. His perverted eyes could probably catch the slightest peek of skin. “What?”

  “You’re not wearing any make up.”

  Crossing my arms beneath my breasts, I glared up at him. “Excuse me? What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  He stared at me a moment longer, a hint of a smile on his lips. “You’re beautiful.”

  His words caused a beat of my heart to skip. “Oh.” I cleared my throat, shifting on my feet. “Was there something you needed?”

  “Yeah.” His smile widened as he held out his hand.

  I glanced at it then looked up at him. “What?”

  “Take my hand, Cammie.”

  Sighing, I filled his large hand with my own. Electricity danced up my arm and I snatched away.

  “What’s wrong?”

  I balled my hand up and held it to my chest. “You shocked me or something.”

  A smirked played on his lips. “Are you sure that’s what happened?”

  “…Yes”

  “Come on.” He took my hand again then led me down the stairs and toward the kitchen.

  “You better have a really good reason for waking me up thirty minutes before my alarm.”

  He remained silent as we entered the kitchen and he led me to the table.

  The tiniest gasp escaped me. “Benji…” I glanced at him then looked back at the beautiful breakfast he had laid out. “What’s all this?”

  Taking me by my shoulders, he guided me into a chair. “Oh, just breakfast for my friend.”

  “You’re up to something.” I looked up at him, squinting at the easy smile on his face. “I’ll let it slide for now, but only because I’m hungry.” I turned back to the table and served myself some of the fluffy eggs.

  Benji sat across from me and we enjoyed breakfast along with some random conversation Benji had struck about X-Men. “The whole reason they made Days of Future Past was because they knew they fucked up by killing off half of the original cast. Why do you think at t
he end they made it so they all were alive again?”

  I shook my head at him and laughed although I couldn’t really deny his logic.

  After I’d eaten my fill I headed upstairs to shower and get ready for work.

  I frowned at the ugly, pea green polo shirt in the mirror while pulling my hair up into a large puff on top of my head. Once I had all of my edges smoothed down I grabbed my sneakers and headed down stairs.

  When I made it to the kitchen Benji was at the sink washing dishes. I shook my head at him as he bopped his head while rapping Childish Gambino.

  He looked over at me and smiled as he sung the next line.

  “Where’s Gabi?”

  “Sleep.”

  “What!” I glanced at the clock on the stove and cursed. “Shit. She must’ve forgotten to set her alarm.”

  Benji chuckled while drying his hands. “Calm down. She was up. I sent her back to bed. I’m gonna drive you today.”

  “What?” I gave him a curious once over. First the surprise breakfast, now driving me to work. It was all so beyond typical Benji. “Why?”

  “Why not? I’m not doing anything. Let Gabi rest for the day. I gotchu.”

  I watched him with a skeptical eye while opening the fridge. “I guess.” I pulled out a water bottle and a yogurt. “Let me pack my lunch then I’ll be ready.”

  “Already gotcha covered.” He held out my peach lunch bag to me with a silly grin on his face.

  Reaching out slowly, I took it and draped it over my shoulder before crossed my arms. “What are you up to?”

  His brow lifted and he tilted his head to the side, the corners of his mouth turning down. “I’m not sure what you mean, Cam. Have I done something to upset you?”

  “No. I’m not upset, I’m…” I honestly wasn’t sure what I was feeling. This behavior from him, although strange, was oddly…pleasing, filling me with unfamiliar emotions. “Let’s just go.”

  The fifteen-minute ride was silent, save the occasional song playing on the radio between as obsessive amount of talking from the hosts.

  “Alright,” Benji said, putting the car in park. “I’ll see you when you get off.”

  “Um…okay. See you later.”

  I scurried from the car before he requested a hug like the night before, giving one last wave before going inside.

  The day moved by pretty fast and luckily I hadn’t had to deal with any annoying customers yet. By the time lunch rolled around my stomach was grumbling. It wasn’t until I made it to the employee lounge that I realized I didn’t even know what Benji had packed.

  I grabbed my lunch bag from the fridge then got comfortable at one of the round tables. After opening the Instagram app on my phone, I unzipped my bag. My mouth watered as I pulled out the Tupperware containers and peeked inside each one. He’d packed all of the ingredients for my favorite meal, chicken fajitas. But how’d he know that? I tried to recall mentioning it to him, but came up empty. Shrugging it off, I stood and warmed up my chicken and veggies, and then my tortillas.

  “Damn girl. What’s smelling good in here?”

  I looked over my shoulder at Sean then turned back to the microwave to grab my food. “Lunch,” I replied, heading back to my seat.

  He came over and sat across from me, his eyes practically glued to my food. “Did you make that?”

  “No. My…friend prepared it for me.”

  He licked his lips, eyeing my hands as I filled one of the tortillas. “Can they be my friend, too?”

  I chuckled, shaking my head at him.

  Sean was the only reason I hadn’t quit after my first day. He kept me laughing, making my days seem not so long. It didn’t hurt that he was a cutie. I once had to refrain from running my hand over his tapered head. Those waves…good lord. His skin was a deeper mocha tone than mine and his eyes the color of melted caramel.

  I found myself imagining a different set of eyes. Cerulean ones with just a hint of gray.

  “Cam?”

  I met Sean’s gaze. “Yes?”

