Page 13 of Fault Line

His touch is featherlight, polite, and reserved. He’s a bit too much of a gentleman to pick up on my subtle hints. So if I want to move things in the right direction, I’ll need to step up my own game.

Slowly spinning in place, I press my back to his front and lean further against him. Tentatively, his arms snake around my body, caressing me. As the air between us heats up, the song switches to something low and slow.

While we dance, my gaze aimlessly drifts around the crowd. I spot Lizzie and Rai in the same place that I left them. Holden’s still there, too, of course, manspreading beside them on the couch, red Solo cup lifted to his lips. It’s not long before he notices me staring.

We make eye contact, and his mouth quirks up into a smirk. He lifts his cup toward me, tipping it in a form of silent cheers. Lifting a challenging brow, he takes another slow, deliberate drink, and a prickle of discomfort dots up my spine.

I’m not sure what his aim is here, but at this point, he’s successfully disrupted my equilibrium. Shaking my head clear, I attempt to refocus my attention on my dance partner. It’s nearly impossible, though, considering I can still feel Holden’s gaze smoldering in our direction.

I manage to make it through one more song before my eyes stray back to the scene. But where Lizzie and Rai remain, Holden’s nowhere to be found.

Oh, fucking hell.

By now, I’ve lost all semblance of interest in the guy I’m dancing with ... whose name I can’t even seem to recall. So I give up and excuse myself, wandering back over to the cozy couple.

“Alright,” I say with a heavy sigh. “I think tonight might be a bust for me, Liz. I kind of want to head out.”

“No worries.” She nuzzles closer to Rai, sipping slowly from her cup. It looks like she’s been nursing the same one for the past hour, so I’m not too concerned about loose inhibitions. “I think I’m gonna stay here, though.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, text me when you make it back to the apartment.”

“Let me know if you need anything, okay?” I muster up my most threatening look, pointing an accusing finger at Rai. He lifts an amused brow as I say, “And you, don’t do anything that deserves an ass kicking.”

“I’ll be perfectly safe,Mom,” Lizzie chides, rolling her eyes. “Don’t you worry.”

I cut through the crowd, making my way through the front door and back onto their ostentatious porch. As I fumble with my phone, pulling up the Uber app, those ugly bird statues glare down at me, and a sudden shiver racks my body.

“Leaving so soon?”

I freeze in place, spine stiffening at the sound of Holden’s irritating voice. My fingers run through the ends of my hair as I turn to face him. He’s leaning against the house, partially hidden by the pillar’s shadow.

“You really are everywhere.”

“Just getting some air,” he says, lips pressed into a flat line.

“Why?”

He gestures toward the star-painted sky in front of us. It’s clear, cloud-free, a midnight blue that glows on the horizon. “It’s a nice night.”

I shake my head, recalling how he watched me dance from across the room, his eyes burning into us. One minute, he was there. The next, he disappeared. “Yeah, is that the only reason?”

“What other reason would I have, Karras?”

“Never mind.” I sigh, nibbling on my bottom lip. I don’t know if I’m reading into things I shouldn’t, but I’m not going to be the first one of us to crack. I move to step down from the porch and say, “I’ll see you in class, Beck.”

“Do you need a ride?”

My brow arches as I rear back. “What?”

“A ride?” He assesses me with a smug smirk. “You know, the thing where you get in my car and I drive you home.”

“Haven’t you been drinking?”

“Water,” he says earnestly, forming a quick cross over his chest. “That’s it.”

I eye him suspiciously. “Why are you being nice to me?”

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