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Before she can get away, I reach out and pull her back. My fingers dig into her sides as I tickle her, and she screams while thrashing around and trying to escape my grasp. No amount of her pleas can get me to stop. That is, until Carter screams from his bedroom for us to shut up.
We both freeze, and she looks at me like we're two kids who just got busted by a grown up. I look over to Carter's shut door and chuckle.
"See that?" I ask her. "You woke up the royal highness."
Her grin widens. "King Carter?"
I shake my head. "Queen Trayland."
That makes her bust out laughing, but before it gets too loud, she throws her hands over her mouth. The sound is magical. I feel like it's been forever since she’s looked this happy. I mean, it's understandable, given everything she's going through, but I still wish she would laugh more often.
It isn't until she stops laughing and furrows her brows at me, that I realize I've been staring this whole time. How could I not be, though, when she looks that good? And the proximity isn't lost on me.
I carefully rest my hand on her stomach and wait for her to react, but she stays perfectly still.
"We're going to have to talk about last night," I tell her.
She finally breaks eye contact with me and nods. "I know, but I really need to get to class."
Before I can stop her, she gets up off the floor and grabs her purse from the counter. She's halfway to the door before I even sit all the way up.
"Later then?"
"Sure," she calls back to me.
And just like that, she's gone, and I'm left here wishing she'd stayed.
IT ONLY TAKES ABOUT two hours for me to figure out Paige is avoiding me. Every time I text her, I get back short answers, and when I asked her to go to lunch with me, she told me that Charlotte needed her help with boy problems. Let me tell you, I've met Charlotte. If that chick has boy problems, it's only because she's banging too many dudes at once.
A part of me wonders if I should leave her alone for a few days. I mean, I went from hating her to kissing her in the matter of a few weeks. That kind of switch could give anyone whiplash. However, leaving her alone involves staying away from her, and being as tonight is supposed to be the first time she sleeps at my place for her class tomorrow, I don't know that I can do that.
I decide to wait around the corner from her classroom, that way she doesn't see me when she walks out. Leaning against the wall, I take out my phone and scroll through it. There is an email from my therapist, confirming our appointment for tomorrow, as well as a text from Carter asking if he should leave the apartment empty tonight. Honestly, if I wasn't afraid Paige would run for the damn hills, I'd tell him to make himself scarce.
Students start to come out, telling me her class is over. I half-expect to chase after her, but to my surprise, she says goodbye to Charlotte and comes right over to me.
"How'd you know I was here?" I ask her.
She smiles and looks over at two girls who couldn't be subtle to save their lives. "Those two seem to have a thing for you. They giggle like middle schoolers every time they see you."
I look over at her and a part of me can see how much she hates it. So, in a bold move I probably shouldn't be making, I throw my arm over her shoulders and press a kiss to the top of her head. I don't miss the way she tenses slightly, but the girls finally look away and walk in the other direction.
"That should fix it."
Rolling her eyes, she moves my arm from around her. "You enjoyed that, didn't you?"
"Breaking hearts is my favorite pastime," I quip.
The two of us make our way over to the parking lot, bu
t she doesn't say anything other than general comments about class being boring and that she’s tired from staying up late. It isn't until we get to her car that I realize she's not going to address this unless I do.
"Well, thanks for walking with me," she says and goes to walk away.
I reach out and grab her wrist, pulling her back so fast she ends up against my chest. "You're avoiding me."
"I'm not."
"Don't do that," I tell her with a smile to sound less harsh. "Don't lie to me like I don't know you well enough to see through it."