  “Are you okay? You sort of zoned out there for a minute.”

  Taking a bite from my warm fajita, I nodded and gave him a thumbs up.

  When I finished I was so full I could barely breathe, let alone even think about consuming the yogurt and granola bar from my bag. I rinsed the containers then moved the granola to my purse for later snacking.

  As I grabbed the water bottle a folded piece of paper fell over. Sinking down into a chair, I unfolded it.

  Cammie,

  I’ve never been good with words, but I just wanted to take the time to thank you properly for what you’ve been to me. A miracle.

  You took a chance on a man who was undeserving and not only saved him but helped to lead him down a better path than the one he’d chosen for himself. I was drowning Cam, and because of you I can finally breathe. I never thought there would come a day where I’d wake up looking forward my future.

  I ask myself each day how I could possibly repay you for that kindness, and the answer is, I can’t. I still have a long road ahead of me, but it’s because of you that I even have the opportunity to take this journey.

  You are a truly amazing person Camryn. Thank you.

  ~ Benji

  After tucking the letter in my purse, I wiped the tears streaking my face and took a few minutes to get myself together before going back to work. I don’t think I stopped smiling for the rest of the day. Benji’s words had warmed me to my core. Until then I’d never known I had the ability to touch someone’s life so thoroughly. My heart swelled knowing I finally had something about myself to take pride in.

  Chapter Nineteen

  ~ Benji ~

  I wiped the sweat from my brow caused by the sweltering heat then headed inside. When I entered the kitchen Jay and Gabi jumped apart.

  My gaze roamed between the two. Jay’s eyes were everywhere but on me and Gabi tugged at a piece of her hair, coiling it around her finger.

  “What are y’all in here doing?”

  Jay cleared his throat and shoved his hands pockets. “Nothing.”

  Gabi just shrugged.

  I headed to the fridge, still eyeing them. “Y’all better not be getting freaky anywhere I eat or prepare food.”

  Gabi frowned at me then walked out of the kitchen.

  I turned to Jay who now leaned against the counter. “What’s with the weirdness? Something you need to tell me, bro?”

  “Nah, we’re just kinda jumpy ‘cause Pops walked in on us in here the other night. Luckily we weren’t doing anything…yet.”

  I shook my head at him. “Y’all keep it up you gone have a little bun in that oven.”

  He chuckled and rubbed down his waves. “Nah, we’re careful. One day though. Anyway,” he said pushing off the counter. “What are you getting ready to get into?”

  “Going to scoop Cam after I grab a quick shower. I’ll probably stop at that Mexican Grille and grab her some food first.”

  “You are really laying it n on thick, huh? Gabi told me about you fixing her breakfast and lunch the other day.”

  My cheeks ached from smiling so hard. “Just trying to show her I care. It’s the little things, ya know?”

  “That I do.” He grabbed an apple then headed in the same direction Gabi had. “I’ll catch you later.”

  After showering, dressing, and putting on my smell good, I headed to the Mexican place for one of those rice bowls Cam was so fond of lately. While waiting for the order I sat at the counter deleting numbers from my phone. Most of the names weren’t the slightest bit familiar.

  Someone slid into a chair beside me and began strumming their nails on the counter.

  I followed the manicured hand up a smooth brown arm to the smiling face of a woman.

  “Hi, Benjamin.”

  I looked her over then glanced around the restaurant. “Do I know you?”

  “No, but I know you, well…of you.” She smoothed her long, straight black hair behind her ear and crossed her le
gs. “My name is Olivia Creed. I’m Nathan’s wife.”

  My body stiffened at the mention of that name. “What do you want?” My words came out in a near growl.

  Olivia’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second. “Relax, I’m not here to cause any trouble. I came here to warn you.”

  “Warn me? Wait, how’d you even know where to find me?”

  “That’s what I need to warn you of.” She signaled a server before turning to face me. “After that day you showed up at his office, Nathan hired a private investigator. He has an entire file on you. I don’t know what he’s planning, but knowing Nathan it’s not anything good.”

  The server came over and she ordered a glass of water. “I just wanted to give you a heads up, tell you to be careful.”

  My to-go order was placed in front of me. I grabbed it up before facing her fully. “It seems to me like you know what type of guy he is, so why are you even with him?”

  Her brown, tear filled eyes met mine, and then she turned around in her seat and pointed out of the window.

  A BMW sat parked outside. The window was rolled down revealing a curly haired teenaged girl wearing headphones and bopping her head. “Her name is Simone.” Olivia cleared her throat and dabbed at her eyes with a napkin. “I thought Nathan was a good man once. That was a long time ago. Now I know the truth. I’ve seen how he is when he’s crossed. I’m taking a huge risk by even being here. If I even thought about leaving he’d make sure I never saw her again, one way or another.”

  I settled back into my seat, my shoulders deflating. “Look, if you need help–”

  “No, it’ll only make things worse, especially if Nathan found out you were involved. I’ll figure something out. You just be careful.”

  She left her untouched water and stood, heading for the door.

  I waited a few minutes before leaving.

  By the time I pulled into the parking lot of Cam’s job I was almost twenty minutes late.

  She leaned against the brick wall, fuming, and her eyes turned to daggers when she saw me.

  I parked near the entrance then hopped out and made my way toward her. “You know you’re sexy when you’re mad, right?”