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“What sound?” I ask, my eyebrows meeting in confusion.
Stepping close to me once more, Cassio brushes a stray curl from my face. “Your laugh. It’s so fucking sexy.”
My heart flutters as heat ripples across my chest at the fire burning in his eyes. Still, my stomach drops–a residual response of anxiety left over from what happened after the first time Cassio and I kissed. Though I know the reason behind it now, my body doesn’t seem quite so ready to let go of the defensive instincts I built up over the past two years.
“Come on, let’s go back up before someone less welcome finds us here.”
Cassio’s fingers interlace with mine, sending giddy chills up my arms. I follow him wordlessly, letting him guide me back up the stairs to Ellie’s room. She’s waiting for us there, her expression worried, her eyes apologetic, and as soon as the door shuts behind me, she rises from the couch to approach me.
“B, I’m so sorry. I feel like a terrible friend, and I swear I didn’t mean to–”
“I know,” I say warmly, cutting her off before she can get too far into an unnecessary apology. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. It was unfair, seeing as I never even told you about what happened. You couldn’t have known, and I know you were just trying to be a good friend.”
I release Cassio’s hand to pull Ellie into a hug, and she releases a grateful sigh as she squeezes my waist.
“Sooo… everything’s good?” she asks tentatively as she steps back. Her eyes flick between Cassio and me, brimming with unspoken questions.
“Better than good.” A smile splits my face, though my lips tremble nervously from the complete 180 that’s left my brain reeling.
Ellie mirrors my expression. “Good. I was starting to worry I might have to kill my boyfriend’s brother.”
Lucca and Cassio chuckle, their chorus of mirth a long-absent treat to my ears. And suddenly, I know what he meant when he said he missed my laugh. I hadn’t allowed myself to even think about it before now, but the incredible sound did strange and magical things to my body.
Glancing shyly up at Cassio, I ask. “Are you and Lucca planning to stay the night?” I’m not ready to admit it out loud, but I hope to get more time with him after having to spend so much time without him.
Cassio’s eyes soften, and he turns to face me as he brushes the pad of his thumb along the line of my cheekbone. “Not tonight,” he says gently, making my heart sink. “It was supposed to be a girls’ night, and I don’t want to get in the way of that.
He gives a mischievous grin. “Besides, I want to take you on a date–like I was supposed to two years ago–to show you I’m serious about this. I don’t ever want you to doubt the sincerity of my feelings for you again, and I intend to prove myself to you before we spend the night together.”
“First off, I think you changing your major to stalk me in class is a pretty convincing demonstration of your conviction,” I say, drawing another delicious chuckle from him. “And second, how do you plan to take me on a date when neither of our families wants us to be together?”
“I’ll find a way–and in the meantime, at least I get to see you in class.”
His eyes dance, and I’m lost in them once more as I realize all my hurt and loneliness is over. I’d been trapped in a world of cyclical disgust over my inability to move on from Cassio. Now, it suddenly feels right.
The undeniable draw I felt toward him had always been mutual. And while I was doing my best to stop myself from watching him, he’d been doing the same. Knowing that makes the impossibility of our relationship a lot less daunting. Yes, our families don’t want us to be together, but something stronger is at play here.
I’ve never believed in fate, and I’m not about to start now, but the connection I have with Cassio has to be something special.What else would bring him back to me years after a single kiss?
“You have to go?” I murmur, not wanting to sound needy and, at the same time, wishing I could spend more time with him.
His eyes flick down my body, taking in my embarrassingly casual pj’s and setting my skin on fire. “Definitely. The sight of you in that outfit is driving me wild, and I don’t trust myself to be a gentleman if I stay tonight.”
My stomach flips at the implication, and my mind goes wild with the possibilities, but he’s right. I’m not about to lose my virginity on my best friend’s couch, and she only has a one-bedroom apartment. I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate it either.
Licking my suddenly dry lips and swallowing hard, I nod. I don’t trust my voice right now.
“But I’ll see you in class on Monday,” Cassio promises. “And I will find a way to take you on that date I’ve owed you for far too long.”
“You better,” I force my tone into a teasing scold.
“Scout’s honor,” he says, crossing his heart.
Then he pulls me close once more, his long fingers combing into my messy bun to cradle my head as he leans in to kiss me. His lips are gentle this time, soft and chaste rather than the frantic, greedy kiss we shared in the stairwell.
Still, my body tingles with anticipation, and my eyes sink closed as I savor the moment.
“Alright, lovebirds, if you keep that up much longer, I just might hurl,” Lucca teases dryly.
