“You could come with me to visit my family if you wanted,” I said. “Do you like Korean food?”
“I don’t think I’ve ever had it,” he said. “I’m not good with spicy food, though. Remember hot pot?”
“That’s okay. Not all of it is spicy. You should come,” I said at the unsure look on Leo’s face. “You can tell my Mum and Dad that I study super hard. They always cook a heap of food, and I know you have a big appetite.”
“Well, like I always say.” He patted his chest. “I need to eat a lot to maintain this.”
I grinned. “It’ll be perfect. Seriously, come if you want.”
Leo nodded. “Alright,” he said, a smile spreading his lips. “I’ll think about it.”
When I walked into Intro to B Law, Rome took one look at me before giving me an exasperated look. “He’s your boyfriend now, isn’t he?”
I quickly smothered my smile. “How did you know?” I asked as I took the seat beside him.
“Last week, you were walking around like you had a rain cloud over your head, and today, you’re practically skipping.Also, I know that despite how much you like him, you’re not an idiot. You wouldn’t take him back unless he was your actual boyfriend.”
“He is,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound too smug. I recounted the whole story, setting the scene by telling him about my dreary day at home, trying to force myself to finish an assignment. Then I told him about the phone call, Pippa at Flagstaff Gardens, then dinner, then our talk at my apartment.
“Wow,” Rome said after I finished the story. “Honestly, that's kind of romantic. Most of the time, all that romance stuff is so sickening and gross, but maybe it’s different because you’re my friend. I'm happy for you.”
“Thanks,” I said.
I was thinking about wrapping him in a hug when the door burst open, and our tutor stormed in with a large cup of coffee.
“All right, peeps,” she said, “we're going to be discussing the remedies of a breach of contract, so let's talk about damages.”
And even flipping through the most boring textbook on planet Earth couldn't dampen my mood.
Later that afternoon, I went to Professors Lane Cafe to pick up my usual matcha latte. I’d already made plans to meet Atticus, and we sat at a table, making the most of the heated cafe because outside, it was chilly with winter approaching.
“I knew he wasn't a knobhead,” Atticus said, “which I know sounds easy for me to say now that you’re together, but I mean it.”
“Knobhead,” I echoed with a grin.
Something flickered over his face.
"What is it?" I asked.
“Nothing,” he said. Then, “I'd be lying if I wasn't a little bit envious — not of you or of Leo specifically — but it’d be nice to have a relationship. At this rate, I might end up marrying Elena.”
I paused. “Are you — you and Elena —”
“Oh, no,” he interrupted, shaking his head, eyes widened. “I’m a hundred percent only into men. But we did make a pact that if we’re thirty-five and single, we’ll get married, and make a test tube baby. We’re too intelligent not to pass our genes on for the good of humanity.”
I stared for a long moment until he cracked a smile, which made me roll my eyes and slap his arm.
“Can I ask you something?” he said.
I nodded, preparing myself because that question was never not ominous.
“Elena didn’t say anything to scare you off, did she?”
“What? No.”
Atticus looked at his lap. “Sometimes, she’s overprotective. It’s not without reason. She’s…” his voice became quieter. “She’s seen me hurt before.” His eyes met mine. “I want to know for the next boy I go on a date with.”
“She did interrogate me a little,” I admitted. “But…if someone really likes you, I don’t think it would scare them off. Also, I learned pretty quickly that Elena is, well, Elena.”
