Page 65 of Conner's Luna

He doesn't budge, just stands there like a statue, glaring at my head as if my curlers called him fat.

"Conner," I say impatiently. I listen for Dad to be stumbling around downstairs. It's quiet, but I know he'll wake up soon. "My Dad is going to wake up."

"He's still snoring away," Conner says. In a sudden motion, he grabs my waist and pulls me into a hug. He lifts me clear off of my feet, bringing my face level with his, then buries his nose in my neck.

"Eek! That tickles, Conner!" I start to squirm and giggle.

"You're ticklish," he breathes into my skin, which only makes the tickling sensation worse. "Fun," he says.

"Don't you dare-" I bite my lip to keep my squeal inside as Conner starts to nuzzle and blow on my skin. I can't keep the gasping little giggles inside, though. I must sound like a dying fish out of water.

"Alright, alright," Conner says, laughing when I start to yank on his hair, hard. He finally puts me down to rub his head, pouting. "Leave the fur alone, lady."

"You are extra-hairy. I felt like I was snuggling a bear pelt all night," I tease him. He has the makings of a nice happy trail, too. "It's not too much or too little, but juuust right," I drawl.

He looks at his own bare chest and grins. "I'll only get fuzzier, Goldilocks. Wait a few years, Babe."

The joy leaves me in a swift punch. A few years, but I'm leaving State asap. I might not ever see Conner again. The thought hurts so badly that it feels like real pain twists my heart. I rub my chest, willing the ache to go away.

"Bailey?" Conner grabs me, his own hand pressing over my own where it lays on over my heart. "Why is your heart racing?" he snaps out.

Whimpering, I snuggle closer to him, trapping our hands between our bodies. The ache goes away almost immediately.

"What happened? I'll call Uncle Mattie and-"

"No," I croak out. "I was just thinking... I'm going to apply for transfers today."

He goes very quiet. "Where?"

I tell him my top three choices.

"Not Caluna?" he rasps.

"It's farther from the lab and they don't have rolling admissions," I tell him. "Spring registration has closed."

"My Uncle can get you in," Conner tells me.

I pull away, looking at him in surprise, "Uncle Mattie? Uncle Devel?"

"No, Uncle Alex."

"Who is Uncle Alex? Is he on the school's board or something?"

Conner smiles, but a bit weakly. "Ah, Alexander Clear is my uncle. Not by blood, but he's like a brother to my dad. I have a big family," he finishes lamely as I blink at him in stupefied shock.

"Alexander Clear, the CEO of CH Enterprises is your uncle?" I ask him.

"I'm sort of his heir," Conner admits.

"You really are a trust-fund baby," I blurt out. "I knew you were rich, Conner, but that's stratosphere-wealthy." I examine him. When I walk around him and pull on the waistband of his jeans (they don't budge, the annoying fit person that he is) he laughs and spins around.

"What are you doing? You've already seen my shorts, babe."

"I'm checking for brand names," I tell him. I pick up his t-shirt and look at the label suspiciously. Hanes. Conner watches me, amused, his arms crossed over his not-a-too-hairy-yet chest.

"Shouldn't this be from the Banana Republic, at least?" I wave the shirt at him.

He snatches it from me and pulls it on over his head. "I'm not some snob, Bails. It's my uncle's money."

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