Page 201 of The Fake Date Agreement

I jerk to a stop.

Tobie is back!

We’ve all been taking it in turns—at least Javier and me, with Caleb out of commission—to swing by her room and knock on her door.

No one has seen her.

Her friend, Max, like most students, must have gone away for spring break because she’s not been answering her door either.

And Tobie’s curtains have remained drawn.

Except now.

Nowthey’re open.

I jog toward her dorm, fumbling in my pocket for my cell to call Javier.

The door swings open, and Tobie steps out.

Tobie spots me and halts.

She jumps when the door slams shut behind her, yet at no point does she take her eyes off me as I approach.

She’s in sweats and a hoodie, wearing her thin gold-framed glasses and not a scrap of makeup on her face. No woman has ever looked so beautiful.

And when my eyes flick to her left hand, her finger is bare.

Does that mean what I think it means?

“Tobie!” I hurry toward her.

Before I can close the distance, she retreats, her hand coming up between us. Doing something I never thought she would ever do—keepingmeat a distance.

We’ve spent most of this semester falling for each other, and it fucking hurts that she’s shutting me down.

“You’re back,” I say, taking a small step back.

If she needs distance, it’s hers.

Whatever she needs.

“I came back a couple of hours ago,” she says.

“With Marc?”

He’s been missing in action as well. Not sure if he went away for spring break, but none of us have seen him on campus, and that isn’t because of a lack of trying.

I’ve been actively looking, even though I told Jay I wouldn’t. It’s not a good idea with how badly I want to wrap my hands around his throat and squeeze.

She shakes her head. “I was with my dad.”

I stare at her, struggling to believe she’s here.

She opens her mouth, probably to tell me to leave her alone.

Fuck it.

I take a step forward. “I told myself I’d keep my distance and give you space, and I will, but you can’t marry that prick. He ran Caleb over, and he never made you happy.”

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