Page 54 of Beautifully Complicated

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I keep my promise for as long as it takes to get back to campus, but the moment I’m unpacked I head to the lab.

That in and of itself isn’t a big deal, but the fact that I’m bearing gifts could be seen as crossing the line.

Good thing no one else is around.

“What’s this?” Keir looks at me incredulously when I hand him an oversized package.

“You understand the concept of unwrapping things to answer that question, right?” I snark right back.

“Brat,” he mutters as he tears into the paper, looking a little pale as he takes in his gift. “A sled?”

“I figure you might need to work up to a snowboard, and this way you can get a taste of the mountain without worrying about your arms and legs going a million different directions.”

“That can happen on a sled, too. I’ve seen it.” Kier eyes the sled with apprehension.

“Only if you go over a jump, and we’ll be sure to stay away from those.”

“We? You’re planning to do this with me?”

“Of course.”

He worries his lip. “That makes it sound a little more tolerable. What about the heated jacket? I need one of those too.”

“Well, aside from the fact I’d need a raise to afford one of those, you really don’t need it outside the mountains. You’ll work up a pretty good sweat walking up the hill. I can give you hand warmers for your gloves though.”

He gives me a withering look. “You’re lucky you’re so cute, otherwise I’d never consider this.”

I wet my lip suggestively. “I know.”

Kier stares at my mouth for a beat before forcibly looking away. “I got you something too.” He hands me a small, heavy gift bag, and I gasp when I pull out a bottle of Knappogue Castle.

“You remembered?” I gape at him.

“I remember everything about that night, Leanbh. Everything.”

I’m so close to kissing him I have to fist my hand to the point my blunt nails leave a visible indent.How will I make it to graduation without touching him?

“Drink?” My voice is scratchy when I finally find it.

“I’m not sure we should,” he hedges.

“Just one. I have a few questions I want to ask you.”

Kier regards me warily. “Okay.”

We sink to the floor, which has become an uncomfortable yet normal position for us to talk. I open the bottle and take a sip of the honied liquid before passing it to Kier. “I realized there are some very basic things I don’t know about you, so I think we should have a little Q and A. A speed round where you say the first thing that comes to mind.”

Kier takes his own sip then wipes the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand, shaking off the bite of the liquor. “Okay,” he rasps.

“I’ll start. Favorite color,” I begin.

“Green. Yours?”

“Blue. Favorite food.”

“Hamburgers.”

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