Distracted By You: Book 1 in The Exeter Running Girls Series

by Eliza Bradley

  Distracted By You

  Book 1 in

  The Exeter Running Girls Series

  ELIZA BRADLEY

  Copyright © 2020 Eliza Bradley

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher/author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 1

  The day I first saw Tye was a very bad day. Truth be told, by the time he walked into the middle of our Mechanics lecture, I had already fallen out of bed as the alarm went off, spilt coffee down my shirt and realised I had chosen to wipe from my computer a rather important piece of coursework. Oh yes, and of course, there was the one last little, tiny thing… My mum had phoned to say that she and dad were filing for a divorce.

  A divorce.

  You would think that by the time your kid has grown up and stepped out to university that your relationship had stood the test of time. Oh no, not for my parents. Sure, they had issues, but really? They were giving up at this point?

  So yes, it was an extremely bad day indeed.

  That is why I was doodling an increasing number of ladybugs on the back of my left hand, trying to drown out both my mind’s whirring on the divorce and Mr Hannigan’s Mechanics lecture, when the door to the forum lecture theatre opened sharply, the door ricocheting off the wall.

  “Ah, Tyler Aritza?” Mr Hannigan turned to acknowledge the guy stood in the doorway as we all did, but he also ignored the rather loud nature of his entrance. “You are late. Not the best start for your first day with us.”

  Tyler Aritza did not look bothered by these atypical remarks in the slightest. Besides, was it not obligatory for all lecturers to use the scare factor? My lecture is the most important thing in your life, how dare you miss it! Or something to that effect.

  “Oh my jumping god!” Leonora leaned into my shoulder from her seat and whispered with excitement. “That is Tyler Aritza.”

  “Should I know who this guy is?” I whispered back, happy to do so now that the whole auditorium had erupted in similar whispered exclamations. We had just started our second term of our first year so to have someone new so late was particularly odd.

  “Remind me to educate you in how to gossip,” she smirked at me, knowing I was not bothered by prattle. “He is a second year. Something of a name at the moment.”

  “Find a seat,” Mr Hannigan turned away from the newcomer back to his screen, determined to continue and push past the interruption as quickly as possible.

  “They say he’s dropped out of three different degrees this year,” Leonora continued with her whispering, her bright blue eyes alive with gossip.

  “That is not possible. He would be kicked out.”

  “Well, that is what I heard-”

  “Hey, Leonora? Do you know we can hear you?” A voice from the row behind interrupted her. We turned to see the familiar face of Benji, one of Leonora’s exes. Actually, that is not accurate – let us say, one of her many ‘conquests.’

  Benji was moving his bags off the seat next to him just as Tyler Aritza sat down. They clearly knew each other from the weird macho fist bump thing they did to greet each other. Unfortunately for us, not only Benji, but Tyler too had heard Leonora whispering. He was looking at her with raised eyebrows and a warning look that matched well the sudden entrance into the lecture theatre.

  That is when I properly looked at him. I had been far too busy doodling ladybugs to really notice him before, but this was one hell of a good-looking guy. Judging from his colouring and his name, he could have had Spanish heritage, with black-as-liquorice hair cropped short, dark chocolate eyes and tanned skin. Even the grey V-neck t-shirt and blue jacket could have been designer on him.

  Excuse me, Mr Hannigan? When did you decide to turn the lecture theatre into a photoshoot for Hollister?

  Tyler was still looking at Leonora with the same raised eyebrows, clearly expecting some response. I forced my eyes to turn to her, waiting for the inevitable of what would happen next. Click! Like turning on a light bulb, her gorgeous smile appeared.

  I have a tight-knit group of friends, but two of them have the enviable habit of being able to wrap guys around their little fingers. Whilst Leonora was blonde haired and blue eyed, Ellie, the other aforementioned seductress, was dark with the most flawless cocoa skin you can imagine. Between the two of them, they could persuade the entire population who fancied women to do anything. At least, that was my theory.

  Leonora tilted her head back, drawing her blonde hair over her shoulder and readjusting the strapline of her top, drawing both Tyler’s and Benji’s eyes down to her cleavage.

  “Oh lord,” I muttered quietly, earning a swift kick from Leonora under my small lecture table. I bit my lip to stop from laughing.

  “I’m sorry, I just can’t help it,” she spoke as sweet as sugar. “You probably know you’re the talk of the uni. Anyway, you’re joining us for Mechanics?”

  “Yes,” he said simply, refusing to return her smile. That voice was deeper than I had expected.

  Wow – I guess he must be impervious to Leonora’s charms. No doubt Ellie was more his type.

  Leonora turned back to the front, knowing a lost cause easily just as Mr Hannigan walked around with some handouts.

  “Pass these round!”

  “Is that ‘the’ Leonora?” We heard Tyler’s voice from behind us and exchanged a wary glance.

  “My ex?” Benji said with obvious anger practically dripping from his voice. “Oh yes.”

  “Who’s the platinum?”

  “Don’t know her name.”

