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I could feel Elliot’s gaze on me again. I didn’t know if he knew about me and Leo—about we’d almost done, and whether he even cared. It didn’t matter now, anyway. Elliot couldn’t expect to keep me all for himself. This was a group affair, after all.
Still, I didn’t mind seeing the twinge of jealousy on his expression every time Leo looked my way or tried to make a stupid comment at my expense on the ride back to Powell. He was flirting, which terrified and piqued my interest all at once. I’ve seen him act this way around too many girls to count back in high school, only to see him whirl around to trip me as I passed him in the hall. But at least I’d learned to tell when Leo was interested.
He wanted more from what he’d almost gotten. More from what I could’ve given him.
I turned my head, looking out the window to hide the smile sneaking across my lips. There was a bit of power in being able to hold that over Leo, and I wanted it stay that way. Wished it had alwaysbeenthat way.
“And… we’re back,” Felix said, and I was jolted from my thoughts as we went careening over a speed bump and down into the parking garage. He parked the car, and we all got out, the sound of the slamming car doors echoing down the cavernous space like gunshots.
We had to have been the only college kids voluntarily up before 10 AM. Around here, at least.
“You know the drill,” Leo said, linking arms with me to drag me toward the garage exit despite his words.
“Yeah, I know where I’m going, if that’s what you mean,” I muttered, jabbing him with my elbow to rid him from my arm. I meant the words to come out sounding harsher than they did, but instead, they got a little chuckle out of him. I couldn’t help but mirror his smile.
“I like your fire, Kat,” Leo replied, draping his arm over my shoulder. The gesture reminded me of what Pierre used to do, and this time, I let him keep it there. “You fight back.”
“I didn’t always,” I murmured, shaking my head. If he tried to sweet-talk me one more time, he’d get a real jab to the face.
“But you are now,” he said, lowering his voice as he leaned his head into the crook of my neck. Felix was a few strides ahead of us, but Elliot was lagging behind. I realized that even if he were close, he wouldn’t be able to hear a word Leo was saying, not with his lips so close to my ear.
I decided to have fun with it. Payback for all those years he never liked me back.
Elliot, this is how it feels, babe.
As we neared the entrance, I curled my arm around Leo’s skinny waist, and let my hand dangle at the side of his hip before lightly grasping his left butt cheek as we walked. I could feel Leo tighten his grip around my shoulders, and I knew he was smirking like an idiot. So was I.
We both knew Elliot was watching. There was no denying it.
I just wished I could see his face.
Letting go of him just long enough for us to breeze through the entrance into the dorm lobby, I glanced over my shoulder, as if making sure Elliot was still behind us, to find his eyes burning holes into the back of Leo’s head.
Leo was oblivious.
We squeezed past a group of ROTC kids out on their way to training, and into the elevator. They gave us strange glances as we passed, but one of them nodded to Elliot. An awkward silence ensued as the four of us crammed into the elevator and rode up. It was silent in the hall when the elevator doors opened. Leo kept his arm around my shoulders as we walked. I made sure that we got out of the elevator ahead of Elliot.
“So,” I murmured huskily, leaning into Leo’s ear, “what’s the plan?”
“No spoilers, sweetheart,” he said, lowering his voice to my level. “Group decision.”
I heard Elliot cough behind us. Instead of turning to look at him again, I looked down the hall to find Felix ahead of us once again. Man on a mission. Even if what Leo had said about changing hearts applied to him, it didn’t seem to for Felix. Either he was oblivious to Leo’s sudden affection for me, or honestly gave no fucks about it.
I knew that, deep down, it was very possible Leo’s sudden change of mood was just all anact, thathe was pretending for the sake of flipping off Elliot, using me as leverage for some sort of personal beef between the two of them. If anything, Felix’s nonchalance was proof of this. He knew the truth and wasn’t bothered by it.
We reached their room, and I watched as Felix shoved the door aside with his foot. He hadn’t even bothered to lock it when we’d left.
They were just that feared around here. Huh.
“What the fuck?”
Felix jumped back from the door and made wild eye contact with Elliot. I narrowed my eyes at him as he pointed into the room.
“Ell,” he said, “you know him?”
Elliot gave him a lopsided grin, as if he knew Felix were pulling some sort of sarcastic joke. But Felix barged into the room, and a shouting match emerged between his voice and another’s.
“What the hell?” Elliot muttered, pushing between me and Leo, shoving him aside.
