Page 78 of Tag

“How can I not be when you’re beside me?”

“You cheese puff. I’m being serious.”

“So am I.” He flashed a grin, sharp and boyish. Then it slipped, just slightly. “But you’re not okay, are you?”

I hesitated, pulse kicking when our eyes met, his once again way too knowing. “How can I not be when you’re beside me?”

His laugh was humorless. “One of these days, Sass, I’m going to have you alone, and I won’t let you go until you tell me everything you keep trying to bury.”

The promise in his voice scorched something deep inside that ached to be known, to be undone by him and only him. He suddenly leaned in like he was going to whisper a secret, breath warm against the shell of my ear. “The ferret isn’t carrying spawn, I take it?”

It took me a second to process the words; my body was too busy reacting to his closeness. My breath caught, nipples tightening against the fabric of my bra, and all I could think about was the feeling of his mouth somewhere far less innocent.Jesus. I was losing it. Maybe I needed to invest in some toys. I dragged in a quiet breath that did nothing to steady me.

“Stop calling her that,” I murmured back, nudging him with more affection than annoyance. “And no. It was a false alarm, thankfully.”

“That’s good. I’m sorry about last night. I know you were trying to protect her privacy.”

I shrugged, eyes fixed ahead. “It’s fine. We both know how nosy you are.”

“Curious,” he corrected. “98% of the time, it’s only when it has something to do with you.”

We reached the double doors to the stairwell. He held one open for me again, like it was instinct. We walked up the steps side by side, our footfalls echoing in the narrow space.

At the top, I paused, expecting him to branch off for his own classroom, but he didn’t. He stayed next to me, his hand brushing the small of my back. It remained there the rest of the way to my classroom’s doorway. He leaned against the frame like he had all the time in the world, ignoring everyone who passed.

“Alright, Sass. This is where I leave you.”

I smiled, brushing my shoulder against his. “Thanks for walking me.”

“Someone’s gotta make sure you end up where you belong. That’s always with me, isn’t it?”

“Whatever you say.”

I turned to go, but his fingers stopped me, brushing along the base of my throat, slow and deliberate, tracing the spot where the necklace chain sat.

“You’re wearing my heart again.”

My breath caught, and this time, there was no hiding it. I tilted my head back to meet his gaze, his height forcing a vulnerable angle.

“I never meant not to,” I said quietly, placing my hand over his, anchoring us in that suspended moment.

Neither of us moved.

We stood there, caught in the silence, eyes locked until two guys approached the classroom door, calling out greetings to Ryder, their voices too casual, too curious. Their eyes darted between us as they passed, and the moment broke.

I cleared my throat, stepping back. “Get to class,” I urged, nudging his chest lightly. “You’re going to be late. I’ll see you later?”

He backed away, already turning with a smile. “As if you have a choice.”

I stood there for another heartbeat, fingers still resting where he’d touched me, before finally slipping into the classroom.

We were halfway across campus, leaves crunching under our shoes as we made our way toward Cultural Ethics in Modern Traditions. It was a class that sounded like it should be taught by someone in a tweed blazer with elbow patches, but somehow managed to be both weirdly interesting and deeply unsettling. I had no clue how it ended up on my schedule, but it made my Wednesdays shorter, so I wasn’t complaining.

Beside me, Kellan adjusted the strap of his oversized backpack and ran a hand over his dark, cropped curls. He was tall and lean with an endless amount of bubbling confidence. Except this morning. The Hunt had struck again. The first thing he’d said when he walked up to me wasn’t his usual sunny hello, but a somber, “I got Marked.”

“You got Marked?” I repeated back.

“Wanna know how they told me?”

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