I fall back into my regular routine. I cook breakfast and make coffee for my dad the way he likes it. He hasn’t said much since that night. I’m terrified of what he’s going to say when he finally does. But for now, I’m grateful he’s leaving it alone.
It’s Sunday. I have a full day of reading ahead of me.
I’m still working through Jane Eyre for English Lit. The pages are starting to blur together—Victorian prose and moral dilemmas and Jane’s endless suffering.
I do some homework. TextCalliea few times.
Monday comes fast.
I meet Cal after my morning class, and my stomach fills with butterflies when I see him. We meet at the campus café and order coffee.
Cal pays before I can even reach for my wallet.
“Where’s your girlfriend?” I tease, wondering if he invited Madison or if I was supposed to.
Cal watches me over his cup. “I’m looking right at her.”
I blush and look away.
We walk out of the café with our coffees. We walk in silence, slowly. The contrast between last night and right now is obvious, but I like it. I’m happy to be doing this.
Once we’re away from the crowd, Cal says, “I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.”
I smile.
He points. “I’m parked right over there.”
“Cal,” I blush. “We shouldn’t.”
He shrugs. “Just letting you know what’s possible.”
I take another sip, appreciating how smooth he is. I just rejected him, and he’s still smiling. “Thanks for the coffee, Cal. I have to run.”
“What?” He sounds genuinely confused.
I smile. “I only have fifteen minutes between classes, and I like to be early to get a seat in the front.”
“Tiger,” he warns, tilting his head.
“Bye, Callum.”
He throws his hands up. “When can I see you again?”
I shrug, walking backward.
He’s grinning, shaking his head.
I turn around and head toward my next class.
And I can’t stop smiling the entire way.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Jax
I’d been parked across the street from Tigerlily’s house for over an hour when Callum’s silver Accord pulled up and drove around the block.
When I saw him, I turned off my engine and settled into my seat.
I tracked him as he moved across the neighbor’s yard, keeping low and close to the fence line. When he reached her window, he stopped, looking in. He tapped the glass once, and I saw his shoulders loosen. The screen came off easily, then he climbed through.
