Page 30 of Quiet Longing

I rolled my eyes though I was still smiling. “You’re a guy, Rhys. I think you’d figure it out.” Judging by the intense way he’d been staring at my boobs, I presumed he was a straight, red-blooded male. Nature would kick in.

“You’d think,” he replied quietly, and I cocked my head.

“Well, doIscare you?”

His eyes met mine, and there was something warm and lovely there, something that made a few butterflies come to life in my stomach, batting their wings. It seemed to be becoming a common response to him. “No,” he answered, his eyes tracing over me. I wasn’t sure if it was intentional, but his fingers touched my hip very lightly, tapping once, twice. “The opposite.You make me feel very …” he trailed off, and I swear I held my breath waiting for him to finish. “At ease.”

For a second, air got trapped in my lungs. Probably because Rhys made me feel the exact same way. There was a comfort with him, and I couldn’t explain it. “Why do you think that is?”

Rhys stared at me. And stared some more. It was like he was trying to memorise my every feature. “I don’t know.”

A silence fell, and I slid off his lap. We were still close, though, our knees touching.

“Aidan wants you,” Rhys said, breaking the quiet between us.

My eyebrows jumped. “He does?”

Rhys nodded, swallowing a long gulp of beer before he continued, “I think your indifference bothers him.”

“It’s not indifference. I’m just not attracted to him.”

He seemed surprised by the statement, his eyes full of disbelief. “Really?”

“I mean, he’s an attractive guy, but I don’t ‘fancy’ him as you guys say over here. We’re on completely different wavelengths.”

Rhys bobbed his head as though thinking about my answer. “It’s just going to make him more determined.”

I shrugged. “He’s welcome to waste his time.”

Rhys moved closer, a hint of humour on his face. “This might actually be entertaining to watch.”

The movement caused his scent to tickle my nose. Why did I like it so much? I’d never paid this much attention to how a boy smelled before. A small groan escaped me as I blurted without thinking, “God, you smell good. What is that? I love it.” I leaned closer, inhaling deeply. When I pulled back, Rhys was staring at me with an expression I couldn’t decipher.

I smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m being a little weirdo.”

His face was blank when he quietly asked, “Are you fucking with me, Charli?”

I blinked, at first unsure if I’d heard him correctly. But no, he’d definitely asked that. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

He exhaled heavily and shook his head. “Never mind. And it’s Old Spice, my aftershave.”

“No, I won’t ‘never mind.’ What do you mean, am I fucking with you?” I met his gaze directly, waiting for an answer.

Something flickered in Rhys’ jaw before he said, “Girls don’t … talk to me. But you always do. When you enter a room, I’m the first person you come to. It doesn’t make sense.”

Suddenly, my heart squeezed with tenderness. This boy was going to be the death of me. I couldn’t help it, I gently laughed. Rhys frowned. “You are being completely ridiculous.” His eyebrows jumped, and I shook my head at him. “Ridiculous and silly. I talk to you because I think you’re cool, and I enjoy your company. Is that so hard to believe? You’re easy to be around, and we have a lot in common. I promise you, Rhys, this isn’t some elaborate ruse.”

His throat moved as he swallowed, his eyes flickering back and forth between mine. I sent him the sincerest expression I could muster. He exhaled heavily. “I’m sorry, I just …” He paused a moment then continued, “have some self-esteem issues, clearly.”

“Well, I don’t know why because I think you’re awesome.”

At this, he held my gaze, some kind of heat there. A moment passed between us, and his eyes flickered to my mouth for a second. Then the moment was broken when Nuala appeared. “Charli, I’m going to use the bathroom. Want to come with me?”

I blinked, emerging from whatever trance Rhys’ eye contact put me in. Maybe it was a good thing Nuala had interrupted us because I’d been a second away from kissing him.

“Uh, sure, yeah. I could pee.” I rose, shooting Rhys a small smile. “Be back in a few.”

He nodded, and Nuala linked her arm through mine again as we left the room. “Well, what exactly did I just interrupt?” she asked, her voice hushed.

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