“Amazing.” I’m still a little breathless. Still a little flushed. “That food was…” I shake my head. “Yeah.”
Rane appears from the kitchen, glass of water in hand. “That place is the best.” He’s grinning. Can’t seem to stop.
“The company was better,” I say.
It comes out before I can stop it. My face goes warm but I hold his gaze, watching his expression shift from surprise to something softer. Something that makes my pulse kick.
“I’m going to bed before you guys ruin this.” I’m already moving toward the stairs, but I’m smiling. “Goodnight.”
A chorus of goodnights follows me up.
I close my bedroom door and lean against it, pressing my palms to my cheeks. They’re burning. My whole body is burning—not unpleasantly. Like something’s been turned on inside me and I don’t know how to switch it off.
I get ready for bed on autopilot. Change into soft clothes. Brush my teeth.
When I look up from the sink, the mirror is fogged.
I frown. Wipe at it with my hand. The condensation clears for a second, then starts creeping back from the edges.
The water’s not even hot. I didn’t take a shower.
I press my palm flat against the glass. It’s warm. Not from steam—fromme. My handprint stays clear for a moment, then fades as more fog creeps in.
I pull my hand back. Stare at it.
What the actual…
My skin looks normal. But there’s sweat at my hairline, and when I push my hair back it sticks to my neck. The buzzing that started during that kiss hasn’t stopped. If anything, it’s louder.
I splash cold water on my face. Force myself to breathe. Eventually the fog clears and I look almost normal in the mirror—flushed, bright-eyed, butnormal.
It’s nothing. Adrenaline. The date. The kiss. Everything.
I crawl under the covers.
The buzzing doesn’t stop. But it’s not unpleasant. It feels like anticipation. Like my body knows something my brain doesn’t.
Tell me something good. Something you’re looking forward to.
I stare at the ceiling and think about Rane’s question. About how I didn’t have an answer.
I do now.
I’m looking forward to tomorrow. To breakfast with them. To walking to class surrounded by people who want me there. To whatever comes next.
For the first time in fifteen years, I’m looking forward to something.
I close my eyes.
The heat pulses once under my skin—warm, steady, almost like a heartbeat.
I don’t fight it.
I fall asleep smiling.
Chapter 34
Beckett
