Page 93 of Don't Puck the Wrong Brother

Outside with dinner. Take your time.

I glance up from my notes, catching Ethan's questioning look from across the table. "Food break?" he asks.

"Actually," I begin, already gathering my things, "I think I'm done for tonight."

Madison raises an eyebrow. "The Hannah Porter, leaving a study session early? Is the world ending?"

I laugh, feeling my cheeks warm. "I've been here since three. I think I've earned a break."

"Wouldn't have anything to do with that text you just got, would it?" Kelly teases, her voice low enough that only our table can hear.

"No comment," I reply, carefully organizing my notes into color-coded folders.

"The coffee guy?" Madison presses, leaning forward with interest.

I don't answer, but my smile gives me away.

"Get it, girl," Kelly says with an approving nod. "Those shoulders alone would make me skip studying."

"I'm not skipping," I protest, zipping my backpack. "I'm taking a strategic pause for nourishment and rest."

"Oh, she is very reasonable…and cares much about her food and rest regime," Ethan jokes, and I'm relieved to see there's no jealousy in his expression—just friendly teasing.

"You're hysterical," I declare, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow. Same time?"

They chorus their agreement as I make my way out of the study room, my heart quickening with each step toward the exit. It's ridiculous, really—I saw Sanderson this morning, texted with him all day, and yet the prospect of seeing him again sends butterflies swirling through my stomach.

He's leaning against his car in the parking lot, scrolling through his phone with casual concentration. He's changed since morning—dark jeans, a forest green shirt that makes his eyes seem more amber than brown, his hair slightly damp like he's recently showered. He looks up as I approach, his entire expression brightening in a way that makes my breath catch.

"Hannah," he says, pocketing his phone.

"James," I say, stopping in front of him.

For a moment, we just look at each other, the memory of last night and this morning hanging between us. Then he leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my lips that feels both familiar and thrillingly new.

"So…what did you bring?" I ask.

He opens the passenger door for me, revealing several take-out containers on the seat. "Italian. Hope that works?"

"Perfect." I slide in, moving the containers to my lap as he closes the door and walks around to the driver's side.

"So," he says once he's settled behind the wheel. "My place or yours?"

The question sounds casual, but I catch the underlying significance. We've only ever been to my dorm—I've never seen where he lives, this private space that might reveal more about him than he typically shows the world.

"Yours," I decide, curiosity winning out over the comfort of familiar territory. "If that's okay?"

"More than okay," he says, starting the engine. "Just don't judge the décor. It's very…bachelor pad minimal."

"I'm shocked," I deadpan, earning a grin from him.

The drive to his apartment is filled with easy conversation—about my study session, his classes, the upcoming conference finals that have his team on an intensified practice schedule. It strikes me how comfortable this has become, this back-and-forth between us. No pretenses, no careful script of getting-to-know-you questions, just the natural flow of two people sharing their days.

His apartment is in a complex about ten minutes from campus, nicer than I expected for a college student. When I comment on this, he shrugs. "Hockey scholarship perks. Plus, I have a few roommates, but they're both at their girlfriends' places tonight."

The revelation that we'll be alone sends a flutter through me—not anxiety but anticipation.

He unlocks the door, stepping aside to let me enter first. The apartment is indeed minimal, but surprisingly neat. The living room contains a large sectional sofa facing a wall-mounted TV, a coffee table stacked with textbooks and what appear to be game films, and not much else. The walls are mostly bare except for a framed hockey jersey and a few team photos.

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