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Her brows knit, and she shakes her head. “Why?”
Taking her hand, I pull her behind me. “Because, if some shit thing happens to me, and I end up not being able to do this for the next two years, I am one hundred percent going to want someone to talk to who may understand.”
And I have a plan.
After I pee and while I’m washing my hands, I look in the mirror and see her again standing there with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall.
“Who’d you come with?”
“Myself. My dad insisted.”
“Perfect, you’re sitting with us.”
“I’m not—”
“We need to get some waters first. You good to help me carry?” I cut her off before she finds a way to back out of this.
“I guess?”
“Thanks, Taya. You’re the best.”
* * *
When we walk outof the bathroom, Theo is standing there, hands in his pockets, hat backward, drops of water glistening on his skin as they slide down from under his hat, licking the edge of his square jaw and cascading over his Adam’s apple that I want to lick. His wet, long-sleeved Lincoln hockey shirt is clinging to his finely sculpted shoulders and ridges of his insanely defined deltoid muscles.
Arm porn? Oh, hell yes. His shirt, like a second skin, clinging so tight I can see the subtle bulge of his veins beneath the navy-blue material. Each bicep has to be carved from stone, and I want to touch them just to be sure they aren’t.
His chest? He has more cleavage than me. The separation between his pectoral muscles, a valley that, if not for his shirt molded around them, the water would freely flow between them and continue down the ridges and valleys of his abs, a mountain range. His waistline narrows, emphasizing the sculpted obliques that taper down to his waistband.
I, Riley Park, suddenly love the rain.
“Riley, can I have a second?”
My eyes snap up to meet his as Taya whispers, “Holy shit.”
I shake my head, trying to give myself a second to unscramble my brain that is seriously on the fritz right now.
Taya walks away. “I’ll grab the waters.”
I call after her, “I need, like, a lot.”
She points toward the long line. “Give the man his minute.”
I turn back and look at him, catching him eyeing my boobs. My naughty nipples are for sure pointing at him.
“It’s cold.”
He bites the corner of his lower lip as he reaches around behind him and produces a couple packets and holds them out to me.
“Disposable ponchos.”
I take them. “Thanks.”
He scrubs a hand over his face. “Look, whatever happened that caused you to slam the brakes on what we had going on …” He pauses like I’m going to spell it out for him. Not gonna happen. I’m not going to look like a bitter bitch when he’s playing cool cat. He shakes his head slightly. “We have a lot of the same friends, we’re grouped up in a class, we should—”
“Hit the reset.” I give him a thumbs-up, and he smirks again. What the fuck is wrong with me? “We’re chill.”Oh my God, shut up, Riley.
“I waschillfor months last year, and that led to a rift I don’t understand. I’m looking for us to explore whatever this is between us.”
