Page 115 of The Fake Date Agreement

“If I said I’m sitting on a bench outside your dorm, hoping I wasn’t about to watch you throw the flowers out of your window because you hate them, would that creep you out?”

“Don’t go anywhere.”

I hang up and leave my room.

He’s outside, sitting on bench, holding his phone, just like he said he was.

He gets to his feet as I walk over to him, and wraps his arms around me when I hug him. “Thank you.”

“I did good?” he asks softly.

“You did great.”

He gives me a gentle squeeze. “Good.”

“How’d you know Max had a key to my room?” I peel my face from his chest and peer up at him, puzzling out what’s different about him because something definitely is.

“Your friend saw all the flowers I helped the delivery guy bring up, said you weren’t back yet, and that she’d let me in.”

“Just like that?”

“She said you deserve all the good you can get.”

Thanks, Max. So do you.

I eye him closely because I know Max. “And is thatallshe said?”

His lips twitch. “She might have said something about my life coming to a painful end if I hurt you.”

I grimace. The only one she hasn’t threatened yet is Reid, and knowing Max, that threat is coming, or it’s already happened, and I just don’t know it yet. “Sorry.”

He shrugs. “She meant well. I wasn’t offended.”

I study him some more.

“What?” he asks, smiling down at me.

“Are you okay?”

His smile freezes. “Why would something be wrong?”

I blush and try not to meet his gaze. “Back in the library, you, uh, had a call, and you left. You said something about your sister. Is she okay? Is that what’s wrong?”

He stares at me for the longest time, and then he pulls me against his chest.

“Javier?”

“Maybe I’ll tell you one day, but thanks for noticing. Nessa is fine.”

I hug him back. “Do you want to come and share the food with me? You ordered way too much, but I will still try to eat all of it.”

“I’d like that.”

As we walk back to my dorm, I tell him, “Caleb took me to the park.”

“He did?”

“Yep. He had his ass whooped by a bunch of kids, and I think he liked it. I’ll tell you all about it if you want.”

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