Page 29 of Speed Crush

But the heat? Still burning under my skin.

Maybe I’ll call in sick for the rest of the day.

Because I’ve clearly contracted some go-kart-mounted, orgasm-adjacent emotional damage.

And that? Is definitely not in the curriculum.

Chapter 6

Jinx!

Noah

ItoldmyselfI’dplay it cool.

Just show up at the firehouse fundraiser, just to catch a glimpse of her.

Of course, she’s sitting at the table when I walk in—hoodie, legs tucked under her, hair still damp from snow.

She’s laughing.

There’s a fire in the hearth and people crowded around card tables like it’s game night at the town rec center.

Only it’s the Cedar Falls Firehouse Fundraiser, and they’ve turned the whole place into a cozy, wood-paneled celebration—chili cook-off on one side, baked goods on the other, and in between, little circles of people nursing hot drinks and swapping stories.

I spot Levi and Lily next. Then Scott, lounging casually beside June like he’s always belonged there.

Even at a distance, I catch someone asking about the final camp day—pizza, snacks, whatever. June replies with a chuckle, tossing out the idea of an “unofficial after-party.” Scott hears it too. His head tilts slightly, like he’s filing it away.

Before I can overanalyze it, Karla and Tara wave me over to a table where a red box with bold white text readsWe’re Not Really Strangers.

When I get near, June looks up. Our eyes lock for a second. It’s not a smile exactly. But it’s not ice either.

It’s something. Maybe she thought I missed it. That little blush when I walked in. Like her body remembered what transpired this afternoon, before her brain talked her out of it.

Levi elbows out a chair for me.

My fingers twitch remembering this morning—her leaning into me, breath hitching, that flicker of want before she ran. She wanted it. I know she did. And now she's here, cheeks pink, pretending nothing happened. Laughing. Shining. Sitting right next tohim.

I slide into the chair before I do something stupid, like reminding her how fast she pulled away this morning—after that one fragile second where she let herself lean in.

Mostly, I’m here because she’s here. And I’m tired of pretending I don’t want to be near her.

Scott nudges a card from the game toward me. “Simple rules. Draw a question. Everyone answers. No lying. Unless you’re Levi. Then it’s expected.”

Levi flips him off. Lily snorts into her cider.

I draw. Read the card.

"What’s something you hope never changes about you?"

Scott says, "My appetite."

Tara: "My ability to remember everyone’s coffee order."

Lily and Levi answer something cute and shared.

Then June. Her voice is quiet, but sure. "I hope I never stop showing up for people. Even when it's hard."

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