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But I’ve loved my happy bubble, and I don’t want it to pop.
Slipping back into the room, I refuse to look Leilani’s way as she walks past me into the bathroom.
By the time she’s done, I’m tucked up in bed, facing the wall and pretending to sleep.
And that’s pretty much how the rest of my night goes, me pretending to sleep but not catching an actual wink as guilt and fear rip my insides to shreds.
CHAPTER 30
CASEY
Hockey practice was brutal tonight, but there’s no rest for the wicked, right?
Thanks to an assignment that’s due this Friday, I’m hauling my ass to the library. I don’t have too much more to go, but I need to nail the conclusion and make sure my statements are backed up by credible research, and our ancient professor insists that the Internet is not reliable enough. He wants book references too.
The glass doors slide open and I wander in, hoping I can punch this out in an hour and grab a late dinner on the way home.
Everyone else has gone to Offside, because apparently I’m the only member of the team who can’t seem to keep up with his workload. Thank fuck the season’s nearly over. I mean, I’ll miss hockey, and competing in the Frozen Faceoff is epic. But once that’s over and we walk away with the trophy, I’ll have a chance to breathe. The practice schedule will drop off hugely, and I’ll only have to keep up with my physical training, which is a walk in the park.
The final months of school can be all about working and hanging out with my bros.
And your girlfriend.
The thought brings me up short as I reach the top step on the second story.
I’m still trying to decide whether that’s cool or not, but my lips are twitching with a grin, so some part of me must like it.
Then I see her across the other side of the room, and the jump in my chest tells me I must like it a whole fucking lot.
It’s her hair that grabs my attention first—those red curls are looking kind of wild and untamed this evening, and it makes my smile grow even more. She’s hunched over the table, a semicircle of open books around her as she scribbles something on a pad.
My insides do another jumpy thing as I change course and make a beeline for her table. Screw my assignment. What fucking assignment?
I can’t take my eyes off my redhead, which is probably why I notice how exhausted she looks. Her skin is kind of pale, and she has gray bags under her eyes.
This unfamiliar feeling skitters through my chest, and I pick up my pace, walking around the table so I can crouch beside her.
“Hey, sexy,” I whisper.
She jerks and whips around to look at me. Her eyes are wide with surprise until she sees it’s me, and then she sags back in her seat.
“Hey.” Her tired smile is adorable… and concerning.
“You okay?” I trace the edge of her face with my finger. “You look exhausted.”
“I’m okay.” She sniffs, her smile half-hearted, her eyes looking sad.
I take a seat beside her, keeping my voice low and gentle. “What are you working on?”
“Just trying to get a head start on this big assignment we got today. Thought I’d knock out an hour or two.”
“You look like you should be in bed.” I tip my head while she lets out a soft snicker.
“No offense, but I don’t actually feel like having sex right now.”
“I didn’t mean that.” I grin, wrapping my fingers around her wrist and rubbing that soft skin with my thumb. “You look like you need some decent sleep… or something. Maybe just cheering up. What’s wrong?”
Her gaze darts away from mine, and she stares down at the books on the table. “Nothing, just…” She shakes her head.
