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“Always,” she replied, but she wasn’t looking at Austin… She was looking at Noah.
“I think I’m going to grab a sweater,” Rory said, breaking the weird tension between the four of them.
And I went back to eating my drama-free hot dog.
* * *
“What are you two doing over there?” Austin called over to the girls.
After Harper had gone in search of Aurora, they had returned but kept their distance, choosing to sit as far away from us as possible—much to Austin’s disappointment.
The two of them spent the last thirty minutes laughing and giggling at whatever they were looking at on Harper’s phone. Noah hadn’t taken his eyes off Rory since.
“You know, it’s rude to share private jokes when you’re not in private,” Connor said with mild amusement, sipping his beer.
“If you must know, we’re looking at Austen memes.”
“Don’t look at me,” Austin grumbled. “It’s Aus-ten, not Aus-tin.”
“The author who wrote that Darcy dude chicks go ga-ga over?”
“Yep. We’re both huge fans.” Harper nudged Rory’s shoulder, and she flushed.
“I’m not obsessed or anything.”
“I don’t get it.” Austin sat back in his chair, running a hand through his hair. “What’s so special about him?”
“Rich, handsome, and an avid lover of the written word. What’s not to love?” Harper shrugged.
“It’s more than that,” Aurora said.
“Enlighten us, little Hart. Maybe these assholes will learn a thing or two.” Connor winked at Noah, and I shook my head. He was so fucking whipped.
“Mr. Darcy is the epitome of a gentleman,” she said quietly. “He didn’t try to change Elizabeth or mold her into what he thought she should be. He treated people, even those outside his own social standing, with dignity and respect, but above all, he was open and honest, and he loved Elizabeth not for what she was, but who she was.”
“Sounds like a snooze fest, if you ask me,” I said around an exaggerated yawn.
“You would say that.” Harper sneered, and I glowered at her, not liking her judgmental tone.
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” An icy chill went through the air.
“Come on,” she scoffed, “you all walk around campus like God’s gift to women.”
“So, you haven’t been batting your eyelashes at Holden for the last hour, throwing out major ‘I want to ride your stick’ vibes?”
Who the fuck did she think she was? She didn’t know me or anything about my life.
“I… That is not the point,” Harper stuttered, all flustered as she looked at Rory, who had gone as pale as a ghost.
Shit. I hadn’t meant to make her feel bad, but her friend put me on edge. I didn’t like it, or the way she made me feel.
Usually, I didn’t let girls get to me. I was a steel fortress, and that was the way I liked it. But there was something about her—something that got under my skin.
“My stick is always available,” Austin said in a lame-assed attempt to lighten the mood.
“That was gross and unnecessary.” Aurora pinned him with a scathing look before turning back to Harper. “You ready to go?”
“Go? You can’t go, little Hart, it’s Hot Dog—”
