Page 20 of Defend Me
“Is this an E-Tron GT?”
I grinned and ran my hand over the metallic blue exterior. “A car guy. That’s cool. Like it?”
“Who wouldn’t?”
“Our friend, Dean, would probably think it’s pretentious.”
“I didn’t realize you were friends. I thought he hated you.” As soon as he said it, his eyes widened. I put a finger to his lips before he could start making excuses.
“We had beef, now things are okay, I think. Anyway, you wanted to talk to me. What’s up?”
He reached up to move my finger away from his mouth. I held onto his hand before he could pull away.
“Um, I just wanted to see if you had a group for the project in Mr. Pritchard’s class.”
“Nope. Haven’t thought about it yet. Wanna work together?”
“Sure.”
“Cool. We need two more. Maybe Dean and…” I tapped my fingers on the roof of the car. “That guy, Oliver, seems pretty okay. I can ask him.”
“Alright.”
Was it bad that I was enjoying his timid little mouse personality?
Flattening my free hand against the car, I watched his reaction to being boxed in. He was good at hiding his expressions when I was actually looking. Since he was leaning against the door, he was a few inches lower than his usual height. When he looked up at me through his lashes, I cocked my head.
“Are you scared of me?” I asked.
“No, you’re just… a lot.”
“And you’re just… a little.”
“Sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing, Tilian?”
It looked like he shivered. “Are you gay?”
I was a little shocked about the unexpected question, but I breathed a laugh.
“I’m bi, yeah. Well, I’m pan if we’re getting really specific, but the term freaks some people out. Why?”
“You’re very touchy.”
When I let go of his hand and took a step back, he relaxed a little. “Sorry. You give off these submissive vibes and it makes me want to rise to the occasion.”
“Jesus,” he muttered.
“So, this project. We can start it Thursday after the game. It’s my last day of the week.”
“Mine too. And Dean’s.”
“Perfect. A match made in heaven.”
He smiled awkwardly, then started to move past me.
“Wait,” I said. “I need your number.” When he turned, I handed him my phone. “Am I allowed to text you outside of school reasons?”
