She opened her mouth and then closed it again. Holy shit. Was that a... was that a slightly off-color joke Jas had just told? In her presence?
She and Rhiannon had cracked way more racy jokes to each other, but Jas... he was so proper!
Maybe he saw Jia’s text, and this is his way of flirting with you?
No. Not a freaking chance.
She was processing for so long, she didn’t move while he went to the pantry in the corner and returned with the broom and dustpan. “Oh, let me.”
He waved her away. “Go work. Take advantage of how good you feel after some light destruction.”
“Right. I’m sure I have spreadsheets or, um, something to look over.”
“I’m sure you do.” He swept up the mug shards.
She raked her fingers through her hair, his easy pragmatism grounding her. He always grounded her.
Driven by a foreign compulsion, she covered the distance between them and wrapped her arms around Jas.
It was a second, maybe two. Their chests pressed together, and she rested her cheek over his heart. He was stock still, his arms at his sides, the broom and dustpan still in his hands.
She didn’t look at him as she released him and walked away. She’d never hugged him before, and, while new, it had felt... right. So right, she wanted to go back in for a second hug. Maybe a longer one.
Maybe a naked one.
Instead, she zipped her borrowed hoodie up, though it was too tight. It hugged her, too, and flattened her chest like his body had.
Whoa. Definitely don’t think about that.
Yeah, that was... not where her brain needed to go, not at all. What had she been thinking? She’d managed to convince herself he hadn’t seen Jia’s text, and now she’d stress over this.
She was almost out of the room when he spoke. She flinched, but his words weren’t about the hug.
“You should turn off your phone for a while. I’ll monitor Twitter.”
“I don’t know...”
“How about this? You only look at the tag when you’re around someone. Me, or on the phone with Jia or Rhiannon.” His tone softened when she faced him. “I don’t want you to be upset when you’re alone. I don’t think it’s healthy to watch something develop in real time like that.”
Yesterday’s all-day computer bingehadn’tbeen healthy. Plus, she had come here to get away from everyone. She capitulated, and if she did it a little quicker than she normally did because she wanted to get both of their minds off of that hug, that was between herself and God. “Okay. Deal.”
She’d grab her computer and get to work, as he’d suggested, running on some semblance of her schedule. Real work, not monitoring the actions of strangers on the internet.
She pressed her hands over her warm cheeks as she walked up the stairs, trying to shake off the sensation of that hug.
Maybe he didn’t say anything because he likes you, and doesn’t mind your hugs or the prospect of you considering him hot.
She stopped, her pulse increasing, treacherous evil hope sprouting in her heart.
No, don’t do this. How odd. Rarely did she have to counter positive thoughts.
Only this one was toxic positivity, bad for her in the long run. Hope this big and fresh would turn her inside out. Her romantic heart would take everything he did and said as a new spark of interest, and then when it came out that it was all nothing, where would she be?
Find something to kill it. Get rid of the hope.
She scrambled for her phone and hesitated on Rhiannon’s name. Rhiannon was the most cynical person she knew, buttelling her about this would result in so many questions. Plus, Rhiannon wouldn’t truly crush her dreams.
She firmed her lips. She’d have to do it herself. Tell herself that it was nothing.