  Now that was depressing. Another thing to add to my long list of why this particular Thursday in January was a wash out. Maybe it would start raining outside so the weather could match my mood? Maybe throw in a little hail too? Come on gods of the clouds!

  Leonora turned her eyes on me, alive with flames of ire and her jaw dropped.

  Not only had Benji dated one of my closest friends and hung out with me, but we had been in the same lectures and seminars all year. Could he really have no clue as to my name by now? Well, maybe that’s what living in Leonora’s and Ellie’s shadows can sometimes do. I usually didn’t mind – especially because they’re great friends, but this stung.

  “Hey dick head, do you know we can hear you too?” Leonora span round, perfectly ready for the offensive. Exhibit A to my point – Leonora was a great friend, always sticking up for any one of us in our group.

  “Sorry!” Benji’s voice sounded half apologetic, half laughing.

  “How can you not know her name? You hung out with her when you were with me?” Leonora appeared even more pissed than me by that point. I sought to calm her down. Should the gods of weather listen to me and produce hail, we didn’t need them to listen to Leonora’s anger as well. We would have one hell of a storm if so.

  “Leonora,” I spoke softly, pulling on her arm to turn her back to the front. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “Y
ou don’t care he’s just proved himself to be a rude pig?”

  “No. It is no big deal. Besides,” I shrugged with a little smile that only she could see. “I can’t remember his name either.” I lied, turning back to him. “Billy? Bobbie is it?”

  I received a one-finger reply much to Leonora’s amusement. I shifted my gaze briefly to Tyler who seemed to be hiding his own smirk, then Mr Hannigan recalled all of our attention.

  That was the first time I saw him. As it was, completely uneventful and no conversation passed between us. So it did little to explain why I kept noticing him around campus. It also didn’t explain why I kept comparing him to other guys for how good looking he was. I mean, I’m sure I had seen better looking guys at some point, I was certain of it. Yet I couldn’t seem to recall any to memory.

  “You’re losing your marbles,” I muttered to myself as I finished curling my hair. Contrary to the ‘platinum’ label Tyler had given me that day in the lecture theatre, I never thought of myself as a platinum blonde. My hair was really pale, almost white – so much so that at school I had been ridiculed in the playground for having ‘old lay hair.’ A label that haunted me throughout my school years. The best way to treat my hair was to curl it and let the waves pick up light and shade, so that it didn’t look so white. I had considered dye before, but the one experiment I had entertained resulted in green hair. Actual green. Not tinged yellow with a hint of green, but oompa loompa green from the chocolate factory. The hairdresser had been torn between embarrassment and laughing her butt off, the latter eventually winning out.

  Once the hair was curled, I stepped back to look at my full reflection. Strange pale hair, dark grey eyes and quite tall. There was also a fresh smattering of ladybugs on my hand. I pulled the sleeve of my off-the-shoulder blue jumper over my hand to hide the doodles before heading out of the door to the bar.

  When we arrived at Mandy’s, Leonora snatched up my hand instantly, leaning on the bar with a look of curiosity.

  “You need to stop drawing on yourself.”

  “It is just my hand,” I shrugged, waiting as we spotted Ellie and Cara squeezing through the crowds towards us. Leonora sent me a hard glare – she knew something was up and that the ladybugs were more than just doodling, but I attempted to look innocent.

  “Right, I’m on a mission tonight,” Ellie cracked her knuckles as if she were warming up for a boxing match.

  “How many?” I asked, leaning on the bar and signalling to the bartender for our signature toffee apple ciders. I was relieved Ellie and Cara had arrived when they did, I didn’t fancy facing Leonora’s scrutiny for much longer.

  “Four.”

  “Four?” Cara asked with amazement as she jumped up onto the stool next to me. At under five feet, you could keep her in your pocket she was so adorable. “Is that not just a bit slutty?” Cara was ever the realist, trying and regularly failing to point out to the other two how tarty their behaviour could be.

  “Four phone numbers,” Ellie stressed. “Not four one-night stands. My morals may be lax, but-”

  “But you don’t work in a brothel,” Cara smiled innocently. She had dark red hair fashioned always into the sleekest of straight bobs that finished just above her shoulders. She usually partnered these with her traditional red stiletto heels – killer combination.

  “Besides, to get them all done in one night. It would have to be four twenty-five-minute stands,” I laughed at her as I handed out the ciders.

  “I’m in,” Leonora swigged heartily from her bottle, goaded on by Ellie.

  “What do you say, girls? Join us?” Ellie threw her arms around Cara’s and my shoulders. We exchanged the same look we had always used before.

  “Next time,” we said in unison, fully having no intention of following through.

  “Should have guessed,” Ellie smiled, patting our backs and turning away. “Right, Leonora, it is a two-horse race. First one to get four numbers. You on?” It was the chase Ellie loved. Unlike Leonora, Ellie did not follow through with most of the guys she picked up.

  “Yep, what do we win?” Leonora placed an empty bottle back down on the bar. Whoa – that was quick.

  “Tart of January award?” Cara teased. “I’ll make you a little trophy and everything.”

