Page 52 of Head Under Water

Or if I imagined it all.

I open my mouth, but I don’t even know what to say, so I let the answer fade. “I, um, thank you again. For…dinner last night. And for letting me stay here. I know you hate it, and I really am trying to find a place soon.”

His eyes scan the space near me without really looking at me. “I don’t hate it.” His gaze flicks to my mouth before snapping to my eyes. “Not as much as I probably should.” His voice drops on the last word. Heavy. Honest.

The sentence lands somewhere deep in my chest, and suddenly, the distance between us feels small enough to close. He watches me for another beat, like we’re both waiting for the other to say something else. His eyes fall back to his eggs. “Are you sure you don’t want anything? There’s leftover pizza. You should eat.”

“I thought you didn’t care.”

Something in his expression changes.

“Do you want me to care?” He steps closer, abandoning his breakfast. Just half a step. Then three more. He’s close enough I can smell the cedar shampoo from his shower, and his saltwater cologne, but still not close enough to touch.

He moves forward again. My foot slides without warning or thought before my brain can catch up to the risk. As if we’re magnets being dragged together.

He stops when there’s barely a breath of space between us. Close enough that if either of us exhales, we might touch.

His eyes drop to my mouth. For once, he doesn’t look away.

“I—” My phone vibrates in my palm. When I glance down, there’s a text from Cory.

Would it be weird if I asked to take you out? Like a date?

Will watches my face change. His jaw tics once. Twice.

“Good news?” he asks, his voice flat. When I don’t say anything, he retreats. The shift is immediate. The wall that has always separated us—the wall that has always been my favorite accessory—slams back into place. In seconds, he’s back at the stove like nothing happened.

I close out of the text, my whole world standing on its head. “I…”

“Tell your mom I said hi. And Banks, too, if you’re seeing him today. Bringing him home to meet the fam for a Saturday breakfast. I’m sure he’ll be relieved when you finally have your own place.”

His words sting.

“For all that boring teacher sex?” It slips out of me, angry and bitter. I’d almost forgotten the memory was still there, lingering. All those years ago. Those stupid words. His stupid eyes.

And now, this man stands in front of me. So different, and yet so familiar.

Will’s gaze flashes toward me, sharp and unsettled. Something unguarded flickers there. The same hunger in older eyes. Like he can’t believe I remembered either. And then, because I’m scared of where this might go—and I don’t trust myself alone with him right now—I open the door and walk away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

AGE 19

Banks arrives ten minutes early for our date. Unlike the guys I’ve gone out with before, there’s no text to say he’s arrived. Just the sound of a soft knock on the door of our dorm.

“Coming!” I call while Jess does a final spritz of setting spray over my face, then brushes my hair off my shoulders and instructs me to do a spin while she examines her handiwork.

“You look perfect. He’s going to lose his mind,” she says, her voice a quiet, pleased squeal.

I look myself over in the mirror. Jess worked magic. My makeup still looks like me, but elevated. She applied highlighter to my cheekbones and filled in my brows. We tried three different dresses from her closet before landing on this one. It’s a thin, baby-blue fabric and falls mid-thigh. The weather’s probably still a little cold for it, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice to look this good. I was worried it’d be too much—too short, too sexy—but Jess was right.

It’s sort of…perfect.

I tug the hem down just a bit and push my breasts up, shoulders falling with a pleased breath.

When I’m finally ready, Banks is leaning against the wall directly across from our door. He’s not on his phone or anything, just waiting. A warm, appreciative look settles on his face as his eyes wash over me.

“Wow. You look… Wow.” He steps forward and brushes my arm with his hand, pressing a kiss to the space right next to my mouth. It feels even more intimate than the kiss in the library.