Page 104 of Seeds of Christmas
“Should I—uh—organize the photos?” I offer, trying to be helpful and not stare directly at her ass.
“You already did that.” She flicks me a grin. “Beautifully, actually. I’m impressed.”
My chest warms stupidly. “Well. I try.”
She isn’t listening anymore. She’s too busy firing off a paragraph-long email to Bam, muttering under her breath as she attaches graphs and annotations.
I swear she even forgets I’m here for a full minute.
Then she hits send with a little gasp and sits back, triumphant, cheeks flushed.
“Carter,” she says, breathless, “this could be our first real publication. Like—citable, impactful, top-of-the-semester type work. I can’t believe we caught this gradient. I can’t believe we—” She laughs a little, shaking her head. “This is huge.”
The pride on her face is so bright it hits me in the chest.
“That’s amazing, Rhi.”
And I mean it. I mean every word.
She beams at me—sunlight and joy and genius wrapped in one person—and the bed might as well tilt because I’m gone. Entirely gone.
She closes the laptop, rolls onto her side, and snuggles into my chest like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
“Report submitted,” she murmurs, satisfied. “Fieldwork officially complete.”
“Thank god,” I say, kissing the top of her head. “If Bam made us go back out there again, I think I’d cry.”
“You wouldn’t cry.” She taps her finger against my ribs. “You’d pretend you were totally fine, and then you’d swear at a thermometer until I felt bad for you.”
“That is an unfairly accurate assessment.”
She laughs—bright, unguarded, that laugh I’m addicted to.
My phone pings.
Jake
Dude, final count for the party tomorrow night. You coming or what? Need to know for booze run.
I stare at the message.
The New Year’s party. At the Alpha Phi house.
I haven’t been back there since Dominic’s funeral. Haven’t been to a single house event, haven’t hung out with the guys, haven’t even driven past the place if I could help it.
“What is it?” Rhi asks, noticing my expression.
“Jake. Asking about the New Year’s party tomorrow.”
“Oh.” She sits up slightly. “Do you want to go?”
I should say yes immediately. Should act like it’s no big deal.
But I can’t.
“I don’t know,” I admit. “I’ve been avoiding that house for over a year.”
“Because of Dominic.”
