Page 45 of The Plan

“I picked my hand up to move my hair, and you flinched.” His voice is softer than before, and I feel myself growing confused as I try to remember the last minute, but I don’t remember flinching.

“No, I didn’t.”

He studies me for a few more seconds, but he still looks concerned. “Yes, you did.” He sounds certain of it, but I turn to the side without answering him and start making my bed. “If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine, but we should.”

I don’t answer him and fold the quiltover my bed. I hear him let out a sigh from beside me when I don’t give him a reply. “You said it wasn’t my business, and after I sighed, I was going tomove the hair from my face—you flinched the second my hand was raised.”

I let out a sigh and turn to him. “I flinch all the time, you know that. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is, though,” he quickly counters. I fluff my pillows instead of answering him. “Do you always clean this aggressively or just when you’re mad and trying to avoid people?”

“Do you always have to be so persistent and in my business?” He doesn’t answer right away, and when I steal a glance at him, he only shakes his head.

“You’re making this into an argument, and it doesn’t need to be one, Vidia. You don’t have to push me away when you don't want to talk about tough topics.”

“No, you’re the one who made this into an argument when you assumed I slept with Jayden, and it isn’t a tough topic. Leave it alone.” I finish making my bed and look around for anything else I can clean, but my room is already completely clean.

When I turn to Sire, his chest grows as he takes in a deep breath. “Anyone ever tell you that you lack the ability to communicate like an adult?”Excuse me?I quickly go to counter, but my alarm goes off, distracting me.

He lets out a sigh and opens my bedroom door. “Let me drive you to class and we can talk after. Really talk.” I roll my eyes and grab my bag from my desk.

“I don’t want to drive with you.” I walk to the door but stop in front of him. “And I’m great at communicating. Thank you very much.” He smirks down at me, and I squint my eyes at him.

“Right.” I nod once, but he adds more. “Just not about anything that bothers you or your scary past and trauma or—”

“I’m going to be late to class.” I quickly cut him off and walk past him, but before I can reach the door, he stops me.

“That was your first alarm. Your class isn’t for another twenty minutes.” I roll my eyes at him for remembering my schedule.When I turn back to him, he’s watching me softly, and I let out a sigh as we settle on the couch.

“So,” he starts, and I force myself not to roll my eyes because maybe he was right, and not wanting to talk means I’m bad at communicating. “For starters, I shouldn’t have assumed you and the basketball player did anything that could have gotten his ass beat.”

I throw my head back laughing, mainly at how his words come out strained. Like he’s struggling to admit he was wrong for that. “His name is Jayden.”

“That’s great. Stop trying to change the subject.” I bite the inside of my cheek, and he slides down the couch so he’s sitting next to me. “You flinched.” His voice is soft again, and I slowly turn to him.

“So you keep saying.” He looks down at my hands after a beat and covers his in mine.

“Why do you do that?” He looks back up at me. “You twist that ring on your finger, then completely close off. You do it when we're ordering food and when Jen is asking you hard questions at work.”

I look down at the friendship ring Hazel and I wear. I didn’t even notice I was turning it just a second ago. “You’re nervous.” He says it like he just connected the dots. I let out a sigh and shrug my shoulders in response.

“What’s it going to take to prove to you that I’m not going to hurt you?” I think about it for a second but can’t come up with anything because I don’t think he’d ever hit me. I just can’t get over that voice in the back of my head.

“How about this…” I look over at Sire as he starts again. “If we’re ever arguing, we can do it across the room.”

I chuckle softly at his suggestion and look between his eyes, internally fighting with myself to just give up and let him in. “Elaborate idea. You’re a genius.”

He chuckles, and when he thanks me, I let out a soft laugh of my own.

“I do think you should talk about your childhood and why you flinch or get so nervous.” When I avoid his eyes, he gives my hand a squeeze, and I turn back to him. “It doesn’t have to be right now or with me.” I think about his words for a beat, then give him a nod.

“Great talk.” I get up, but he pulls my hand back down.

“Nice try. A for effort.” I let out a sigh, but I should have seen that coming. “I wasn’t lying when I said I haven't slept with anyone. In my head, we've practically been together ever since I planned that date for us to go bowling with my brother and Hazel.” That was... four months ago. I falter for a second, then shake my head.

"What do you mean you planned it? August invited us. That wasn't a date, and we certainly haven't been together since then."

He smiles, and I swear it’s like he's proud. "I knew you didn't date, so I had August act like he was inviting us out all the time so I could go out with you without you thinking it was a date." I stare at him and then burst into a laugh.

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