Page 43 of Deep In Love
“One hundred and twenty.”
I packed two Costco-sized bags. It felt wrong to not leave a piece for her in the morning.
“Oh.” She jerks backward. “You came very prepared…” She trails off, and I can see the gears turning in her mind. Does she realize I have feelings for her? Could she feel the same?
“I didn’t want you to go three weeks without your favorite treat,” I admit, though the confession feels silly on my tongue.
Her throat bobs. “Thank you, Mateo.”
My heart does twisted things when she says my name like that, with intent and purpose, each of the syllables sharp and full of inflection. I want to hear it more often.
I focus on my computer, responding to emails from undergrads and grading reports from the BIO 301 lab course I run. The timer I set rings out, and I offer Charlie the candy.
Every hour, the alarm goes off, and each time, she beams at me and firecrackers explode in my chest.
As the fourth ring goes off, Shaun stops at the table, turning his body to face Charlie.
“Hey.”
He greets her but ignores my presence entirely, leaning a hip against the table. I’ve noticed his lingering looks at her, the way he searches for her at dinner and engages her in conversation.
She blinks at his proximity, and I brutally bite down on my lip. Her brows dip in confusion.
“Oh, hi, Shaun.”
“Some of the crew are playing board games tonight after dinner if you want to join.”
The suggestion in his voice is disgustingly obvious, and it requires every ounce of professionalism I possess to control the rage simmering in my chest.
I’ve been flirting with Charlie for two years, so if he wants his turn, he needs to get his ass in line.
“Sounds fun!” Her cheery response fans the flames of jealousy, and only after a long stretch of silence do I realize they’re watching me. Charlie’s brows scrunch, her head tilting before she asks, “Are you going to play, Mateo?”
Shaun cuts in. “If you’re busy with work, I can keep Charlie company.”
Her lip pulls between her teeth, her focus shifting between Shaun and me.
“Sounds fun,” I grit out. If he’s going to flirt with her, he’s going to do so under my watchful eye, where I can curse him the way Charlie tried to curse me.
Shaun nods, but his disappointment is evident, and the urge to stick out my tongue is almost overwhelming. Charlie’s rubbing off on me.
Since we’ve met, I’ve wanted her to see me as anything more than a rival. But since we’ve started this adventure, something has changed. The tectonic plates our relationship is built upon have begun to shift, only I can’t decipher if they’re moving closer or further apart.
I’ve fought the same battle in my mind—to tell her how I feel or silently let go and move on. Buck up or shut up, as Oliver so eloquently put it. But watching her build something with anyone else might kill me, which means I’m at a crossroads.
“There are too many people to play,” Shaun says, and I cut him a glare. I know where this is going. “But if we have partners, it could work.”
And there it is. Hook, line, and sinker. All he has to do is wait for Charlie to take the bait.
He’s been this way all evening. Sitting beside her, stealing her air and attention. Offering her a drink after dinner, leaning in close to speak into her ear, touching her bicep after she says something amusing.
And I’ve had to watch it all. Witness her respond to the subtle touches and whispered words. It’s a tough pill to swallow, watching from the outside looking in. Has she ever reacted to me like that?
Have I harbored these feelings for two years with no chance of reciprocity?
The pasta I had for dinner sours in my stomach. The slight sway of the vessel doesn’t help matters.
Here it comes, the question he’s set up. Three…two…one…
