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Quinn might be a virgin and completely clueless, but damn his innocence does something dangerous to me.

“Got it. So if I touch someone like this…” he says, trailing his fingers down my chest. “It helps turn them on?”

I nearly groan out loud. Yes. Yes it does. I grab his smaller hand, dwarfing it in mine.

“Yep.” The single word comes out clipped, and I hold his hand as I maneuver him off of my lap. I'm on my feet before I release it, leaving him slightly sprawled on the bed. “Great. Lesson complete. I, uh, need to get to practice.”

He glances at the alarm clock on the dresser and scrunches up his nose. “It’s 6 P.M. you practice in the morning.”

“Yeah. Blue needs to get in some extra runs, and I offered to practice with him. I just remembered. Sorry. We'll have another lesson tomorrow.” My words are muffled as I tug on a shirt.

“Okay. Can we practice kissing next time? I think I know how to be better at it.”

I card my fingers through my hair and inhale. “Of course. But I'll be honest, anything will be better than choking me with your tongue.”

He laughs awkwardly. “I am teachable.”

TWENTY-TWO

QUINN

The door shuts behind him with a resounding click, and I inhale roughly. He flipped me off of him like he was a professional wrestler, only gentle about it. I drag my fingers through my hair.

I really screwed that up.

So much for using a porno for help. That was one big disaster. But they faded from tutoring right to getting naked. I did the logical step. But I can still feel his fingers wrapped around my wrist and the yelp he made in my ears.

I sit on the edge of the bed and look at the clock.

He practices in the morning. I know that. Extra runs with Blue at dinner time doesn’t make sense, and the fact that I can’t make it fit eats at me.

Blue. The same guy that was terrible to Lincoln in high school. He hadn’t always been an asshole, but once he went to the dark side he went all in. I’m pretty sure it started when their parents got married. I don’t like thinking about Daniel with him. That he’s choosing to go stand on the ice with him instead of staying on my bed with me. My stomach twists.

I don’t like this feeling.

I lie back and stare at the ceiling and poke at that sentence like it’s a sample that shouldn’t be reacting. It keeps reacting. I don’t like Blue. I didn’t like him in high school and I don’t like him now, especially since he gets to spend time with Daniel tonight when Daniel was supposed to be here with me.

That last thought sits heavy in my stomach. I sit up.

I pick up my phone, and I almost text Lincoln to tell him. I don’t because it would just put him in a bad mood, too. Then I almost text Daniel, but I stop myself because it would sound like I’m asking why I’m not enough to stay for. That isn’t a scientific question, It’s more emotional than I’m used to.

I know that Daniel is just being nice and upholding his end of the bargain with the tutoring. I’m starting to think it might be more than that for me. I think I actually have a crush on him. I really like being around him. And I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do with that information.

So I ignore it.

My phone goes off in my hand, and I startle from the vibrating.

Christine: Hey. Vee and Sarah are having a game night. You wanna come?

I look at the wrinkle in my quilt then at the clock. I type back before I can talk myself into sitting here and thinking myself into a spiral.

Me: Yes. On my way.

Their apartment is already loud in the good way when I get there. They live off campus a little bit. Vee’s playlist is playing, I can only tell because she has on Lorde. Which is her favorite artist. Sarah offers me some dip that looks homemade, and Christine waves at me from the couch and points at the box on the coffee table.

Life.

The board is already half set up, little cars waiting, tiny pink and blue people in a pile that has always bothered me.