He doesn’t reply right away.Instead, his gaze stays fixed on mine, as if he’s trying to peel me apart layer by layer and figure out where I’ll crack.I hold his stare even though every instinct tells me to look away.
I guess he’s not used to a girl saying no to him.
Most girls allow him to invade their space and touch them as if resistance is just part of the dance.
But I don’t soften.
I don’t back down.
And I see it land.
Something flickers in his eyes, then he leans back, creating distance between us.
“Fine,” he says.“Professor Carter.What’s next?”
The tension doesn’t go away.It just lingers.
I exhale slowly and force my shoulders to drop.
We work this time.No baiting or touching.No crowding my space.
And annoyingly, he actually listens.
He asks questions.Genuine ones.Even pushes back on a few points in ways that make sense, not just to be difficult.He challenges my logic, and I have to pause, reread, then grudgingly admit he’s right.I hate that he’s smarter than he pretends to be and prefers to hide it behind jokes, arrogance, and that reckless grin.
Time passes by without me noticing.
My phone buzzes on the carpet as I glance down.
Lola: Are you alive?Blink twice if you need rescuing.
I snort before I can stop myself and turn the screen black.
Reece catches it, of course he does; he sees everything.“Your friends worried?”
“They know you’re a problem.”
His mouth curves, as if he’s pleased with my answer.“Smart girls.”
We finish outlining the sections, the core structure laid out clearly.I close my laptop and slide it back into my bag, my heart still pounding for reasons that have nothing to do with deadlines or grades.I fucking hate this.
“I’ll send you the outline tonight,” I say, standing.“You need to actually do the work.”
“I will.”No sarcasm or smirk.Just a promise.
That bothers me more than the teasing ever did.
I swing my bag over my shoulder and turn for the door, already halfway gone in my head.
“Sam.”
I stop with my back to him, fingers gripping the strap until it cuts into my palm.I do not turn.I will not give him anything.
He walks around until he’s standing in front of me, close enough that I have to lift my chin to look up at him.I notice his eyes drop to my lips.The way he focuses on them feels intimate, even though I didn’t agree to it.
“No goodbye?”he says.“You just walk out?”
My thoughts scatter.I hate how easily he can do that.
