Page 20 of Sin

I dislike him on sight.

“Oh my God, Ethan,” Lily mutters. “You’re as obvious as a fire alarm.”

When my gaze flickers back to her, she’s glaring at me.

I sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have looked at…your crush.”

“It’s alright.” Her expression grows cheeky. “You don’t know any better. You’re a tall, handsome man. The world gave you a free pass on developing social graces.”

I snort. “This again. I thought you said I do have a personality?—”

My lips close when the guy starts walking in our direction. Lily’s attention is fully on him now, her eyes sparkling. I clench my jaw, and a prickling heat spreads across my skin.

“Hey, Jake,” Lily says.

Jake. What a basic bro name.

Lily and Jake exchange polite conversation, something about a class they share, but I hardly hear them. My attention is fixed on the way Jake’s gaze lingers on Lily’s mouth.

My fists clench under the table. That pretty mouth of hers feels like it’s mine after kissing her.

What the hell is wrong with me? Lily has been with countless guys in the time since Noah introduced me to her over two years ago. I’ve never really liked it, but I never felt possessive of her.

I’m pulled out of my daze when Lily gestures at me. “This is Ethan, my brother’s best friend. He’s my new tutor. Don’t be shocked, Jake. I know you were probably thinking I’m a stellar student after all the times you’ve seen me sneak into class a half hour late.”

Jake grins at Lily like he’s delighted with her, and it takes all my willpower to keep from scowling at him.

I know Lily gave that overly wordy explanation about who I am for a reason. She wants to make it very clear to Jake that I’m not her boyfriend.

“It’s getting late,” I blurt out. “We should go soon.”

Lily looks startled as she glances at me, and I want to wince. I’m acting like a dick.

“Um…” Jake scratches the back of his head, looking nervous. He examines my face for a moment before turning to Lily. “Can I get your number? I feel like we hang out with a lot of the same people, but we’ve never connected for some reason.”

I want to scoff. What a spineless way to ask for a woman’s number, couching it in excuses. If I had a crush on Lily, I’d set a date with her for the very next day. Tell her outright that she’s the only woman I think about.

If I had a crush on her.

Lily’s face lights up as Jake hands her his phone. A sour taste rises in my throat. A moment later, Jake is gone, but I don’t feel any better.

“Ready to go, Grumplestiltskin?” Lily cocks a brow at me, her expression so accusing I want to wince.

“I guess I was rude to interrupt you guys.” I stand up from my chair. “I just wanted to get you home soon.” I shoot her a mock stern look. “You need to get to bed by nine o’clock, Greenwood. You’ll be getting a text from your coach in the morning to see if our sleep routine worked.”

She rolls her eyes as she grabs her bag from the floor. “What other fun activities do you have lined up for me?”

Her sass eases the tension in my shoulders. “Don’t use that tone with your coach, or I’ll make you do push-ups until you beg for mercy.”

She snorts. “I’ll be begging for mercy after one.”

A warm smile rises to my lips as we walk out of the coffee shop. I love how she embraces her flaws without a second thought.

“I want you to keep track of everything you do before bed and how much you sleep,” I say. “Be expecting daily texts from me over the next week.”

“Got it.”

An unexpected thrill runs down my spine. I ought to be alarmed that the prospect of texting her every day exhilarates me, but maybe it’s yet another sign that I’m exactly where God wants me.

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