Page 61 of The Romance Rivalry

“Irene,” he says. His tone teasing me in warning. “This is gonna get really messy pretty quick if you don’t stop that.”

I smile against his mouth, feeling his lips stretch as well.

Wow. Scenes like this, my favorite scenes in the books I read, really do happen.

And maybe more surprising... I don’t hate experiencing it in the flesh. In fact, I am loving this.

He pulls his face away, arm braced against the door, and in a surprising move, lays his head on my shoulder. The tenderness of the move steals my breath. I wrap my hand around the back of his head and tuck him in, holding him againstme. I kiss him on the top of his hair and wrap my other arm around his back, waiting as his breathing evens out.

After a moment, he straightens up but won’t look me in the eyes.

When he finally does, the mask is back on and the moment is gone.

“Well, now that that’s out of the way,” he says, brushing it off, “come on in.”

Okay, Aiden, I won’t push you to talk, I think.Not yet.

I look around his dorm room.

It’s a single. Basically the same size as my double, but with half the furniture. That hardly seems fair, this much space for one person. His desk houses a huge computer monitor with Post-it notes stuck all around it. It’s the only sign of anything messy in the entire room. The place is unnaturally clean for a college dorm. I wonder if he’s organized it all for me, knowing I was coming, or if he’s usually this tidy.

I scan the other side of the room. “Just one bed,” I say under my breath as I take in the extra-long twin against the far wall.

He lets out a little laugh. “Yeah, it’s technically a double. But the guy who was supposed to be my roommate dropped out of school before the semester even started. I wouldn’t mind having a roommate, especially someone like Charles, but this gives me a lot of space and privacy, if I need it. But the seven of us in these four rooms usually just keep ourdoors open and pretty much all live in the common area, anyways.” He reaches back and grabs his neck, then lifts his hand and scratches the back of his head. He’s fidgeting. Is he nervous?

I nod, noticing that the door is actually closed right now.

“Hey, so, I’m sorry I didn’t text you back the last couple days. I’ve just had a lot on my mind.”

“No problem,” I say with a shrug. My voice betrays me, though, trying too hard to be light and cheery. It very clearly was a problem.

“Look, to be honest, my head was kind of fucked up during Parents Day. I don’t know, I guess I actually thought maybe they’d show up.”

It takes me a second, but then I realize he’s talking about his parents. “Oh, I didn’t realize that you’d invited them.”

“Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute thing. I told my brother about it. I asked him to tell them. And then I just waited, I guess. I knew they would likely not show up. I didn’t know it would be as disappointing as it was when they didn’t, though.”

He goes and sits down on his bed, puts his elbows on his knees, and locks his hands, looking down at them.

I’d never seen the confident and ever-capable Aiden Jeon look this defeated. And it hurts to witness it. Of all the times I’ve worried about disappointing my parents, I don’t think there was ever once I didn’t know they would loveme anyways. And maybe Aiden’s parents do love him in their own way. It’s just a very shitty way of showing it, if you ask me.

I walk over and stand between his legs, forcing him to straighten and look up at me from his seated position.

I wrap my arms around his shoulders and draw him to me, holding him, willing him not to pull away. He doesn’t.I’m sorry. I’m sorry they didn’t show up. I’m sorry that your parents are being assholes. That they’re not supporting you. You deserve better than this.I think all the words in my head but don’t say them aloud. I don’t know how he’d feel about hearing them.

He looks up at me. His eyes are soft... but questioning. I wonder what he sees when he looks at me. What is it that he’s wondering about at this exact moment? He shakes his head almost imperceptibly, and when his gaze returns, the sparkle is back, the smile slowly spreading until his dimples are on full display. Every butterfly in my stomach decides now is the time to flutter.

He pulls me a little, tugging at me until we both fall back, me on top of him.

A loud squeak escapes my mouth at the surprise tumble. Attractive.

“Oh my god, are you okay?” I ask. What if I crack one of his ribs or something?

But he just laughs and spins us both until we’ve traded positions, him on top of me now. It feels like the cocoon of aweighted blanket, a human blanket, and I never want to pull it off me.

He puts weight on his elbows on either side of my head, looking down into my eyes. My body thrums with the need and want for him to kiss me again, but I also want more. I want to explore him and I want to... be explored.

“Please,” I say, as an invitation. What I’m asking for, I’m not sure. Maybe I’m asking for everything. I want everything with Aiden.

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