Page 37 of Would You Rather
I barely touched the food, as did Connor. Lucas, however, kept himself busy eating snacks while I attempted to study withConnor. Of course, I couldn’t focus when I had Lucas’ arm pressed against me, calling me every Portuguese nickname under the sun. And even though I might not have known what they all meant, they served their purpose, making sure Connor got the idea that we were dating.
He leans against the countertops, watching as I dump the bowls in the sink. “If I hadn’t been here, would you have kissed him?”
My head snaps to him. “What?”
“You heard me,” he says, his lips pressed into a thin line. “You swore up and down that nothing would happen, but would it have if I hadn’t been here?”
I let out a bitter laugh, turning on the faucet. “You can’t be serious. We werestudying.”
“He didn’t bring any books, Madeline,” he says, his tone sharp. “How do you not see that guy is into you?”
Fine, it was a little weird that he didn’t bring any books when it was his idea to study, but I quickly brushed it off. Connor’s friendly, sure, and he always smiles, but is Lucas right? Is he actually into me? I don’t know how I feel about that. I mean, sure, I find him attractive, but that doesn’t mean anything. Hell, I find Lucas attractive, and I don’tlikehim.
He lets out a scoff. “You’re happy about it, aren’t you?” I don’t even get a chance to say anything because he continues. “You act like my touch would make you detonate, but I don’t think you’d mind if it were him.” He shakes his head, his lips dropping into a frown. “What did I do that was so bad, Madeline?”
I swallow, turning my head away from him. He’s touched me so many times. His hand around my waist, his hands on my face, his breath an inch away from my skin, and all I could dowas drink it in. But thinking about Connor doing the same? I hate the idea.
“I know we didn’t have the best first impression,” he says, a sigh leaving his lips. “I just thought… I thought you were using me,” he admits, making my eyes widen when I look up at him. “I thought you orchestrated it all in the elevator to make sure we were seen together, and I guess… I resented you for it.”
That’s why he was such an ass in the beginning? “I wouldn’t do that,” I tell him, my brows knitting together.
“I know that now,” he says with a nod. “I’ve just had enough experiences like that to think any differently.” He shrugs. “You don’t have to like me, but maybe you can act like you don’t want to stick pins in your eyes rather than being around me? Maybe frown less?” He tilts his head, a smirk on his face. “You know it causes wrinkles, right?”
I squint at him. “Are you giving me beauty advice?”
He lets out a chuckle, a smile dancing on his lips, and shakes his head. “Nah. You don’t need it.” My heart races uncontrollably. “I’m just asking for us to work together, at least until this is over. Once we’re done, you can turn the other way and never talk to me again.” He shrugs dismissively, but for some reason, the mere idea of that happening knots my stomach.
“But until then, I need you to trust me,” he says, taking a step closer to me. “I need you to believe me when I say your rules are always going to be a priority.” His voice has gone deeper, and I swallow, my throat feeling constricted. “I won’t kiss you, and I’ll only touch you when it’s necessary.” His eyes scan my face, landing on my lips, just for a second, but I feel the burn of his gaze all the same. “But I need you to stop dating,drop any other crushes, and just focus on us.” His face is right in front of me, and I have to strain my neck to look up at him. God, he’s tall. “Can you do that for me?” he asks in a whisper.
“I don’t date,” I manage to get out, swallowing when his brows knit together. “I’ve told you that before.”
His lips lift the tiniest bit, and then he pulls back. “Good.”
Good? What the hell does that mean? I shake away the thought and turn on the faucet, washing up the dishes.
“So you don’t date,” Lucas says, reaching over to grab a cloth before he grabs the clean bowl from my hands, drying it off.God, why is that so hot?“Are you into hookups then? Maybe with guys like Connor?”
I glance at him, glaring. “I don’t do that either.”
He’s quiet for a second, and that second seems to drag on forever, especially since his eyes are laser-focused on me. “Is that why you’re always moody, then?” He grins, grabbing another dish before drying it. “You just need to get laid?” he jokes.
I let out a scoff, shaking my head. “I don’t need a guy to make me feel good.”
His dark chuckle makes my skin grow hot, my stomach churning at the sound. “Are you telling me you know how to get yourself off?”
My cheeks heat as I finish off the dishes and turn away from him. “Can we stop talking about this?”
“You’re embarrassed,” he says, throwing the dish towel on the rack. “It’s cute.”
“I am not embarrassed,” I lie, reaching for the bag of chips before I place it back in the cabinet. My eyes scan my apartment, looking around for something to do. Cleaning is mystress relief, but I already did that this morning, so now… there’s nothing to clean.
“You definitely are,” Lucas says, humor coating his tone. “This is fun. Tell me more.”
I roll my eyes, turning to face him. “You’re irritating.”
He smirks, drops down to the couch and stretches his legs onto the coffee table. “And you’ve just become a lot more intriguing.”
“Because I choose not to indulge in casual sex?” I scoff. “Yeah, that must be a shock for someone who’s seen with a different girl every night.”
