I have two choices. Deny or confirm.
I owe him.
No matter what. I owe him.
And by the looks on both their faces, I’m the one winning here, even though I know they’ll just spread rumors that I’m a whore.
I eye him up and down, from the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt being undone to the way the sleeves are shoved up tohis elbows exposing the ten tat on his forearm. Yes. Oh yes, I’m definitely winning.
“Yeah.” I smile as big as I can. “Sorry, you know me, clumsy, plus I may have been eavesdropping, got territorial.” I wink. “And before either of you spread rumors, I’ve known him since I was sixteen?—”
“And despite Evans trying to steal her heart,” he adds, “it’s only ever been mine. Anyway, my hours are on the door if you have any class related questions.”
He reaches for my hand, grabs it in his, and walks off with me while they whisper under their breath. We make it down the hall and into his office before I can finally exhale. And when I do it’s against him as he closes the door behind us and props me up against it. “Breathe Lilah, it’s not like I proposed and it’s not like you’re really mine.”
Eh, my hearts not really getting that specific memo with how hard it’s pounding right now. “Right, right, sorry, good save though.”
“I would say I owe you.” He shrugs. “But I’m pretty sure it’s the other way around for an eternity, yeah?”
“Fair.” I nod. “Totally fair.”
He eyes the door, then me.
“Sorry.” I do a small circle.
He grabs the handle for me like I’m incapable of leaving on my own, which I’m probably not.
“I’ll just head…”
Head?
Who am I?
I swear if I accidentally say bloke I’m killing Charlie. Murdering her!
“…out,” I lamely add on a choked whisper.
For the first time since he’s been back from the dead, Jude actually smirks, not a mocking smirk, not one that says he’staunting me or wants to toy with my head in a million different ways.
No, his smirk says adoration.
Amusement.
It’s sexy as hell and it’s real.
It’s the most real thing we’ve exchanged since he came roaring back into my existence, and I find I can’t leave.
I can’t just give him my back when he’s looking at me like that.
I’ll stall and say “bloke” if I have to.
I’ll make something up.
I’ll stare and tell him my brain’s on stall mode.
Because it’s suddenly us again.
Back in my room.
