Page 80 of The System

“Oh, my God. You wear these?” Carina laughed and walked over to her. “Put them on for me.”

“What? No way.”

Carina quickly snatched them from her and slipped them over Kieran’s ears.

“So cute,” she said, laughing. “Is everything yellow in there now?”

“Yes,” Kieran replied with an annoyed expression on her face.

“And you can work like that?”

“Yes. I’m used to it by now.”

“You know they make these in clear, right? You don’t have to see the world in all yellow, Kieran.”

“I told you; I’m used to it. One time, though, I did wear them outside, and I thought the sky was some awful color and that it was about to storm. I forgot I had them on.”

Carina laughed again and said, “I like you like this.”

“Like what?” Kieran asked.

“Just you. I like that we don’t have this case between us now and that I can take your hand, and it’s okay,” Carina replied. “It is okay, right?” she checked.

Kieran nodded and said, “You just like making fun of me and my computer glasses.”

“That, too.” Carina removed them and placed them back on the desk. “But I like looking into those green eyes of yours a lot more.”

“Sometimes, they’re brown, so I hope you like brown, too.”

“They’re brown sometimes?”

“Yeah. Green eyes can change colors more than the others, but it’s to do with exposure to sunlight, mostly.”

“You practically live in here, so I doubt they’ll be brown all that often, but it just so happens that I love brown eyes, too.”

“You do?” Kieran asked.

Carina nodded and said, “And I love nerdy girls.”

Kieran laughed then and said, “You do not. You dated Tanley.”

“And we’re not together anymore, so that should tell you something, Kelly.”

“What did you–”

“She calls you Kelly. You call her Tanley.” Carina shrugged. “It’s all ridiculous and reeks of adorable jealousy. On your part, at least.”

“I’m not jealous of your ex-girlfriend,” Kieran insisted.

“No? Not even a little bit? Because that night you met, it kind of seemed like it.”

Kieran looked away for a second and said, “She’s been with you in a way I haven’t, and I think I’m just starting to realize that it bugged me.”

“That Tinley and I were together?”

“For a year, yeah.”

“It bothers me that you were with Diego. You were married to the man for a long time and together longer than that.”

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