And I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed. I caught more than one guy glancing her way, some subtle, some not.
It made something sharp twist in my gut.
I wasn’t usually the jealous type, but tonight? I wanted to stake my damn claim.
Aurora laughed at something Lila whispered to her, her lips curling into a soft, amused smile.
And fuck, Ifeltit—low in my stomach, deep in my chest.
The worst part?
I knew Owen and Ethan felt it too.
Owen sat next to her, his arm stretched out beside her like it was nothing.
But I knew that look in his eyes, like he was barely holding himself back.
And Ethan?
He was leaning against a tree behind us, arms crossed, jaw tight, eyes glued to Aurora like he was trying to figure out what the hell to do with all the feelings bottled up inside him.
Join the club, man.
Lila suddenly stood, stretching. “I’m gonna grab some more popcorn. Aurora, wanna come?”
Aurora hesitated, her fingers curling in the hem of her dress. “Oh, um…”
Before she could finish, Colt appeared out of nowhere, flashing his easygoing grin.
“I got it, ladies. Stay put, enjoy the show.”
Lila smirked. “You just want an excuse to flirt with the popcorn girl.”
Colt pressed a hand to his chest, feigning offense. “You wound me.”
Then, with a wink, he disappeared toward the snack stand.
Lila sat back down, nudging Aurora. “See? There are some benefits to multiple Medford men!”
Aurora smiled, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.
God, she was beautiful.
And then, as if she couldfeelme looking, her gaze flickered toward me.
My breath stalled.
For a second, everything else faded. The murmuring crowd, the movie, the world. It was just us.
And then she quickly looked away, shifting like she was nervous.
Like she didn’t know what to do with the pull between us.
I sure as hell didn’t.
Owen suddenly shifted next to her, his voice low. “You cold?”
Aurora blinked, glancing down at her arms like she only now realized she’d been rubbing them. “A little.”