Page 114 of Betting on the Brainiac

“Go cut in.”

My eyes fly to hers, and she’s smiling at me. She knows if I cut in that there’s a very good chance Madison is going to figure this out. And that’s the point. Ruby is offering me an opening.

She holds out her hand for my drink, and I head to the makeshift dance floor.

“May I cut in?” I ask Joey.

Joey moves Madison’s hand to mine, and winks at me when she isn’t looking. Then Ava materializes out of nowhere and steps into the dance with Joey.

Madison and I are still standing there. She’s watching me with an encouraging smile, waiting for me to take the lead.

I should say something. Warn her. Do something.

Instead, I draw her in a classic close hold and move us into the basic step.

Madison grins. “Strong on the fundamentals. Another pep rally?”

Tell her. TELL HER.

“Madison, I . . .” No. I’m not shouting this over the music. We do a few more basic steps, and she slides her hand against mine, letting me know she’s going to spin. I lead her and she comes back to center.

“You’re doing great,” she says. “It takes practice to get there.” She nods at Joey and Ava doing a complicated pretzel combo.

It’s the last straw.

I spin her again, move into a neck touch turn, roll my head under her arms, and pick up exactly where we were, rocketing into the next step exactly on beat.

Her eyes widen for a second. She’s still following, and her gaze moves all over my face, over my shoulders like she’s putting things together, watching my hips, back up to my shoulders, my mouth, studying each.

My eyes never leave hers, and I can sense it—the moment she hits the brink where it’s all going to fall together or apart.

I’ve been fooling myself if I ever thought I would find exactly the right words to explain this. I turn her in another fast spin-and-a-half, ending it with her back against my front, just like I did that night at the club. I’m giving everything away.

As her back meets my chest, I feel her gasp.

She knows.

Chapter Forty

Madison

Everything hits me atonce.

The memory of that night and that kiss had grown fuzzy, blurring around the edges as I got further from it and closer to Oliver. Now it snaps into sharp focus.

The feel of his chest that night and this morning.

The fluttering in my stomach that started with Oliver the next day at Sami’s movie party.

All the moments in between when I felt a tug toward him but ignored it because I’d been distracted by the perfection of that kiss.

Ruby catches my eye. She’s watching closely, and she nods. An acknowledgment:Now you know what I know.

I move to step out of Oliver’s hold, but he strengthens his grip, a silent request to stay, as he lowers his head next to mine.

“I’m sorry, Mads.”

His voice is low, the vibration of it conducting through bone, straight down my spine, out to every nerve ending, and I shiver. This time when I step away, he lets me go.

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