Page 32 of Cruising with You

Which is what urges me to push him away. Catching my breath, I squeeze my eyes shut and count to ten even though I can feel his eyes on me.

When I finally gain the courage to peek up at him, I laugh quietly, “Whoa.”

Relieved, he joins in. “Yeah. Whoa. You okay?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You sure?”

Licking my lips, I plaster a fake smile to my face. “Yup. Who knew brownie batter tasted so good, right?”

His eyes dim before he drops his hands from my cheeks, making me miss their heat instantly. “Yeah. Who knew?”

The rest of the workshop goes by in a blur while I try to keep my emotions in check, which is damn near impossible. Gem would be so proud.

As soon as Dr. Lorringer finishes, I turn to Gage. “I completely forgot that I have to set some stuff up with Gem for tomorrow, so I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Wait––”

“Sorry, gotta run!”

Then I’m out the door faster than a senior on graduation day. I need to breathe, and I just realized I can’t do that when I’m around him.

I need to find Gem.

12

Nora

Ispot Gem chatting with Conner in the Spin-the-Bottle room after our little therapy session. When she sees me, she waves me over.

“Hey! I didn’t expect to see you. How did––”

Grabbing her forearm, I whisper, “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

“Umm…sure? Let me just––”

“Now, Gem.”

Her eyebrows pinch together as she scans my face. After a second, she nods and turns back to Conner. “Hey, we’re gonna need a rain check on that drink. Let’s meet up tomorrow, maybe?”

“Yeah, sure,” a confused Conner replies. “How does brunch sound?”

“Perfect! I’ll see you at ten?”

“Sure thing. You okay, Nora?” His concern is palpable, but I ignore it.

“Yup. Just in desperate need of a little girl talk. That’s all.”

“You sure?”

I laugh, though it comes out more forced than I’d intended it to. “Yup. Just peachy.”

“Okay.” Rocking back on his heels, he adds, “If you ladies need anything, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks.” Gem plants a quick kiss on his cheek then laces her arm through mine. “We’ll talk later.”

As soon as Conner is out of earshot, Gem tugs me to the side of the room where a dessert buffet has been spread out along a rectangular table. When a platter with brownie bites catches my eye, I cover my mouth and laugh pathetically.

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