I take his hand in mine, threading our fingers together.
He doesn't resist. Doesn't pull away.
Just lets me hold it as we walk to the car.
Chapter 14
Connor
I breathe in the warm air as I head back to the dorm. My Tort Law professor is out sick. Just got the email fifteen minutes ago. Sucks. I actually enjoy the class, more so than practice.
But the fucker also posted an asynchronous assignment. I could’ve used the free time, maybe take a nap since Ryan kept me up most of the night. That fucking snoring needs to stop. Maybe I’ll drag his ass to get checked for sleep apnea.
Wait.Ryan?
Ugh. Fuck me.
Still can’t believe he told my parents to fuck off. For me. I didn’t even bother stopping the smirk.
Love when the grizzly bear comes out.
But he’d also taken my hand in his like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Hetookmyhand. The man whose body locks up whenever I touch him took my hand.
Maybe that’s why Ididn't pull away.
Because it mattered. To him. And maybe after how this all started—definitely after he put my parents in their place—I owe him.
We didn’t talk much after we left. Just went back to our dorm, did our own thing. But it was comfortable. Peaceful. And strange as fuck.
I walk into Young’s Hall and up the stairs. Eli loves this building with its old architecture. I’d rather be somewhere more modern with a fucking elevator.
After fishing out my key, I slide it into the lock and push the door. But it doesn’t budge.
I try again.
Nothing.
What the fuck?
This time I use my shoulder, but it doesn’t help. I pull my phone from my pocket, then tap open the camera app. Ryan’s not there. I rewind the feed a bit, and he pops up on the screen.
Oh.
He’s in the bathroom.
I look at the screen again. The angle sucks, but nothing visible is blocking the door.
I close the app andsend Ryan a text.
Me: Locked out. Let me in.
Henneman: Give me a sec
Huh.
I tuck the phone into my pocket and lean against the wall. A moment later, the door opens. Ryan stands there with a towel wrapped around his waist, water trailing down his chiseled chest.
