Page 35 of Beautiful Defiance

I scoot as close to the wall as I can without looking like a girl version of Spider Man hanging off the wall sideways. Seven scoots after me. His leg brushes against mine. The hair tickles my sensitive skin, and I bite down on my moan, remembering that only yesterday, I straddled him and almost started grinding on his erection when we kissed.

“Seven, you should stay on your side.”

“Why?”

Does he not feel the heat wafting between us? With me in my skimpy camisole and a pair of lace-trimmed black undies, us in bed like this can get dangerous and dirty real fast.

“It’s hot.”

“But I’m cold.”

“Seven Shanahan, are you whining?”

“Yeah.”

There’s the hint of a smile in his voice.

I blow out an exaggerated sigh. “Fine, but after you get warm, leave breathing room.”

“Gotcha. Okay.”

He plasters against me. I hold still, not wanting to encourage him to touch me or something.

“Back to my question. Why are you wired?”

“We lost the game to those bastards.”

“That’s my fault how?”

“You have my lucky coin.”

His fingertips graze mine. I bring my arm up and rest it on my stomach. Anything to keep us from touching. If I let him touch me, I’ll want him to do other things, like kiss me full on the mouth.

“I’m sorry, Seven. I should’ve brought it to you before the game started.” Then I say words that blur the lines. “How can I make it up to you?”

I’m expecting his ask to be dirty. Or for him to take our corner kisses to the full mouth-on-mouth deal. What he asks for, though, is . . . surprising.

“I’d like to know more about you. Where you grew up. What kinds of parents raised you. What your favorite food is. What your dreams are. Heartaches too. And I’d like to know what parts of Cambridge you’d like to explore.”

“Seven Shanahan, are you wanting to spend time with me?” I shift onto my side, and balanced on my elbow, I study his profile.

I left the curtains parted, not trusting myself around Seven in complete darkness.

“Yeah, if it means we can fight so we can kiss and make up afterward.”

Sly grin from Seven.

Smiling, I get on my back again and tell Seven of my life. It’s so nice to have someone to talk to, and without meaning to, I overshared.

“I grew up in Oakland, California. My mother, Constance Tan, married my father, Alistair Kim, after she had me. She was nineteen, and my father, twenty-five. They died when I was thirteen.”

“Aw, I’m sorry, Leigh.”

He reaches for my hand under the covers and interlaces our fingers. His palm is rough, and his fingers, big. I concentrate on a spot on the ceiling, my heart beating fast like hummingbird wings.

“What were they like? I mean, aside from the bouts of defiance, you’re cool.”

A compliment from Seven? I ignore the fast beats of my heart and talk to my heart’s desire about the two people I love and miss so much in this world.

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