“I beg your pardon.”
My fingers itched to reach out and smooth that errant cowlick.“I’m just saying, Laura isn’t to blame for Charles’s poor decisions. Neither are you.”
He stared back at me without speaking.
“Also, you never called,” I said.
His lips twitched. “I beg your pardon.” Same words. Different voice, warm, deep, and amused. “I baked you cookies.”
“Thank you. My roommates ate them.”
His smile spread, the slightest bit. “I’ll have to take you to dinner, then. Feed you properly.”
My heart soared. But... “I can’t.”
“Ah.”
“I mean, I really can’t. I promised Toni we’d go to The Old Spot. It’s her last week.”
He nodded politely. “Of course.”
“We’re having a going-away party for her next Saturday,” I blurted. “Will you come?”
His gaze met mine. “Yes.”
“Great.” I beamed at him breathlessly, foolishly. “Well.”
“Text me when you get home,” he said.
“You want a booty call?” I asked, half teasing.
“I’d like to know you’re home safely.” That smile tugged the corner of his mouth. “Although of course I am always happy to see you. If you wanted to come by.”
“There’s no ‘of course’ about it. I could have been a pity shag.”
His eyes glinted. “Not both times.”
I gaped. “Did you just make an actual sex joke?”
He reddened, that small, endearing smile still lurking. “Dee.” He cleared his throat. Took my hands. “I like you. I want to see you. I want to sleep with you again. Tonight and as often as you want.”
I melted like a chocolate chip cookie in the oven, warm and gooey inside. I’d never been with someone who was sostraightforward about their intentions, who didn’t keep me guessing about their feelings. “I want.”
He smiled. “Very good.” He leaned forward and kissed me. “Have a nice time with your sister. I’ll see you when you get back.”
Twenty-six
So are you and Tim, like, official now?” Toni asked.
I blushed.Official? What did that even mean? I didn’t keep a toothbrush at his place. He hadn’t left a razor in the tiny bathroom I shared with Toni. But for the past week, I’d been slipping in at dawn to shower and change clothes before going to class or to the library. Tim and I were together. For game night. For pub night. For cooking shows on his couch. (“You’ll miss the judging,” I said on Sunday as he slid off my panties. He glanced up from between my legs, smiling. “You can tell me who won later.” But by then I didn’t care.)
“We’re not in kindergarten,” I told Toni. “He didn’t pass me a note with little boxes marked,Will you be my girlfriend? Check yes or no.”
“Because that would be too easy,” Reeti said. She’d been grumpy all day. Ever since her phone call with Vir, in fact.
I frowned, concerned. “Did you and Vir have a...?”
“You should look online,” she said, interrupting me.
