“Okay, both of you, quit it. You’ve been nettling Poppy incessantly about him.” Alina stands, putting herself between me and Lyra.
Maeve twists her lips into a smirk but says nothing.
The crowd is thinning out a bit now, probably all in a rush to get to the dining hall for post-game lunch, and we start to make our way down the stands and along the runeball field. When I glance up, I catch sight of Aric—and Morgan.
They’re standing close together in the middle of the field, and he says something that makes her laugh. She reaches out to touch his arm, and the familiarity in the casual contact makes jealousy spiral through me.
She’s the type of woman I’d expect Aric to be interested in—outgoing, beautiful, a powerhouse player on the field. I wonder what didn’t work out between them... and whether they’re looking to try again. Not that it’s any of my business, of course.
I’m still watching them when Morgan glances over and catches my eye. I don’t look away quickly enough, and Aric turns and sees me before I can duck into the crowd or try to shield myself behind Raelan.
I tear my eyes away, hoping they were looking at someone else and didn’t just catch me staring at them.
We shuffle along slowly, stuck behind a cluster of first-years who’re slowing down our pace as they giggle and try to catch the eye of a few Hexrush warlocks nearby, mopping their faces with towels and pretending like they don’t love the attention.
We’re just about to break free of the crowd when a voice calls, “Poppy!”
And my whole body heats up hearing him call my name.
I turn slowly—along with the girls and Raelan—to find Aric leaning on the fence, arms crossed, smiling right at me. He waves me over, but I remain rooted to the spot.
“Go on,” Alina whispers, giving me a gentle nudge. “We’ll wait near the benches by the flower beds.” Then her gaze cuts to Lyra and Maeve. “And you two, not a word.”
They exchange smiles but do as their princess commands.
Alina nudges me again, and this time, my feet move, carrying me right over to where Aric is standing. He’s hunched over a bit, leaning on the fence, but even so, he’s still much taller than me.
When I step up to the fence, he says, “You came. I didn’t know if you would.”
“You invited me,” I say, then glance away from his intense hazel gaze. “Of course I came.”
The words slip right out, more truthful than I meant them to be, and I want to gobble them back up like I gobbled that cake we baked in class, but it’s too late.
Aric laughs, and it’s such a wonderful sound, all warm and buoyant and comforting. It makes me wish I were funnier, just so I could draw that laugh out of him more often.
Does Morgan make him laugh like that?
I mentally slap the thought away.
“So, if I invited you to go somewhere else—say, a cookie shop—does that mean you’d say yes?” Aric asks.
I’m so surprised that I snap my gaze to his.Is that ajoke?“A cookie shop?”
“Yeah. Have you been to Sweet Crumbs? In Wysteria?”
The blood is rushing so loudly in my ears that I’m having a hard time hearing him. Is he asking me out? Like... on adate?
My body flares with heat, and I’m so glad fire magic has a distaste for me, or I might go up in flames.
“N-no,” I finally say. “I’ve not been.”
“Well, what d’ya say?” Aric asks. Another player walks past, thumping him on the shoulder as he goes, but Aric doesn’t offer him so much as a glance. He keeps his eyes on me, like I’m all he can see despite all the chaos still swirling around us.
“Um . . . yeah. I’d like to go.”
I’m not sure how it’s possible, but Aric’s grin widens. “How about next Saturday? And before you get worried, we can make it part tutoring and part cookies. Oh, and part ball planning too. Have you asked the princess about the castle yet?”
Before I can respond, Morgan passes by, carrying her bag on one shoulder while munching on roasted pecans. “Later, Aric.”
