“I should go,” I whisper.
“Probably.”
“Big day tomorrow.”
“Right.”
But his hands are still on my waist. My fingers are still twisted in his shirt.
“Dean?”
“Yeah?”
“For what it’s worth? You’ve been in my brain all week too.”
He makes that sound again. The broken one.
“That doesn’t help.”
“I know.”
“Poppy—” he starts.
“I’ll see you later.”
I extract myself. Smooth down my shirt. Try to look like I haven’t just been thoroughly kissed against Dean Whitaker’s kitchen wall.
“Hey,” he calls as I reach the door.
I turn.
“Check Reddit later.”
“Why?”
“Just… trust me.”
I nod. Leave. Make it halfway across the lawn before my legs start shaking.
CeCe’s waiting in the guest house, grinning like Christmas came early.
“So?”
“Shut up.”
“Did you—”
“Shut up.”
“But—”
“SHUT. UP.”
She mimes zipping her lips. Hands me my phone.
I pull up Reddit.
His post has been edited.
