Page 3 of Love on the Byline

She smelled like candy.

“...how conventional gender norms...”

He wanted to set her in the middle of his tongue andsimply...let her dissolve there.

“... that women were often excluded from literature orportrayed in stereotypical ways...” She trailed off. Blake lifted a hand andwiggled her fingers in front of his face. “Earth to Oliver.”

He felt his skin flush, and knew he was red-faced. “Sorry,”he stammered, removing his glasses and cleaning themto give his eyes somewhere else to look. His brain needed something else tofocus on other than fuck, she’s beautiful.

She knew. The twinkle in her eyes told him she knew, andthat she didn’t mind. Maybe even felt a similar pull.

“You with me?”

Ollie nodded because that’s the only place he wanted to be.With her.

Replacing his glasses, he swallowed hard and told himself tostop acting like a lovesick idiot. Even if he was a lovesick idiot.

“I am with you.” He focused on typing up their notes andrealized he had no idea what she’d been saying. “The, uh, gender norms.”

Blake was staring at him, her dark eyes full of concern.“You okay, bud?”

Bud. Buddy. Friend.

Because that’s what they were. He really was an idiot.

“Yep, I’m fine.” Ollie shook out his shoulders. “I was just...uh...thinkingabout the party this weekend. Bran asked me to pick up some stuff and I don’t knowwhich store carries it.”

Blake exhaled harshly, turning her attention back to herscreen. “Bran.” She made the name sound like a swear word.

It wasn’t the first time she’d shown animosity towardsOllie’s best friend. He didn’t understand why. Everyone loved Bran. Well,everyone except a few of the girls he’d hooked up with.

The thought brought him up short. Had he missed something?No. Nope. He would have known. Right?

Still. “Did you and Bran ever...?”

Blake’s head snapped up so fast, Ollie thought she mighthave hurt herself.

“Me? And Brandon legacy-golden-boy Peters? God,no.”

The relief that swept over him was swift and definitive. He definitely had it bad for this girl, and he had no clue whatto do about it. They were friends and he didn’t want to jeopardize that, evenif the idea of being more than that made his heart tap dance insidehis chest.

“I’m actually working on a story about him.”

“You are?”

Blake nodded and then seemed to hedge. “Well, not about him,per se, but students like him. Legacies, especially those on athleticscholarships.”

He frowned. “Bran’s not—”

She held up her hand. “Before you say Bran’s not likethat, I know you guys are tight. Though, honestly Ollie, I can’t for thelife of me understand why.”

“Are we really that different? I’m here on an athleticscholarship. Bran and I are on the same soccer team.”

She was shaking her head before he even finished. “Yeah, butyou two couldn’t be more different. You... You’re...”

Ollie found himself holding his breath, eager to hear what shehad to say about him, while also terrified to know her thoughts.

“I’m...?”

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