Page 108 of Maybe You

“I don’t think—” I start to say.

“He can just as easily wear one of mine.” Sutton frowns at Steph.

Steph grins at him. “Easy there, tiger. It was just an idea.”

“Stop being a menace,” Quinn scolds with a sigh and tugs at Steph’s earlobe.

Steph points his apple slice in Sutton’s direction again. “He started it way back when. I’m just evening the score.”

“Are we five?” Quinn asks.

“You knew what you were getting yourself into.”

“That is just blatantly untrue. I had zero idea about what I was getting myself into.”

“And now you’re stuck and can’t even imagine life without me. Funny how that works.”

“Isn’t it?” Quinn says. They smile at each other, and Quinn gets up from his seat.

“We have to get going,” he says. “We have a reservation.”

They say their goodbyes and head out, and then it’s just Sutton and me again.

“How are you feeling?” he asks at the exact same time that I blurt out an, “I’m sorry.”

He sends me a curious look. “What are you apologizing for?”

“I’m… not really sure?”

“Then maybe don’t?” he suggests.

“I didn’t think you’d want your friends to know about this.” I gesture between the two of us, too wary to give it a name or assign a term for what we’re doing besides calling it “this” because I’m still firmly in the keeping-him-for-now camp.

“I really don’t care if my friends know.”

“Oh,” I say slowly. I don’t want to be an idiot. I don’t want to get my hopes up. But this… this is a good sign, right?

His fingertips move underneath my chin, and he tips my head up and plants a soft kiss on my lips.

“I’ll get you sick,” I say.

He shrugs. “For a worthy cause,” he says before he kisses me again.

“Idiot.” I can’t really hide the affection that accompanies that one word.

In response, Sutton pulls me up and maneuvers me so that I’m sitting in his lap. He hides his face in my neck, and I press mine into his hair and inhale.

“The gala is a fundraiser supporting art education for children of low-income families. Quinn’s mother is one of the patrons of the organization. It’s black tie, and there’ll be a lot of pompous people with very high opinions of themselves and overblown egos,” he murmurs into my neck before he pulls his head away and meets my gaze. “If you come with me, it’ll be much more bearable.”

I look for signs of reluctance on his face, but there’s just sincerity.

“You sure?” I ask.

“Very.”

So I nod.

“Okay.”

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