Page 69 of Elusion

“So, you kept trying to put me off until Saturday after the challenge ended.” She smiles. “I chose Friday as endgame, too.”

My head jerks back. “What?”

“Benji told me he thought you had real feelings for me, so I decided you had until Friday to tell me. Otherwise, I wasn’t going to see you when I came back.”

“Is that why you showed up at the bar instead of going to Graham’s?”

She nods.

What the fuck?

I feel as if someone punched me in the gut and simultaneously ripped out my heart, only to crush it in front of me. The tension forms in my head so fast that I release her to massage it away before it worsens.

“Everything that happened that weekend was because I wouldn’t tell you how I felt earlier?” The room allows very little pacing space, but I need to move, so back and forth between the benches I go. “Why would you do something so stupid? Why would I do something so stupid? Damn it, we really are the most stubborn two people.”

“Jordan, stop. Everything’s fine. We’re fine.”

“Fine?” I stop and throw my hands in the air because she’s lost her fucking mind. Round-the-clock-care kind of lost her mind. Trey needs a new definition for crazy. She needs one for fine. Come Christmas time, everyone’s getting a dictionary.

“Callie, you went on a bender. We stopped seeing each other because you were acting like a completely different person. You broke my fucking heart, and all I needed to do to prevent it from happening was tell you I wanted to be with you?”

I did. I always wanted her. I just took too long to figure it out and then scared myself out of it like a tool. I rub my forehead, pacing again. Nothing in the last few weeks needed to happen. Not her feeling as if she lost control over her life or her blackout or Tyler. None of it. By trying not to let her down, I let her down.

The thoughts and emotions flood through me, and I need a way to let her know how I feel without words because I have no more. She jumps at my sudden change in direction. I crash into her, my mouth melding to hers, and everything transfers from me to her. Through my lips, my tongue, my arms holding her tight against me—all of it telling her what my brain fails to convey. Let everyone else in her life care about themselves. I’ll put her first.

When my mind slows enough so that I can string together sentences again, I break away from her. She’s out of breath, the most adorable, bewildered look on her face.

I cup her cheeks and drop my forehead onto hers. “We’re going to start telling each other what we’re thinking. And I’m starting right now.”

Her eyes widen. “Jordan…”

She sounds utterly terrified, and I can’t help myself.

“Callie, I have to say it.” I inhale slowly, drawing out her panic. “I’m starving.”

I’m in free fall—eighty-five percent euphoric and fifteen percent terror-stricken.

In some families, a younger brother falling for a girl receives helpful advice from his big brother. Mine just sent me a picture of a random girl sucking on his big toe. As far as Callie goes, I’m on my own. I tuck my phone in my pocket and shut the locker.

Connor’s already dressed, and he hands me the backpack on his way to the door. Unaware of where he’s going because of his phone, I grab his shoulder to redirect him seconds before he walks straight into the wall.Kids.

In the hallway, Cate waits for us with her arms crossed. “You told her? I can’t believe you, Jordan!”

I raise my hands in submission. “Calm down, my dear. I told who, what?”

She marches over and pokes me with her finger. “Cal. Fruit snacks.”

Send me to jail and throw away the key because I’m no better than a criminal. “I promise I didn’t tell her anything. She’s a mind reader.”

Cate giggles, and apparently, I’ve earned forgiveness. She grabs my hand and drags me to the stairs. I snag Connor’s shirtsleeve to let him know we’re leaving. When we reach the top, I glance around but no Callie.

“Thanks for waiting, everybody,” she says, coming up from behind us. Her hair’s pulled high into a wet ponytail, skin still flush from our time in the steam room.

How does she expect me to keep my hands off her when she looks so gorgeous?

She dangles her keys. “Connor, go start the car.”

With his eyes still fixed on his phone, he swipes them out of her hand. A giddy Cate skips out behind him. Callie’s fingers interlace with mine on our way to the desk where Shayna waves a twenty-dollar bill.

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