Page 103 of Study Buddies

But it did no good, because I was hyper aware of everything Lucas did. He wasn’t even moving, but I could hear him breathing. I could feel the way the mattress dipped on one side because of his weight.

“Tori?” His voice was soft, but I was so attuned to him that it sounded like he was using a megaphone.

“Yes?”

“This feels really weird, right?”

“Yes! I know it shouldn’t, but it does.”

We laughed softly, and I was pathetically glad that it wasn’t just me feeling this way. “We’ve been friends for a long time. We’re both adults. This isn’t a big deal.” I paused. “So why does it feel like a big deal?”

“I don’t know, but it does for me, too.”

I sighed loudly. “This is ridiculous.” But since I was nowhere near sleep, we might as well talk. “Thank you for driving down here with me.”

“You’re very welcome.”

“You didn’t have to. I mean, as we said before, last night was… what was it again? Overwhelmingly uncomfortable?”

“Yeah.” He hesitated. “Tori?—”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned Natalie.”

He let out a breath of air. “I said some things I shouldn’t have also.”

“Mine was worse. I should’ve just spoken for myself rather than for a woman I’ve never met. I’m very sorry for dragging up such a painful subject.”

“That’s not on you. I bring it up practically every time I see Kyle. I just can’t help it.”

“I wish… I wish things were better for you two.”

“I think that’s a wasted wish at this point.”

Hearing him say that hurt. His relationship with Kyle had nothing to do with me, but… they were both my friends. I liked them both. And I hated that they were always at each other’s throats.

Lucas was staring straight up at the ceiling, but he shook his head in a bemused way. “We should really get some sleep. We’ve got to drive to Macon tomorrow—and then drive all the way back home.”

“Yeah.”

There was silence for about two minutes. Then I heard his voice again. “Have you ever feltlesslike sleeping?”

I laughed. “Not that I can recall. What should we do? You’re the smart one.”

“Only about school. Very much not about this situation.”

There was more silence, during which I tried that relaxation technique where you ease the tension in one muscle after another. However, perhaps I was doing it backwards, because I was just getting more tense.

“I do have one idea,” Lucas finally said.

“What’s that?” I was hoping that great brain of his had come through somehow.

To my surprise, he rolled onto his side, facing me, and lifted the covers between us. For a moment, I thought he was letting me look at his chest and abs again—which I was more than willing to do—but then he patted the mattress next to him. He wanted me to slide over.

“I figure that if it’s going to feel weird anyway, I’d rather have it feel weird with you close by rather than over there. If that’s what you want.”

Without giving myself time to think, I scooted over. His nearness made my pulse race, but it somehow felt less awkward than before. My head rested on his bicep up near his shoulder, and I pressed against his side, feeling his warm, smooth skin against me. There wasn’t really a good place for my hand—I couldn’t very well put it on his legs or boxers—so I rested it lightly on his abs. Those taut, ridged abs that I’d never seen before, let alone touched.

His arm wrapped around my shoulder, and he held me close.

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