Page 45 of Deep In Love
“I am nottotally in love.”
Jett laughs, and the sound grates on the last of my nerves.
“Sure,” he drawls, “you just watch her all the time in a creepy, stalker kind of way and have been trying to murder Shaun with your eyes.”
He pats me on the shoulder, like an elderly man, and walks away.
Creepy, stalker kind of way?
“I do not stare at her like that,” I hiss, stomping after him. Have I denied his claim? No, but I’m not sure I can, at least not fully.
Could I love Charlie Bowen?
With every fiber of my being, if she would let me.
The thought settles deep in my chest, that kernel burrowing into the marrow of my bones. When I return to the table, she is watching me, nibbling at her lip.
Her mouth opens as if she’s going to say something, but Shaun steals her attention, solidifying my resolve.
I have to annihilate him in Catan.
Chapter 14
Charlie
Mateo is brooding, and I’m so turned on by it I might burst into flames.
The man is pissed off about something, his brow furrowed and arms crossed over his chest, and fuck me, it’s hotter than hell.
He’s been this way all afternoon.
“I’ll trade you three lumber for one ore,” Shaun offers, and like every other time, Jett and Mateo turn down his trade.
They’ll trade with Sofía and Vivian, but if Shaun asks, the answer is always no.
“That’s more than a fair trade,” Vivian says, her head bouncing between Mateo and Shaun.
Jett flicks through their cards and hums. “Look, dude”—he shrugs—“we don’t need any lumber.”
Mateo stretches his arms over his head, leans back in his chair, and glares at Shaun like he’s the singular cause of climate change.
What the fuck is his problem, and why am I physically responding to his pissy behavior?
Shaun sighs, then rolls the dice.
“I didn’t expect such harsh competition.” He chuckles. “I was hoping to impress you by winning.”
Impress me?
Oh my god…is he flirting with me?
My brain flies through past events. The offer to play board games but excluding Mateo. Sitting close to me at dinner. Offering me a drink and demanding I be his partner.
Shaun fixates on my lips, and my jaw slackens.
Holy shit, heisflirting with me.
The realization forces my attention to Mateo, whose scowl deepens, and I jerk away from Shaun, increasing the space between us. A tingle ripples along my arm from the intense glare on Mateo’s face.