  “Change it to Player of January award and I want a little certificate too.”

  “You’re on!” Cara passed her still nearly full cider to Leonora. “You’ll need this.”

  “On your marks, get set, go!” I called as our two friends disappeared into the crowd. Having met in freshers’ week at the running society, the four of us had instantly clicked. Even if Cara and I did not share the other two’s seductress habits, we always had a great time together. If Cara and I were honest too, we would admit that we found a lot of amusement in hearing of Ellie’s and Leonora’s exploits. It was entertainment.

  “Who’s your money on?” I asked Cara, signalling to the bartender for more ciders.

  “Ellie – have you seen that dress?”

  “I know. She’s nearly wearing it.”

  “Almost,” Cara laughed. “Who’s your money on?”

  “I’ll say Leonora, just to be interesting.”

  After my second cider, I finally felt some of the tension leave my body. I relaxed into the stool next to Cara, leaning on the bar with a slight buzz. My mum had been on the phone with me for three hours that afternoon and yelled about my dad. Well, not just my dad. About solicitors and how expensive divorces were too.

  Once I started my third cider, I was beginning to forget everything she had said. The frantic and angry words she had spluttered blurred together in memory until I could just imagine my mum was a small yapping Pomeranian, with me unable to understand her language, standing there looking at her blankly.

  “Ooh, Ellie has three,” Cara pointed out Ellie as she walked past us, holding out three fingers.

  “That did not take long.” I laughed, shaking my head in disbelief.

  “It would be nice to get just one number,” Cara turned back to her own bottle, balancing her chin on the top with sadness.

  “Ah, but you only want one particular guy’s number,” I elbowed her knowingly. Cara had developed a quick crush on Benji when they had met in autumn term. She had only told me, not Leonora. So, as luck would have it, Leonora made him one of her conquests, to use the unpleasant phrase.

  “Do you ever get annoyed?” She asked quietly, whispering just above the music as she lifted her head from the bottle.

  “Being in their shadows?” I nodded, feeling how much in the corner of the bar the two of us were. My back was practically pressed against a wall. Neither of us put ourselves out there that much, that was the thing to blame at the heart of it all. Yet it was quite hard when you had two such stunning people for friends. “Yet, I love them too.”

  “Me too,” she smiled sadly. “It’s a shame they’re such good friends to me. Just wish I had some of their magic sparkle,” she illustrated her point with jazz hands.

  “You could ask him out?” I prompted, watching as she squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

  “I don’t think I’m his taste in all honesty. He’s here tonight.”

  “Really? Where?”

  Cara pointed across the semi-circular bar to where a small group was getting drinks. Benji was easy to spot, his brown hair wild across his face. Then he moved to the side and the tall figure of Tyler Aritza took his place. He wore none of the tension I had seen him wearing around campus or in our lectures. Here, surrounded by friends, he was relaxed and smiling. When he laughed at someone’s joke, I found myself wanting to know what the joke was. It would be kind of nice to be the person who could make him laugh like that.

  Yeah like that was possible. The only chance I could have to make a guy like that notice me is by making a fool of myself. You know the kind, big cream pie smashed in the face style. That might get me a laugh.

  He looked across the bar, as if searching for someone and his eyes found
mine.

  I suddenly wished Mandy’s were a darker place with moodier lighting, then I wouldn’t have been caught staring at him. I tore my eyes away, feeling like I had just had my eyes burned.

  “Perhaps wait to ask Benji out when he is not with his friends.” I tapped Cara’s cider bottle with my own, trying to look like I was busy though I could feel Tyler watching me. Cara nodded, but she wasn’t really listening, her mind was elsewhere.

  “You are joking. Please tell me you’re pulling my leg or something,” I could feel my anger bubbling as I gripped the phone harder, leaning against the outside wall of the bar and interrogating Leonora on where on earth she had vanished off to.

  It turns out, lucky number four that night was ‘something special’ – in my opinion, she found too many something specials. They never lasted long. Yet she was currently on her way to number four’s house.

  “I am really sorry.”

  “Leanora, you were my ride home. Does that mean nothing to you?”

  “I forgot is all. I have drank too much anyway to get behind a wheel at the moment. You can get a taxi though, right?” Her voice was pleading on the other side of the phone. If I didn’t know the reason behind Leonora’s tarty behaviour, I would have been furious. As I did know and the mere thought of it was crushing, my anger was a little further down the spectrum, though I was still pissed off.

  I pushed off the wall and paced round in a tight circle on the pavement. Leonora had been very kind about my parents’ divorce, offering support when I needed it, but I hadn’t revealed to her that divorcing parents are obviously strapped for spare case, and student loans don’t cover much either. I did not have enough money for an expensive taxi ride and to still be able to buy food for the rest of January. To be honest, I preferred the idea of being able to eat.

  Perhaps it was time I got a job.

  “Taxis aren’t cheap,” I could hear the whine in my voice, it must have sounded pathetic.

  “Please, I’ll owe you a million.”