Page 20 of Unloved

I’m groaning already as she finishes and I unceremoniously shove a piece of toast into my mouth and grab a water bottle.

“I’m supposed to be at the library in twenty minutes.”

“Damn, Ro!” Sadie smiles. “I think I’m proud of you for this, actually. First ever day you’re late to anything.”

I’m already desperately searching the cabinets for a protein bar—anything to tide me over so I don’t pass out on Matt Fredderic midsession.

Matt Fredderic.

I pause in my rapid retreat to my room, spinning back toward Sadie to beg, “Please, please,pleasetell me Freddy and Rhys were so hammered last night they also blacked out?”

Sadie pauses, her face slowly morphing from confusion to a beaming, evil smirk.

“I didn’t see either of them holding a drink once. Sorry, Ro.” She shakes her head at my stricken expression. “Don’t worry, Freddy is probably obsessed with you now. Might be good payback for you spending the entirety of freshman and sophomore years pining over him.”

I shake my head hard enough to stir up my headache again full force.

“I have to go tutor him now.” I rub my hands over my face again and nod, turning for my room before her mocking rendition of “Getaway Car” can fully reach my ears and irritate my already pounding head.

He’s late.

It’s a blessing and a curse, considering the absolute sprinting gymnastics I performed to get myself ready and hereon time.It’s not my best look—an oversized bright pink tee dotted with hearts and butterflies in different shades of pink, a pair of comfy, thin cream cargo pants, and a thick, black fabric headband pushing my absurdly more-unruly-than-normal curls back.

At the least, I’m clean and have successfully washed out any lingering cinnamon liquor smell.

My head is almost too heavy to hold up, so I rest my chin in my hands and close my eyes, sucking down more water from the ridiculously large bottle I’ve lugged with me.

“Hey.”

God, how can he make one word sound likethat?

I straighten, smiling lightly even as I feel the heat start to rise in my cheeks. It only grows hotter as Sadie’s retelling of the night forces its way back into my brain.

He’s infuriatingly handsome, as he always is, dressed a bit more casually today than his usually well-planned outfits. Still, the material of his soft navy Waterfell University Hockey shirt stretches perfectly over his defined chest and shoulders, looser over his trim waist.

Golden hair sits in soft, short waves, perfectly styled, and those same smile lines carve out space, sharpening his smile into an unsuspecting weapon.

“H-hi,” I breathe, clearing my throat as I realize I’m stillstaringat him.

His eyes crinkle at the corners as he settles his body into the chair, which suddenly looks small beneath his weight. There’s a lightness to his face, like we’re sharing some inside joke even though neither of us has said more than a greeting to each other.

“Good to see you again, princess,” he says, the words soft. My cheeks heat. “I missed you.”

“I—good to see you, too.” I fumble for the words. “I should apologize for last night.”

“For which part?” He smirks, leaning forward, hands on the table suddenly so close to mine they nearly touch. “Getting me wet?”

Freddy bites down on his lip, tamping down his smile as he looks at me. I watch him right back, like studying intensely for a test in a subject I don’t know.

He almost looks like he wants to kiss me—which is ridiculous. But his face is so similar to the version of him I remember from that summer party freshman year. The flush of his warm skin, the taste of cinnamon on his tongue—the flavor ofhimonmytongue.

Does he remember that kiss? Does he wake up from dreams about his arms around my waist like I do about him?

Icy shock has my eyes jolting back to lock on his half-lidded green gaze.

Did we… Did we kiss?I can’t ask him that. I don’t want to admit that I remembernothingfrom last night. It’s humiliating that it happened at all.

“No. I mean—yes, but—I don’t—”What did he say?My brain has gone blank.

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