Page 87 of Echoes of Us

Georgia smiled excitedly. I pointed at the exit, hoping she would understand that we should leave, but she shook her head and held me there. She pointed at her ear, and I rolled my eyes, feeling trapped between my curiosity and my better judgment.

“I don’t want to date,” he said again.

“Oh my god, Noah, I’m going to walk out of here.” Holly was clearly annoyed.

“I’m just frustrated,” he argued.

Holly snorted a laugh. “Sexually frustrated,” she noted.

Georgia’s eyes widened in glee. I didn’t need to be listening to this.

Noah grunted in response. “She spent last night going on for hours about some class she was taking in philosophy, and I heard all of that just to have what was probably the most mediocre sex of my life.”

I felt the burn of his words in my stomach. I pulled at Georgia again, and she gave me a sympathetic shrug but refused to budge.

“Psych majors are the worst,” Holly agreed.

“I hate this,” he said.

“I’m begging you, please stop whining.”

I grasped Georgia’s arm again, desperate to leave, but she held her hand up at me to wait. I did it again.

Noah groaned, frustrated. “Fucking Atticus.”

I stopped in my tracks, both of our eyes widening at the sound of my name.

Holly sighed in exasperation. “Here we go again,” she muttered.

“He ruined sex for me.”

Georgia’s smile grew impossibly wide as she covered her mouth. A smile tugged at my lips too.

“It’s my punishment for being a fucking psychopath with him, I’m sure.”

“Here’s a revolutionary idea—if you miss having sex with him so much, why don’t you stop trying to get off with a girl and try with a boy instead,” she said.

Georgia pressed her lips together, clearly holding back a laugh.

“It’s not any better. It’s easier to compare him to other guys. Drawing the parallel is all I can think about, and it falls flat. Plus, I’ve never been into a guy like him. It feels weird. Girls are easier.”

I smiled some more, and Georgia gave me a thumbs up. I tried not to laugh.

“Right, so girls don’t do it for you, guys don’t do it for you. Why don’t you go with option C and try to patch things up with the source of your frustration?” Holly said.

I gave Georgia a surprised look.

“Atty hates me,” Noah said.

The smile dropped from both our faces. He sounded sad.

“You know that, everybody knows that. Just because he’s tolerating my presence doesn’t mean I have a chance.”

I felt that little stab in my chest again.

“Noah, he’s not over you. You’re very clearly not over him, either, and Atticus is so fucking hot it’s not even fair. Talk to him, tell him about it. Maybe he’ll say no at first, but he’s a little slow. He’ll start thinking about it. Maybe there’s a chance. Then you can stop moping in your apartment listening to Chicago.”

My heart was in my throat. I wanted to walk away again. I didn’t want to listen to his answer.

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