“Regardless, we’ll figure out something at the end of the summer. Just stay here for now.”
“Nana would roll over in her grave if she knew her precious virginal granddaughter was cohabitating with some random criminal.”
“One, you’re aknowncriminal; that’s different. And two, I’m not virginal, and Nana never treated me like a precious doll who had air for brains, so fuck right off with that.”
“Paige, we can’t live together,” he scoffed, as if I’d asked him to turn a pumpkin into a carriage. Then a tiny line appeared in the middle of his forehead, and he murmured, “Can we?”
“I didn’t invite you to sleep in my bed, I said you couldcrashhere. As a friend. Or... a roommate. I mean, for the past year at Harvard I had a roommate I hated. At least you’re good company.” I gave him a soft smile.
“Roommates...” He blinked rapidly, trying to get his emotions under control. “I don’t know. It’s a generous offer. I’ll think about it.”
“Come on,” I encouraged, scooting closer. “Nana would want you to. Stay and get your shit together... Help me find this goddamn treasure. I mean, if we found the Golden Venus, I wouldn’t have to worry about getting my dad to sign a damn thing.”
He blew out a long breath. “If we found that Venus, none of us would have to worry about anything ever again.”
“Exactly!”
Timid eyes flicked to mine. He was thinking hard, I could see that. But he didn’t say anything.
“Come on,” I encouraged. “It’s just us, the oldest of friends. If you’re worried about what we did on the roof earlier tonight, don’t be. Forget about it. It’s all good. Mistakes were made, but we’re adults.”
I felt rather pleased about this idea of mine and settled against the back of the swing by his side, certain that I’d fixed everything—old friendships gone astray. War. Hunger. The rise of global fascism.
However, next to me, Seb had gone very still, very quiet. I feared I’d said something wrong. I just didn’t knowwhat.
“Seb—”
“It wasn’t a mistake,” he said in a low, grave voice that was defensive and a little hurt.
“I didn’t mean...”What?I didn’t meanwhat? I blinked at him while he stared at the lake for a moment.
“What we did on the roof wasn’t a mistake, and I don’t want to forget it,” he told me, looking me directly in the eyes. “Do you... regret it?”
We stared at each other in the moonlight, knees touching on the porch swing as chaotic emotions zigzagged around my chest.
I shook my head slowly. “No.”
He said something under his breath that sounded like “Thank God,” nodding as he exhaled a long breath. “Okay, all right. I’ll think about your offer. But that’s a start for now.”
A start ofwhat, exactly, I don’t think either of us knew.
But the expression on his face turned tender as he studied me. “Tired?”
I nodded. I hadn’t realized until he said it, but I felt like an empty husk. It was past two in the morning.
“Paige?”
“Yes?”
“Can I hold you?”
Frantic flutters gripped my chest. I wasn’t just experiencing a case of butterflies; I had an entire trained army of them living inside me, and they were about to riot.
“No funny business,” he assured me, blue eyes glinting in the moonlight as he held out his hand. “Please. C’mere.”
Hesitant, heart racing, I slid closer, and we stretched out sideways together on the swing, halfway sitting, halfway lying down. The weight of his arm curled around my shoulders and tucked me tightly against his body. It felt so natural, the way I slipped my arm around his back and easily fit into the crook of his arm. The way he gathered me closer. The way my head rested against his shoulder.
He was right. We couldn’t be roommates. I mean, come on.What had I even been thinking?
