“So how did you two actually get together?” Paige leans forward, wine glass in hand. “After that party, I mean.”
I watch Tara tense slightly, knowing she’s about to recite our carefully rehearsed story. But something makes me want to push this, maybe the way she’s been driving me crazy all night in that pink dress, or how her laugh at Ethan’s jokes keeps making me want to punch him for existing.
My hand finds her knee under the table. “Actually,” I say, enjoying how her eyes widen, “Tara sort of stalked me.”
She chokes on her drink. “What?”
I shouldn’t enjoy this so much, shouldn’t like how her cheeks flush when she’s flustered. But my thumb traces small circles on her knee anyway. “Remember that time you followed me into the geology labs? Claimed you were ‘just really interested in mineral formations’?”
Her hand covers mine, deceptively sweet, and I know I’m in trouble. “Only because you kept making excuses to hang around the environmental science building. What was it you said about our soil samples? That they were ‘fascinating’?”
“The sediment composition was fascinating.” It was. But not as fascinating as watching her get excited.
“Sure it was, honey.”
Paige looks delighted. “Oh my god, you guys were totally science nerding over each other!”
“I mean,” Tara says, and Christ, the way she bites her lip when she’s thinking, “he did try to impress me by reciting the entire geological time scale.”
“And you corrected my Cambrian extinction dates.”
“Because you were wrong.”
“I wasn’t wrong.” My hand tightens on her knee without conscious thought.
“You were a little wrong.”
“Want to debate mass extinction events right now, Tink?”
Her eyes darken and suddenly I’m very aware of how close we’re sitting, how easy it would be to-
Paige sighs dreamily. “You two are adorable. Ethan, why don’t you ever try to seduce me with science facts?”
“Oh, well, want to know something that defies gravity?” He waggles his eyebrows.
“Are you talking about…?Ethan! That’s not seductive.” She groans but she’s laughing and touching his arm.
I barely register their conversation, too focused on Tara’s skin under my palm, the way she shivers slightly when my thumb moves. This is getting dangerous. I should stop touching her. Should probably stop looking at her too, before someone notices how much I’m not pretending anymore. Not really. Not even a little bit.
But I don’t do either of those things. Because I’m an idiot who apparently enjoys torturing himself.
Fuck.
20
TARA
“Hey.” Alfie catches my arm as we’re leaving the restaurant, letting Paige and Ethan walk ahead. “We might have a problem.”
Something in his expression makes my stomach drop. “What kind of problem?”
He rubs his neck. “I just found out why my family’s really in town. There’s a university donor event on in two days, and they’ve extended their stay an extra couple of nights becauseapparently,they love it here so much.”
“Okay?”
“My family aremajordonors. Mother’s already told the organizers you’ll be at our table.”
“What?” My voice comes out too high. “Alfie, that’s- that’s like, actual university people. Professors and- oh God, is your mom friends with the dean?”
