Page 37 of Rear View
“Nope,” I said, hands trembling as I organized the stack of tests, splitting them in two before I slid his half over.
He took his seat and set a coffee down in front of me.
“Thanks.” I fought back the faint ringing in my ears, trying to focus on something else.Anythingelse. The sharp scent of the roasted beans hit me and my nose crinkled. I hated the stuff. Always had, but it was the thought that counted.
He’d been around a lot more since the car show, and there was a weird, almost territorial edge to him that I wasn’t sure how I felt about.
Chloe sauntered in, her shock of white-blonde hair cascading to the middle of her back. Her pretty, light, olive-colored eyes landed on Christian as she breathed, “Hi.”
His shoulders fell, his head angling down as if he was trying to hide.
“Did you get my coffee?”
He cursed, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry. I, uh, totally forgot.”
Her gaze dropped to the one in front of me, going almost feral as she folded her arms over her ample chest.
Great.The last thing I needed was to be sandwiched between whatever drama was going down with them. Sighing, I softened my expression, plastered on the best smile I could manage and nudged mine toward her. “You can have this one, if you’d like?”
She scoffed, her glare searing me to the spot before she turned her high-pitched ire on Christian. “I need to get to class. I’ll talk to you later!” Pivoting on her heel, she stomped away, exiting the way she’d come.
My frown was deep when I turned it on him. “Thanks for that.”
He flushed a bright shade of crimson.
“So, things with you two are going well,” I said, side-eyeing him as I flipped through the test before me.
His expression fell flat. “Something like that.”
He’d been cagey for days, staying tight-lipped about her, which was telling on its own. He either didn’t want me to know what was up or he was still deciding himself.
My phone buzzed and I snatched it off the table. My wild emotions ebbed, tiny butterflies flitting in to replace them. A strange calm settled over me when I eyed the name on the screen.Xavier.
Xavier: You ever been snowmobiling?
Interesting. A small smile tested my lips.
Me: I…have not.
Xavier: Weather’s supposed to be good Saturday. I’m headed out at noon with Alec, Sheila and a few others, including your bro. Wanna join?
Xavier. He was the distraction I needed. The one I wanted.
Me: Gasp! You asked my brother before me?
Xavier: I know you like me, darlin, but it’s just too soon for us to go unchaperoned.
I hiccupped a laugh, my face burning from the blush that seared my cheeks. I bit my lip because his effort to make sure I was comfortable hadn’t escaped me. It was thoughtful. The sweet kind.
Still, group thing or not, my going could send a message. Was I ready for that? I trailed my thumb along the hard edge of my phone. Up, down. Up, down.
“Who’s that?” Christian asked, his tone sharp.
My mouth ran dry. I didn’t want to answer, but nor was I about to lie. “Xavier.”
He grabbed his stack of tests and started marking, his pen scraping over the pages harder than necessary. “You sure that’s a good idea?”
I drew my head back.
