“That was years ago. Under different circumstances.”
She chuckles. “And you think things are different between us now because you like the same books as me? That doesn’t change the past. I know better than anyone that people don’t change.”
“You’re wrong,” I counter, unzipping my bag.
Her eyes widen as I produce a green Slytherin coffee mug, holding it out for Sam to take. I bought it online, hoping she likes coffee. It’s nothing big, a gesture to show her I’m not a complete asshole and that I’m trying.
She looks confused. “Is this for me?”
I nod and set it in front of her on the desk. She touches the top of the box, her fingers carefully grazing the packaging.
She sighs. “I’m sorry, I can’t, Tucker.” Sam pushes the box toward me. “Even if I wanted to, I’m not allowed to accept a gift from a student. It would violate the University’s policy.”
“Then don’t look at it as a gift from a student. Think of it as one from a… friend.”
Her eyebrows rise slightly, a smirk slowly forming on her lips. “In what universe would we ever be friends?”
“There’s a double feature tomorrow night at the SAC,” I say. “I saw a poster about it earlier. They’re showing The Sorcerer’s Stone and The Chamber of Secrets back-to-back if you want to go with me.”
She stares at me, her expression unreadable. “You want me to go with you as a friend?”
“Yeah.” I slide the mug in front of her, and she glances down at it. “Friends give each other presents.”
She peeks up at me, unsure if I’m full of shit. I don’t blame her. Most of the time, I am. This time, though, I’m serious. I did my homework on Harry Potter for a reason—to prove to Sam I’m not an asshole. And to prove to everyone else that there’s more to Tucker Kane than hockey and women.
“Fine.” She grips the mug in her right hand. “I’ll go with you tomorrow. But as friends. Nothing more.”
I hold my hands up. “I’ll be a perfect gentleman.”
She smiles. “I’ll meet you there.”
Chapter 14
Sam
Standing in front of the mirror, I fix my hair one last time, trying to ignore my shaky hands. I’m so nervous about my non-date with Tucker.
Eden appears in the doorway to my bedroom. “You look good.”
I laugh, tugging at the seam of my Harry Potter shirt that says Books turn Muggles into Wizards. “Not dressed like this.”
“He won’t care what shirt you wear. When he sees you, he’ll think about how it will look on his floor.”
Anxiety washes over me when I think about anything more than sitting next to Tucker to watch a movie. “Maybe I should stay home. This is a bad idea, right?”
She steps into the room and presses her hands on my shoulders, glancing at me through the mirror. “Don’t be such a coward, Sam. You can do this. Think of the big picture.”
Eden hugs me from behind, wrapping me in her warmth.
“You have the upper hand this time; remember that. Tucker is the king of this campus. Getting closer to him will give us a bigger advantage.”
I nod, now realizing what she means. “Good point. The closer I get, the more we’ll learn about all of them.”
Our secret, one no one knows, has helped pay a portion of our tuition. We’ve used our investigative journalism skills since the beginning of the semester to earn extra cash.
Eden dated the president of Delta Sigma Phi to gain easy access to his fraternity brothers. That’s the beauty of being an average girl. Heads aren’t turning when I walk into a room. When The Queen approached us, we couldn’t turn down her offer.
“She will want details about your date with Tucker,” Eden says. “Pump him for as much info as you can get.”
