“Got it.”
Except he didn’t move. His hand was still pressed against my heart, his body a solid weight against mine.
“Why’s your heart beating so fast?”
The whispered words had the roughest texture, like old cracked leather. They abraded all my nerve endings, the friction drawing heat from the coldest parts of me.
“Reese?”
The way he said my name in that rough, smoky voice set all that heat ablaze. I felt it start in my chest, rush up my throat, then spread across my face, the tips of my ears burning so hot I couldn’t stand it.
He stepped back, and I darted toward the stairs, running down the elaborately carved, ancient wooden staircase that creaked under every step.
Why was heeverywhereI went? Was he following me? Or was it just another coincidence?
I didn’t even know why I was running away from him, because we were roommates, for fuck’s sake. It’s not like I could avoid him; I was only postponing the inevitable, or, at the very least, staving off an interaction that would’ve happened regardless of the when and where.
I stopped briefly at the front desk to check out one of the books I’d gotten, gave the girl who helped me a smile, then left.
When I got outside, the sun was creeping behind the buildings. The sound of footsteps behind me was like nails on a chalkboard, and when Dakota’s boots appeared beside my worn-out sneakers, I sighed.
“Want me to carry your backpack for you?”
His question caught me so off guard that I stumbled over nothing, then looked up at him. “What?”
He nodded his head toward my back. “It looks pretty heavy. I could carry it if you want.”
I didn’t understand him one goddamn bit. He goaded me at every turn, and now he was offering to help me in some way? He must have some kind of ulterior motive, because none of what he said or did made any sense.
He’d probably run off with it and laugh. Not that I would ever let him carry my bag for me.
“No. Stop following me.”
“I’m not following you, we’re just going in the same direction.”
“Go in a different direction.”
“Why don’t you smile at me like that?”
I glanced up at him and looked away as soon as our eyes met. I didn’t want to be drawn into them and get stuck again. “What are you talking about?”
“You smiled at that girl.”
“What girl?”
“The one in the library. At the front desk.”
“So?”
“So you don’t smile at me.”
“Why would I smile at you?” I started walking faster to try and lose him, but he just kept pace with me.
“I saved your life.”
“You saved my—” I stopped walking and stared up at him in bewilderment. “My life wasn’t in danger, so stop fucking saying that.”
He tutted and shook his head. “I disagree. You read and ignored a clearly marked sign that was there for a reason, which you found out the hard way. Are you so sure you would’ve been able to get out of that on your own if I hadn’t followed you?”
