“Do you really think I have a shot with him? He’s so…” I trail off, words failing me as her snarky grin turns downright villainous.
“Shut up,” I mutter, heat creeping up my neck.
“He’s all alone in there right now,” she sings, her brows waggling suggestively. “Come on, what’s the worst that could happen?”
“Um, you could be wrong and he could turn me down? It’s a small base, Sprocket. It would be embarrassing as hell, and I’d be reminded of it every time I saw him.”
“Go on.” She plants her hands on my back and shoves, and it’s telling that I let her propel me forward a few stumbling steps. Sprocket is tiny, barely scraping five feet with a delicate frame, while I’m five-foot-ten with a few extra pounds to spare.
Neither of us is fooled. I want to be pushed.
Nerves churn in my gut as I take a couple of hesitant strides closer, my heart pounding loud enough I swear the whole base can hear it. I glance over my shoulder, seeking one last lifeline, and Sprocket gives me an encouraging nod.
My hands tremble as I reach for the door, fingers hovering for a split second too long. I can do this. It’s not a big deal.
I can.
I can?
Maybe I can’t.
Before doubt can drag me back, I push through the door, eyes fixed on the floor as I try to figure out what to say.
Pain shoots through my hip as I collide with a solid wall of a person, and my head jerks up to that familiar cascade of white hair. The impact sends Xeni stumbling backward, and I reach out to steady him in panic.
I clutch at his scrubs, but yank with too much force in my flailing attempt to help. We both grunt as my back slams against the wall, the breath knocked out of me, and the front of his body falls flush against mine. His forearm lands beside my head with a thud as he catches himself, and his face is mere inches away as we both freeze, wide-eyed.
Heat floods my entire body in a rush, embarrassment so scorching I’m convinced I’ll combust into a pile of ashes right here. My mouth opens, but the words scramble in my throat.
Xeni’s gaze roams across my face as I struggle to find my voice. He could’ve moved by now—could’ve laughed it off and stepped away—but instead, his eyes stay locked on mine, his weight pressing into me in a way that makes my pulse stutter than roar.
He’s even prettier this close.
A tiny smile curves his lips. “That’s one way to get me to fall for you.”
I choke out an embarrassed laugh as my eyes dart away from the intensity of his face. “I’m so sorry, Xeni.”
My hands fist at my sides to keep from wrapping my arms around his waist. I’ve wanted to for months, and I’m tempted to give in.
It’s not like I can humiliate myself further.
“What’s got you in such a hurry?” he asks, close enough that I feel the words more than hear them.
I risk a peek up at him. The angles of his features are sharp, almost too perfect, but I’ve always found him beautiful. The palewhite of his complexion contrasts with the darker chestnut of mine, and where I’m clunky and broad, he’s lithe and graceful.
How could someone like him want someone like me? Nerdy Sebastian, with my books and experiments and awkward attempts at flirting.
“Bash?” His brows furrow, concern flickering across his face, and my heart kicks triple time.
“No one’s ever called me that but you,” I say, the words slipping out before I can stop them.
His smile is endlessly soft, a quiet thing that makes my chest ache. “It suits you.”
I want to ask him what that means. Beg him to spell it out for me, because I’m hopelessly clueless when it comes to this. I take a steeling breath, hyping myself up to form the words but he beats me to it.
Xeni chews on his bottom lip, nervous in a way I’ve never seen. “There’s a movie playing in the common room tonight,” he says, voice quieter now. “We should go.”
My mouth sags open for a moment before I catch it and snap it closed again. “You… want to go… withme?”
