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“Make it up to me by focusing.” She sounded exasperated. He wanted the Autumn from the party back. Not for the hair and makeup. He didn’t care about those things. He thought she was cute without them, but because she seemed more relaxed and maybe a bit interested in him?
Kolson nodded while she read what he’d written. He tried to figure out what her facial cues meant. He didn’t know her well enough to read her. She furrowed her brow and, without even looking up from the paper, she ate bites of taco.
“Okay.” She finally looked up. “There are changes that need to be made, but I don’t even know what your point is. We need to work on that.”
Kolson tried to focus on the paper like she’d asked. Not the cute way she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with the tip of her finger. Or how she had a lock of hair dangling from her ponytail bobbing there by her glasses. He wanted to reach over and push it behind her ear. He wrapped his hand around another taco. He was not going to touch Autumn. He was going to concentrate on what she was saying and not the way her lip curled up like a bow when she talked. Nor was he going to lift his hand and touch that strand of hair dangling, teasing him.
She paused and furrowed her brow when he put his hands under his legs after devouring the taco. “What are you doing?”
“Listening to you, Hazel.” He smiled the biggest smile he could.
She scowled and rolled her eyes. “It looks like you’re sitting on your hands like a kindergartner who’s forced to be still.”
This made Kolson belt out a laugh. He was glad they had the private study room, otherwise, he would have disrupted the entire library. “You’re the only girl who can make me laugh while roasting me.”
“You’re the only boy who makes me want to murder someone and …” She trailed off, her cheeks turned pink, and she looked away and shrugged. “I guess we’re even.”
“And what?”
“Huh?” She looked up innocently. That darned lock of hair was getting cuter by the moment.
“You said I make you want to murder someone and … but you never finished.” He smirked. He really wanted to know what she was going to say.
“I did not.” She sat up straighter and finally pushed that lock of hair back.
“You did, too.” He wanted her to say that she wanted to kiss him, but she probably wouldn’t, even if that was what she was going to say. His eyes flicked to her lips.
“Um, no. Did you get hit too hard at practice? Maybe you’re hearing things.” She tilted her head.
She definitely was going to say something she didn’t want him to know. Since her hair wasn’t dangling there tempting him to push it back, it was safe to pull his hands out from under him. Kolson put his elbow on the table and leaned toward her. “You think I’m hot.”
Her face flushed and she huffed before looking down at the papers and shuffling them. “You think all girls are attracted to you?”
“Not all girls.” He leaned even closer. Now he could smell her faint lemony scent. Her breath hitched and he smiled to himself, “You.”
“Just because I’m not as attractive as you, you automatically assume that I think you're hot?”
Wait a minute? She doesn’t think she’s hot? Most girls said that, but Autumn didn’t say it like she was fishing, nor did she say it like she was down on herself about it either. Like she didn’t even care.
“First of all, you are attractive and second, you just admitted that you think I’m good looking.” He winked and clicked his tongue.
Her face flushed again, and she huffed. “You done stalling?”
There it was, her deflection, it might as well be admitting her defeat. Kolson smiled. He felt validated. He also liked the thought of her thinking of him that way, because he wanted her to like him. Not just like him, but maybe like him like that.
