I steal a glance at her, sitting beside me, completely absorbed in whatever she’s looking at under the microscope. God, she’s gorgeous. Not just average gorgeous, she’s the kind of gorgeous that sneaks up on you and punches you in the gut. And right now, I’m the idiot who got hit and can’t catch his breath.
“Jared, you’re not even listening,” she says, not glancing up from her work.
I jerk upright, my thoughts scattering like shards of glass. “Huh?” My voice comes out rough, like I haven’t used it in hours.
Finally, she lifts her head, one eyebrow arched with surgical precision. “I said, can you pass me the pipette? Or is zoning out your new approach to acing lab sessions?”
“Oh, right. My bad.” I snatch the pipette and hand it over, doing my best to ignore the faint, fleeting brush of her fingers against mine. But damn it, a stupid spark shoots straight up my arm like a live wire.
“Thanks.” There’s the tiniest curve to her lips, just enough to drive me insane. She knows exactly what she’s doing. And then she turns to Ethan.
“Ethan, could you get eye level and write down the measurements?” Her voice is all business, completely unaware of the daggers I’m currently glaring at him.
“Yeah, I got you,” he replies, overly eager as he slips around the counter, positioning himself way too close. I clench my jaw watching him lean in like it’s his God-given right, his shoulder practically brushing hers. He’s doing the whole casual, I’m-so-chill thing, but it’s obvious what he’s aiming for.
Meanwhile, Alli doesn’t even notice.
I want to punch something.
Preferably him.
I, for a change, notice everything. Like how Ethan leans in even closer, so close I can practically smell his drugstore cologne—a disaster of cheap deodorant and wannabe ocean breeze, witha top note of “I just rolled out of a greasy shampoo commercial.” And his hair? Slicked back so tight it’s unnatural. Does the guy not know how to lay off the hair gel?
I will never understand how Alli doesn’t see it. Ethan’s obsession with her is practically flashing with big red arrows. I clocked it the first day of class, when his face lit up brighter than the lab equipment at the news of being our lab partner. The guy looked like he’d just hit the jackpot.
Alli, though? She just flashed her usual polite smile—the one she gives to literally everyone—and went straight to work; she’s too busy squinting into the microscope, her focus laser-sharp, oblivious to the human barnacle trying to fuse himself to her side.
I still remember the way he practically vibrated with excitement that day she wore a sundress. The guy looked like he was debating whether to propose or faint.
And here we are, months later, and nothing’s changed. Ethan’s still desperate, and Alli’s still Alli: polite, focused, and so far out of his league it’s not even funny.
Except it is. Because Ethan actually thinks he’s got a chance.
He whispers something in her ear, too close to my liking, and whatever humor I felt evaporates in an instant. My jaw tightens as I grip my pen like it’s the only thing keeping me from snapping. The plastic digs into my palm, a sharp reminder of the restraint I’m clinging to.
If this guy thinks he can just slide in and—
“Jared?” Alli’s voice snaps me back to the present. “You’re writing down the wrong numbers.”
I blink, realizing I’ve been scribbling random digits instead of actual data. “Right. Sorry.” I quickly scratch out the mistakes, ignoring the smug glances Ethan keeps tossing my way.
Alli sighs. “It’s fine. Just, you know, focus.”
Focus. Right. I can do that. As long as Ethan keeps his distance. I shoot him a warning look, silent but clear: stay the hell away.
He smirks, like he thinks this is some sort of game.
Fine. If he wants to play, I’ll play. But he’s definitely not going to like how this ends.
We wrap up the assignment early and start cleaning up.
“Hey, Alli, want to grab coffee after this? We could go over the notes for the next lab, make sure we’re both on the same page.” Ethan’s practically purring the words, and I grit my teeth so hard I might crack a molar.
Alli glances up, looking surprised. “Oh, um, maybe another time? I have to go home after class.”
Ethan shrugs, that damn easy grin never leaving his face. “No problem. Just thought I’d ask.” He looks over at me, eyebrows raised, like he’s challenging me. “How about you, Jared? You up for a coffee?”
I roll my eyes, irritation flaring. “Thanks, but I’ve got plans.”
