He shrugged, but his eyes didn’t leave mine. “Tell me more about the labels you’ve been working on.”
I was mid-sentence, describing illustrated bees, when I realized I’d slipped back into using my hands along with my voice, an old habit from my ASL class.
“—and one bee will be wearing a tiny crown for the wildflower honey,” I said, laughing at myself. “And maybe another with a book for the back-to-school blend.”
I signedschoolwithout thinking, or at least, I thought I had.
Bennett’s eyes tracked the motion. He tilted his head, a small smile tugging at his mouth.
“That’swash,” he corrected softly.
I dropped my hands to my lap, cheeks heating. “What?”
“That’swash.” He reached over, fingers brushing mine as he gently turned my hand palm down over the other.
“School.”
His thumb lingered for a second against the inside of my wrist, right over my pulse, before he shaped the sign again with my hand under his.
Neither of us moved to pull away.
I could feel the faint calluses on his index finger, the subtle pressure of his palm. The lamplight flickered across his face, catching in his cobalt blue eyes as they lifted to mine. The room felt suddenly smaller, the air thicker. I forgot how to breathe for a second.
Then the overhead light snapped on.
Every lamp in the room blazed to life at once, harsh and bright after the soft glow of the emergency lantern.
We both flinched, and Bennett sat back quickly, clearing his throat, looking anywhere but at me.
At the exact same moment, the front door rattled and swung open.
“Is anybody ho—” Nessa stopped cold on the other side of the threshold, plastic bags swinging from her arms.
Her gaze went from my bare legs and . . . limited attire to Bennett sitting a careful foot away from me on the couch.
Nessa’s brows shot up. A slow, devious grin spread across her face. “Well, well, well,” she drawled, kicking the door shut behind her with one heel.
Heat flooded my face so fast, I was sure I matched her red scarf. Bennett made a low, strangled sound and scrubbed a hand over his jaw.
“It’s not—” I said sharply, already on my feet, clutching the hem of the sweatshirt like it might suddenly shrink. “I got locked out of my place when the power went out and—”
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to explain to me,” she said, eyes sparkling with pure mischief. “Did you two want me to duck back out?”
Bennett coughed into his fist, shoulders shaking. I shot him a glare, and he lifted both hands in innocent surrender. I might’ve believed him if the corner of his mouth tipping up didn’t give him away.
“No, but you could let me back into my place with your spare key.”
Nessa stepped sideways, blocking the path to the door with theatrical flair. “Belles—”
“Now, Nessa,” I cut in, brushing past her. I paused just long enough to glance back at Bennett. He was watching me still. “Thanks for . . . everything. I’ll get your sweatshirt back to you.”
He opened his mouth like he wanted to protest, but I was already moving.
“Soon,” I added quickly, then turned to Nessa. “Let’s go.”
I didn’t wait to hear her reply.
I just tugged the sweatshirt sleeves over my hands, hugged my arms around myself, and marched across the wet grass toward my own front door, Nessa’s laughter trailing behind me like sparks.
