Page 105 of Wanted You More

“The day after your birthday.”

They haven’t talked in weeks? “What did she tell you when you said it wasn’t working?”

Noah drops his hand, knowing I’m not going to be walking away. “She asked if it had anything to do with you. I didn’t tell her about what happened, but I think she knew something had changed.”

Of course she did. She’s been trying to get rid of me for the past two years. “And what if she was calling to ask you for another chance?”

He moves his head back and forth. “You and I both know I wouldn’t give her one. She deserves better. She should be with someone who only wants her.”

Hearing him say that does something to my chest. “You care about her.”

He doesn’t deny it. “I was with her for a long time,” he reiterates as if that’s explanation enough. When he sees me staring, he adds, “It’d be bad if I didn’t.”

I suppose he’s right. “Would you care if she were with someone else?”

There’s no hesitation. “No.”

The big question comes next. “Would you care ifIdated somebody else? Someone like Lincoln?”

If I blinked, I would have missed the tic to his jaw. “You already know the answer to that. That’s why you didn’t bring him up until your birthday party.”

All I can do is nod because he’s right.

Again.

The good news is, Lincoln and Kennedy seem to have made up because we’ve all been having at least one meal a day together. Usually breakfast, but sometimes we’ll all have dinner together too. None of us have been partying as much because of upcoming exams, but we do try having study sessions in one of our rooms when I’m not here with Noah.

“You don’t have to worry about Linc,” I promise him, putting my hand on his arm. “I’ve never been interested in him.”

“Has he shown interest?” he asks, causing me to raise my brows. “It’d be surprising if he didn’t express any.”

“Why is that?”

He deadpans. “You’ve always been a beautiful girl, Austen. Don’t play dumb. Guys pay attention to you far more than I’d like them to. I’ve seen it firsthand myself. Any time you’re out, somebody notices you and I have to see them stare like they have a chance.”

I didn’t know he noticed. Most of the time, I didn’t notice because I had no interest in whoever was watching. Not unless it was Noah.

Still, I cross my arms over my chest in challenge. “How would you know they don’t have a chance?”

He chuckles. “Because whether we like it or not, it’s always been us. None of them would compare to me no matter how hard you’d try to make them fit the mold.”

I didn’t realize he could be this cocky.

It’s oddly…hot.

“I guess that makes two of us,” I say sweetly, leaning down to graze my lips against his ear. “Because Bailey couldn’t live up to me or you would have never come inside me that night in your truck.”

***

Lincoln is waitingfor me outside the classroom, holding a cup of coffee he must have gotten after finishing his exam. “For you.”

I take it greedily. “I think I may love you,” I tease, blowing on the steam and taking a long sip as we walk toward the front entrance. When I look up at him, he’s watching me. “I think I crushed that final project. What about you?”

He lifts a shoulder nonchalantly. “It wasn’t too hard. What do you have planned for the rest of the day?”

Grabbing my phone, I look at the time. “I don’t know. Ken mentioned some bonfire thing tonight that we might go to. Are you coming?”

His lips twitch. “I don’t know…”

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