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“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He lets go of my arms. But I don’t move a muscle. Stay exactly where I am, still on top of him. And, slowly, I feel a growing bulge at his crotch.

And it thrills me, because I know what that means, too.

And in my heady state, more things are falling into place.

“And earlier. I thought you were repulsed by me when I was dancing. But now, I⁠—”

“I was repulsed.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“Ara,” he breathes, in a tone of disbelief. “You’re lucky no one shot you – you in white, and him in black, dancing like that. You looked like a Rhavnan king and his queen on their wedding day, or something.” He pauses. “It was dangerous. You looked like everything we’re up here trying to eradicate.”

I choose my next words carefully. “Maybe it was a mistake,” I admit. “And I’m sure others may have been repulsed. But I think for you, it was a different feeling, wasn’t it?” My breath hitches in my throat. “You were jealous. The same way you’ve been jealous of me and Drake this whole time. It’s one of the reasons you hate him so much. It’s why you got drunk⁠—”

He interrupts with a warning. “Ara.”

The words keep flowing out of me. “Even now. You’re aroused by me.” I swallow. “Riss thinks you like me. But it’s more than that, isn’t it? You… You’re in love with me.”

He shoves me off, hard, and I end up beside him.

I lie there, my head on his pillow, just listening out for him. His breaths have sped up.

So has my heart. It’s like the beats in a Hevallan song.

I could roll over, back onto my bed. Forget about this.

I don’t want to.

Instead, I take a risk.

I ease myself closer. He’s facing me. I can see the glint of his pupils. Feel the heat of his breath on my lips.

“It’s all right,” I whisper.

“My head aches, Ara,” he murmurs. “I’m not myself right now. Can we not do this?”

“That’s exactly why we should do this,” I reply, my temperature rising. “I might get a straight answer.”

“And what answer are you hoping to get?”

“A yes or a no.” I tag on, quieter, “There’s one I’d like more.”

There’s surprise in his voice. “You’d like a yes?”

I almost roll my eyes. “Cosmer. It’s you I wanted to dance with⁠—”

“No,” he snaps. “I know you must have had too much to drink⁠—”

“I didn’t have too much to drink⁠—”

“—but you can’t say things like that to me. It’s not fair⁠—”

“Not fair because you love me?”

“Fuck,” he says.