He hesitated, then lifted the edge anyway. “Still. You look cold.”
For a second, I almost said no, but the way he said it—quiet, careful, like he wasn’t sure he was allowed to be kind—made my chest ache. I slid under, careful not to brush against him, but the mattress dipped just enough that our shoulders grazed. Neither of us moved away.
We sat like that for a long time. The TV played something cheerful that didn’t match the heaviness in my chest. My heartbeat wouldn’t settle.
By the time the credits rolled, I wasn’t any closer to figuring out what had happened between us—or what it meant. I could still feel the ghost of his lips on mine, warm and dizzying, and the look in his eyes before Luca barged in.
Tino reached forward and turned off the TV. Darkness fell across the room, soft and complete.
“Lilah?” he said quietly.
“Yeah?”
He hesitated. I could hear the sound of his breath in the dark. “I’m really glad I came this weekend.”
I swallowed, fingers curling lightly into the fabric of my shirt. “Me too.”
And for once, that didn’t feel complicated at all.
CHAPTER 27
tino
Lilah was barelyconscious when we drove back to school the next morning. We had to get up ridiculously early to get back in time, so I practically had to drag her out of bed. Even then, the only way I got her moving was with the promise of buying her four coffees from Tim Horton’s on the drive.
The drive itself passed in a blur of dark roads and too-loud radio static, Lilah slumped in the passenger seat clutching her first coffee like it was life support. By the time we pulled into the school parking lot, she was coherent enough to complain about existing. She leaned her head against me as we walked inside, the building already buzzing with that specific kind of weekday chaos that made it feel like we’d never left at all. Lockers slamming, people yelling across hallways, teachers herding everyone forward like cats.
It felt surreal, slipping back into routine after the weekend—after everything—but I didn’t have time to sit with that feeling. Everything on campus seemed completely normal, with the frost covering the grass and leaves, students shuffling around half-asleep with steaming coffee cups in their hands, and teachers who looked way too perky for eight in the morning.
There was just one thing missing—anyone watching us.
I looked around as Lilah and I walked out of breakfast together, slipping easily back into our usual fake dating routine at school. Except that now, it didn’t feel fake at all. I waited for the stares that I’d learned to expect at school, but this morning, there was nothing.
No double takes. No whispers. No subtle “are-they-holding-hands” stares from freshmen. It was strange how quickly I’d gotten used to it to the point of not being stared at feeling weird. While we stood by her locker, I glanced at Lilah to see if she’d noticed, but her attention was elsewhere as she tried to jam her notebook into her bag, muttering something about her pen exploding, while her most recent coffee cup was balancing precariously from her free hand at the same time.
“Here,” I said, reaching to take her cup before she spilled it.
She blinked, startled. “What? Oh—thanks.”
“You’re going to ruin your notes by spilling this everywhere one of these days.”
She shrugged. “Eh. They’re basically illegible anyway. Can’t make them any worse.” She took a large gulp of her coffee and sighed. “It is way too cold out today. This is the only thing keeping me going.”
“You could’ve worn a real coat,” I said, looking over her outfit. She was wearing her uniform, of course, but unlike most of the girls we walked past, she wasn’t wearing tights underneath the skirt. On top, she had on the blouse and sweater, but instead of a coat, all she was wearing was a jean jacket. It had been cold enough for our breath to steam up the air outside, yet she was dressed like it was only early autumn.
She gave me a sideways glare. “This is a real coat.”
“It’s denim.”
“Lined denim,” she corrected.
“Not the defense you think it is.”
She made a show of sipping her coffee. “You’re just jealous because I have more style than you. I’d be happy to give you tips if you need them.”
“No thanks. I saw the bedazzled shorts you forced Poppy into for gym class. I’m not sure I’m ready to pull those off yet.”
“Well, obviously—you’d look ridiculous in them,” she said, rolling her eyes. A smile toyed at her lips as she added, “I would get you a bedazzled headband instead.”
