Page 60 of A Stealthy Situation

I can feel the reluctance radiating from him.

“Like you mean it.”

He huffs and drops his head back against my shoulder. “I love your plants. They’re the prettiest flora I’ve ever seen.”

“Aww …” I headbutt him this time. “I think you just got Stacy pollinated.”

He belts me in the shoulder, and I laugh, pulling him out of the enclosure and closing it up behind us. We still have a lot of night left to spend together, eating in the Zen Garden under the stars, but I’m already dreading the night being over.

I’m just going to take each moment together one at a time and hope he’s right there with me.

I grab my usual green tea and hot chocolate and hightail it to class. I’m running later than usual due to Austin being slammed at Bean Necessities, but I still have plenty of time to make it before Professor Brooks locks the doors.

The second I see Benny, hood up and pretty eyes darting around the class, the smile that breaks out across my face is out of control. The other night was … wow. And every text message since has made me confident I’m falling for the guy, which is something I’m still trying to catch up with. It’s one thing to be attracted to him sexually, but to start having feelings, to be thinking about more than just hanging out and getting off? It’s been a process.

I jog up the few stairs between us, careful not to spill our drinks, and plonk his hot chocolate down in front of him.

“Good morning, cutie.”

Benny scoops up his drink. “You’re in a good mood today.”

I dump my bag and drop into the seat next to him. “No more than usual.”

“Just more … obvious, I guess.”

“Well …” I give him a sly look. “Fun nights out will do that to a guy.”

He laughs easily, obviously catching my drift. I still can’t shake the feeling that he’s different in class though. Definitely not as grumpy and cynical … maybe he’s trying to make us look more platonic than we are while other people are around.

I don’t care if they guess though, but I’ve never actually told Benny that.

“I’m assuming you’re busy after this?” He always is, but it’s worth checking.

There’s regret in his eyes as he says, “Study.”

“Of course.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know.”

I think he’s going to drop it at that when he turns to me suddenly. “I just want you to know that I would if I could. I don’t have a whole lot of friends, and being able to talk to you, it’s just … less lonely. That’s all. I have to study. But I really like that we’re friends.”

I nod, but I don’t have an answer for that. He likes that we’re friends? Is he trying to drive home where I stand? And what does he mean that he doesn’t have friends? He has an entire house of frat brothers he talks to; he has his family, we message nonstop. And lonely? Did Benny just talk feelings to me? Without me having to push?

Everything about that was … weird.

Discomfort creeps along my spine. I can’t pinpoint what causes it, but it has me agitated for most of class. Benny is back concentrating, I’m back watching him, and something is … off.

The feeling’s been coming on for a while, but while we’re in class, statistics is usually our main source of conversation. That out-of-left-field apology type of thing is new and … not Benny.

He doesn’t feel like Benny.

The thought is fucking ridiculous.

I shake off the discomfort. I’m reading into things. Being hot and cold is sort of Benny’s thing, and if I thought hooking up again would change that, I’m an idiot.

“Want some gum?” he asks.

---