Page 65 of Between Us

“Yeah, I’m doing good. I’m actually going to Stanford.” His grin overtakes his face, and I can’t help but return it now. That was always his first choice, and he had been worried that he wouldn’t get in.

“Wow, Cody, that’s awesome. I’m really happy that worked out for you.”

He gives me a small nod. “Yeah, thanks. I’m just home early for fall break. Are you going to UCAH?” He means one of the local colleges—University of California, Aurora Hills where Adrian goes. I shake my head. “The University of Southern California?” he asks, hope thick in his voice.

And I hate that.

It doesn’t affect anyone else if I’m enrolled in a university or not, but this is the response I get from almost everyone. As if school isn’t always going to be there. Or that it’s somehow wrong to not want to spend my young adult years putting all of my time, energy, and money into a career I’m not sure I’ll like in two years.

“No,” I mutter with another small shake of my head.

He looks slightly confused as he opens his mouth, probably to ask about another college or swimming.

Before he gets the chance to let a sound out, another voice pulls both of our attention to the back hallway. “Is the patient ready to go back?” Adrian asks, his eyes glued on mine. He usually has Wednesday’s off like me, but he’s picked up shifts to help Mickey when he can.

How much of that did he hear?

There’s not much of a reason to assume that I know Cody, yet I still feel like I got caught doing something wrong. The longer I look at Adrian though, I don’t see any sort of accusation.Butthere is something sparked in his gaze. Something I’ve never seen from anyone before, at least not directed at me.

“Oh crap,” Cody laughs easily, “I was so distracted from running into you I totally forgot why I was even here.” I know he’s talking to me—I can even feel his eyes on me—but I’m caught up in Adrian’s orbit now, refusing to break our contact until he does.

With languid steps—the movements far too captivating—he closes the distance. I glance down at the small space between us. His chest brushes my shoulder as he leans around me to grab the pre-appointment paperwork and hands it to Cody.

Finally looking away, he adds, “You can finish that over there.” He points to one of the chairs on the other side of the lobby. I try to bite back my smile. “And I’ll take you back when you’re done.”

“Thanks, man,” Cody says with a smile, not noticing the tension rolling off of Adrian in waves. I guess if you didn’t know him, he somehow still looks friendly and approachable, except I do know him.

And the glint in his eyes gives me the impression he wants to regress back into a caveman and throw me over his shoulder, before running away from any man that’s ever looked at me.

I don’t think I should like that thought as much as I do.

Once Cody is sitting about twenty feet away with a black cat meowing in the carrier next to him, Adrian looks back at me, not saying anything. He just leans his butt against the desk in front of me, so I lower myself back into my seat, feeling much more comfortable with him there. He has at least four inches of height to Cody, but it isn’t stifling. It feels almost like an invincible force protecting me.

“That’s… Cody,” I lamely try to explain. “I knew him in high school.”

“You went to an all-girls school, right?” He playfully lifts a brow.

Rolling my eyes, I nod. “You already know I did. Don’t be a dick,” I snap.

He offers me a sweet grin, and my insides instantly melt like an ice cream cone on a summer day at the beach. “Okay, sorry, sorry. I’m just feeling…” He grimaces at himself, tilting his head back and forth. “Weird,” he settles on.

I stare at him, trying to keep a straight face. “Weird,” I repeat.

“Yeah,” he breathes and looks at me almost apologetically. “I shouldn’t have interrup—”

“No,” I whisper, “You definitely should have.”

He lets out a breath. “I wasn’t planning to. That isn’t really my place…” He trails off, like he’s unsure about that statement.

I shrug, feeling a little helpless, but quietly admit, “It could be.”

There’s a heavy moment of eye contact before he breathes out, “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I nod.

“So you aren’thanging outwith anyone else?” he teases, the easy energy we’ve come to know returns. Shaking my head, I think back to the first time we FaceTimed, and the slight panic I went into when I asked him to ‘hang out’ again.

“No, I’m definitely nothanging outwith anyone else.” This time my cheeks flame from the double meaning.

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