Page 31 of As You Walk On

A line of shirtless guys marches past Christian and me. They repeatedly grunt, “Pool time!”

We edge back onto the stairs.

When my vision clears, Aleah’s disappeared. Lost in the constant ebb and flow of bodies shifting around the party. I don’t know why I waste another ten seconds searching for her. What am I going to do? Walk up to her? Ask if she’s okay? Can we sit down and hash out five years of absence and absolute douchery on my part?

Yeah, right.

“Hey.” It’s Christian’s voice—of course—that pulls me back.

I whip in his direction, cheeks warm, smiling goofily.

He’s gripping an orange cup now, grinning back. Eyes twinkling. Yes, I’ve reached peak Thirsty Theo once more.

“Were you saying something?” he asks.

“Huh?”

“Before the whole...” He trails off, waving a hand toward the door.

“Ah. Yes. I think so?”

A laugh bursts from his lips. He’s wearing a lemon-yellow shirt. The maybe-a-dimple in his left cheek flexes, setting off an alarm inside me—I can’t simply improvise asking him to prom with sweaty armpits from dancing. Possible burger breath from earlier. I don’t even know what condition my hair is in.

“Theo?”

I glance over my shoulder. Jay’s still observing us while Jayla rants in his ear. Twisting back to Christian, I say, “I was gonna ask if you know where the bathroom is?”

Wow, not at all what I wanted to ask.

“One that doesn’t have a long line?” I try to add convincingly.

Christian blinks twice. “Um, sure.” He leans closer. I can smell his cologne. Something sweet, like oranges. He whispers, “Don’t tell anyone, but... upstairs. Third bedroom on the right. All the other doors are locked.”

I swallow as he inches back. It’s like my body already misses his heat.

“Thanks,” I say hurriedly. “Would you mind hanging out here for, like, five minutes? I need to...”

He blinks again, frowning.

“Not that, I mean,” I wheeze out. “Shit. No, not like. Seriously. I don’t have to, you know. Fucking shit.”

Christian laughs.Hard. Literally wiping tears from his eyelashes before he says, “Whatever you need, Theo. Do you.”

“It’s not like that,” I repeat.

“Noted.”

I shake my head, biting the inside of my cheek.

“Take care of business.” He nudges me with a teasing grin. “I’ll be around.”

Then he wiggles into a small group of band nerds shouting near the kitchen.

I take a beat to memorize his exact position. The kind of jeans he’s wearing. Shoes too. My brain downloads every indicator that’ll bring me right back to this boy once I pull myself together. Then I check my surroundings. No one’s watching. Jay’s lost in an aggressively loud game of Heads Up! with our track teammates.

Once it’s safe, I take the stairs two at a time, leaving the noise behind.

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