Page 30 of Don't Puck the Wrong Brother

I repeat after him. "A chance?"

His eyes search my face and then his hand cups my cheek. He rubs his thumb across my bottom lip, and the touch sends jolts through me.

"A chance. I want to get to know you. And I want you to know me."

I almost laugh because he's out of his mind.

"You might not like how we met, but I sure as fuck can't get you out of my head. I'm intrigued, and I want to know more. If you liked my asshole brother then I'm sure you'll love me."

He sounds so confident as he says that. He thinks his brother is an asshole? And the brother thing is even more reason not to pursue this.

"I don’t know. I guess I need to think about it," I find myself saying. I’m not exactly convinced, but I don’t know. I don’t know why I just said that.

He licks his lips, dropping his hand. "Okay. Thinking's good."

"Yeah."

Silence falls between us, thick with possibilities I don't dare examine too closely. I need him to leave before I do or say something stupid.

"You should probably go," I say finally. "People might notice."

He stands, towering over me. "When will you be done thinking?"

The question catches me off guard. "I don't know. This isn't exactly a situation with a handbook."

"How about I give you a deadline?" There's that confidence again, like he already knows the outcome.

"A deadline?" I raise an eyebrow. "For what? My moral crisis?"

"For deciding if you'll let me take you to dinner." He grins, and my stomach does something ridiculous in response. "Tomorrow night. Eight o'clock."

"That's not much time for thinking," I point out.

"I find that too much thinking just complicates things." He starts walking backward toward the door. "Besides, it's just dinner. Not a marriage proposal."

I stand too, crossing my arms. "And what if I say no?"

"Then I'll respect that." His expression turns serious. "But I hope you'll say yes."

"Why?" The question slips out before I can stop it.

He pauses, hand on the doorknob. "Because there's something here, Hannah. Something real. And I think you feel it too."

Before I can respond, he cracks the door and peeks out. "Coast is clear," he says, then looks back at me. "Eight o'clock tomorrow. Yes or no."

"I haven't decided yet."

"Text me when you do." And with that, he slips out the door, closing it silently behind him.

I collapse back onto my bed, mind spinning. What just happened? Did I really just consider going on a date with my ex-boyfriend's brother? The same brother I accidentally slept with? The one who just witnessed the most humiliating confrontation of my life?

My phone buzzes on my nightstand. Lennox.

Lennox:GIRL. There is a literal HOCKEY GOD walking out of your dorm right now. Sanders Connolly?! EXPLAIN YOURSELF IMMEDIATELY.

I groan and bury my face in my pillow. Of course, Lennox saw him. Probably her and the rest of the floor. Because this day couldn't possibly get any more complicated.

Hannah:It's a long story.

---