Garrett’s voice cut through the hallway noise, loud and teasing.
She flinched. A visible, full-body flinch.
My eyes flicked toward him for half a second, just enough to see his grin falter as he followed my line of sight to her. He was still staring when I looked back.
She was gone. Already halfway to the doors, walking fast, her head down like she couldn’t get out of there quick enough.
Garrett’s voice trailed off, confusion pulling at his features. He was still watching her, and something inside me went tight. I wanted to tell him to stop looking. To stopseeingher.
Whatever I was feeling was hot and violent. I wanted to hit him. Or shove him. Or just plant myself between him.
I wanted to tell him she wasn’this.
The thought blindsided me, reckless and possessive, and I had to clench my fists to keep from acting on it. I’d known her for less than an hour. I didn’t even know her name. But the idea of anyone else looking at her like that made something wild spark in my chest.
“Hey!” The word tore out of me before I could think better of it. I stepped forward, my voice louder, rougher. “Can’t wait to see you again, most beautiful girl in the world!”
It came out half teasing, half desperate…like if I said it right, she’d turn around. Like I could catch her eyes one more time and make sense of whatever the hell this was.
But she didn’t.
Her back just went more rigid, the slightest pause in her step, and for a heartbeat I thought maybe she would. Then she kept walking. No glance over her shoulder, no smile. Just gone, swallowed by the sunlight outside.
And for reasons I couldn’t explain, it felt like the air went with her.
“Holy shit.”
I spun around, heat flooding my neck. Jace leaned against the wall like he’d been there forever, arms crossed, grinning like it was Christmas morning.
“You—” I started, too fast.
“I,” he cut in smoothly, “just witnessed the great Matty Adler once again falling all over himself for a girl. What is this, the second time in twenty-four hours? Truly historic. ESPN’s gonna want the rights to that clip.” He fell to his knees. “‘Can’t waitto see you again, most beautiful girl in the world,’” he cried mockingly.
“I hate you,” I muttered, dragging a hand down my face.
He got to his feet, eyes gleaming with way too much delight. “You know, Matty-kins, I’ve seen you bulldoze six-foot-five linebackers without breaking a sweat, but one tiny blonde and suddenly you’re yelling about a writing utensil like it’s a love sonnet? This could be the second-best day of my life.”
“What’s the first best day of your life?” Garrett asked, sounding intrigued.
Jace waggled his eyebrows. “I’ll give you a hint. First word rhymes withPiley, second word rhymes withmagina.”
Garrett and I both just gaped at him, but at least I was distracted for half a second.
Yep, the half a second was over. I was thinking about her again.
“Was that…feral?” Jace cocked his head thoughtfully. “It felt feral. Like watching a caveman discover fire. But way hornier.”
“Jace,” I warned, but that only lit him up more.
He pressed his fist to his mouth like he was trying not to laugh, then failed miserably. “You kind of sounded like a Disney prince after three concussions.I’m surprised she didn’t run faster than that.”
“She didn’t—” I started, then cut myself off because yeah, she sort of had run away.
“I swear I’ve seen her before,” Garrett mused as we started walking down the sidewalk.
I only growled softly at the fact that he was still thinking about her, and Jace heard it and smirked.
Asshole.
