Page 89 of Resurgent

“I was planning to.”

“Good.”

He takes a drink of his coffee, steam rolling from his mouth as he lets out a long exhale. “Angela’s always been a bitch.”

I snort. “Theo!”

“What?” He shrugs innocently. “It's true. Her daddy never taught her the word no, so she's decided the rest of the world doesn't get to either.”

I laugh harder, nearly spilling my coffee.

“That's awful.”

“You’re telling me! Try growing up going to events with a girl who expects you to want to hand over the dessert your parents bribed you with?"

I shake my head, laughing, “That must have been terrible for you.”

“It truly was,” he says, smiling, “Luckily, she lost interest as we got older.”

“Awww, so now you get your desserts all to yourself?”

“Now...I get to share them with whoever I actually want to,” he grins, bumping my arm.

For a minute, neither of us speaks as we sip our coffee and watch recruits around us slowly wake up.

“So,” Theo starts, pulling my attention back to him.

“So?”

“If you're in need of a date to the Gala this weekend…” He pauses, suddenly looking shy. “I could take you.”

I stare at him, apparently long enough that he feels the need to go on. Good one Annalise.

“Not because I think you need someone to rescue you from Angela or anything.”

“Right.”

“Because I'd like to take you.”

There's something about the way he says it that steals the teasing right out of me. He looks down at his coffee before meeting my eyes again. “I'd spend the entire night making sure you have plenty of snacks and help you avoid conversations like that,” he offers with a smile.

“That actually sounds tempting…but I think I'm just going to go with my friends. Most of us are in this unspoken no-date pact.”

He nods immediately, not a hint of irritation or disappointment to be found. “Then that's what you should do.”

“Are you okay?” I ask, feeling minorly guilty.

“Of course I am! I'm not going to try to convince you to do something you don't want to do, Scout.” His smile turns softer. “I'd rather you choose me because you wanted to, not because you thought you were supposed to.”

For a second, I can't think of anything to say, because that's the kind of thing a girl remembers.

I clear my throat.

“Thank you. Really.”

“Anytime,” he says, bumping his shoulder lightly against mine. “And for the record, if you change your mind…My offer stands indefinitely. No pressure. No expectations.”

A beat passes as he slowly stands. “Just me in a very respectable suit, looking devastatingly handsome.”