Page 41 of Heat Transfer

Aria gave me a flat look. “Stop being an idiot and lock that shit down, Ruiz, okay?” She stepped toward the door but paused by the frame. “I’ll see you around.”

“Yeah, thanks,” I murmured, my mind churning in overload. Hesitation still tugged at me, and I couldn’t figure out what kept me from going for him. As much as I’d claimed friendship, I’d jumped into relationships with friends, so that wasn’t the issue. It wasn’t even the “it’s a guy” thing either.

The truth burrowed in my gut, an ever-present part of my life.

No, it was the fact that while I’d told Cor about my seizures, he’d never been with me through one. They weren’t common—pretty damn infrequent due to my meds—but a few ex-girlfriends had witnessed them. And things had always changed afterward. Either they hovered more, became more like my parents, or grew more distant, like they hadn’t signed up for that. Newsflash: I hadn’t either. And the idea of Cor shifting on me? Fuck. Ice slithered down my spine.

I spurred myself to motion and grabbed my keys and wallet.

Labels could be future-me’s problem.

Tonight, I would enjoy every second I got with Cor.

When I rolled up to Marco’s house, Cor’s truck was already parked along the street, but based on the silhouette in the driver’s seat, he hadn’t gone in yet. My heart thudded hard as I approached, more of a signal than anything that feelings had entered the field. We were going to the hockey game together this weekend, and maybe that would be enough for me to get out of my head and take the leap.

I rapped my knuckles on the window of his car, and he popped up from a slouch. He opened the door, and I stepped back to give him space. The second he got in my proximity, the scent of him, all vetiver and sandalwood, dosed me with lust. I wanted to lick and suck his neck until he was marked, just like he’d done to me.

“Hey.” I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. Were we pretending to be boyfriends here? It didn’t matter. I wasn’t going to pass up the chance to kiss him. He opened for me so damn sweetly as I crowded into his space. His back thumped against the car, and he spread his legs so I could slide up between them until our torsos were aligned. His mouth was hot and eager,and he kissed with a voraciousness as if months had passed, not mere days. I echoed his hunger with my movements, resting my palms against the side of his truck to devour him. Sparks coursed through my body like someone had lit sparklers.

When we broke apart, we both heaved for breath.

“Aren’t we at your brother’s house?” He tugged on his beard. It was a habit I’d seen him do when he was unsure, and it charmed me every time.

“That we are,” I said, trailing off to let him continue. “Look, your family already thinks we’re dating. Turnabout’s fair play.”

He blinked, then shook his head, a crooked grin on his lips. “Tempting.” My insides fluttered.

“Your family might already be here anyway. Liam and Ollie come to game night a lot, according to Marco.” I hooked my finger in the waistband of his jeans and gave a tug. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”

“Yeah, Liam’s car is the one two up,” he pointed out. We started toward Marco’s front door, the cute little brick house with the blue shutters and all charm. Sometimes I got jealous over Marco and his cozy setup. He could be independent, lived close to Mom and Dad, and had the loves of his life as company, including Kelsey’s son he doted on.

Meanwhile, I remained in the city on stubbornness alone. I didn’t mind it, but the more I came to visit Cor, the more I envied the familiarity here. The close friends, all the people I knew from Marco’s or Cor’s massive family. Compared to that, the city felt a little lonely sometimes, just the cold wind swirling around me as I stood on my balcony, staring at the looming skyscrapers.

It was so easy to feel small then, and I was so, so tired of feeling small.

“You okay?” Cor asked. “You’re rarely this quiet.”

I shook my head, a rueful grin rising to my lips. “A little contemplative today. Handed off the last bit of stuff to the ex-girlfriend earlier.”

Cor let out a grunt.

“Jealous?” I lifted a brow. Amusement percolated inside me. “You shouldn’t be.”

Because he’d been the sole thing on my mind from the moment we met. I’d just been too far up my ass to realize it.

Before he could respond, the door opened.

Maeve stood in the doorway, barely over five foot and yet somehow one of the most intimidating people I’d ever encountered. “I wondered who was loitering out here. I could hear voices.”

“Sure you’re not just hearing voices anyway?” I teased.

She flipped me off. “Come on, Little Ruiz. And…your boyfriend?”

“Yep.” I looped an arm through Cor’s and all but dragged him in with me. Her brows drew together as she processed for a moment, but then she shrugged and beckoned us inside.

Adrenaline coursed through me a little faster upon approach. Coming out to friends and family didn’t bother me, but a bit of nerves and euphoria arrived along with the process of being seen. And I tended to prefer not to be in the spotlight after my seizures stealing it my whole life.

The living room was filled with familiar faces. Only Marco was here tonight out of his triad—Ruby and Kelsey were at an exhibition in the city—and Sammy was with Rhys and Cole. However, Theo, Ollie, and Liam all sat at the table. And the moment we entered the room, everyone stared at Cor and me.

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