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Fuck, yes. Finally. This feels right.

“You’re oddly good at this,” she says, her limbs stiff as I maneuver us around the floor.

“When I was in middle school, my dad became obsessed with the skill and grace of figure skaters. Hockey players are known for their brawn, and twelve-year-old boys in particular are fighting against hormones and uneven growth spurts. He signed the whole team up for classes at a local dance studio hoping to build a little finesse.”

“I don’t know if it worked on the ice, but you definitely have surprising moves on the dance floor.” She’s still tense, eyes peeled like she’s waiting to get busted by Coach Green. I can sense she’s waiting for the right moment to make a break for it. “Reese, I really—"

I let her talk the other day when she ended it. Now it’s my turn and I cut her off.

“I want to make something clear,” I say, tightening my grip on her hand. “I invited Nadia with me tonight for the reasons I said before, but also because if you wouldn’t come with me, I wasn’t going to ask anyone else.”

“You should do what I’m doing, move on.”

“Impossible, Sunshine.” I flatten my palm over the crisscross of straps on her lower back. “I need you to understand that I’m not finished with you.We’renot finished with one another, and when you’re ready to sit down and come up with a way to deal with the obstacles in front of us, I’m ready.”

“You’re wrong,” she says with a tremor in her voice, although her jaw is tight with determination. “There is no solution other than for us to go our separate ways. I need you to accept that.”

My fingers lift to her chin, then slowly stroke down the column of her neck. “We are abso-fucking-lutely not over,” I declare, meaning it one hundred percent, “and the sooner you meet me in the middle, the better.”

The song ends, and I release her before I do something incredibly stupid like kiss her in front of her date and boss and everyone else in the room. That urge to claim her is stronger than ever, but I won’t force her. All I can do is let her know my intentions.

If Nadia’s right, I need to show Twyler that I won’t be another man that abandons her; emotionally or physically. So even though it kills me, and goes against every fiber in my being, I allow her be the one to walk away.

* * *

It’sa beautiful late fall day. The kind where the sun shines through the yellow and red leaves, giving everything a colorful glow. Perfect for sitting outdoors with friends or doing homework before the cold weather pushes everyone indoors for the next six months.

I find Logan lounging on the amphitheater steps, engrossed in a paperback.

“Hey, man.” I drop next to him, taking my backpack off and setting it at my feet “Good book?”

“Hey.” He squints up at me, eyebrows furrowed, then down at the book. “I guess. Required reading for my lit class.”

I was already aware of that, and where to find him, thanks to one of the guys on the team.

“Listen, I’m not going to bullshit you,” I say, getting straight to the point. I’ve already wasted enough time. “I’m not giving up on Twyler.”

“Yeah, I gathered that the other night.” He closes the book. “I guess the big question is how does she feel about it?”

“I’ve made it clear how I feel.” I shift my gaze across campus, observing all the people milling around between classes. “And I’m willing to wait for her, even if that means she wants to date other guys for a while.”

He sighs, running his hand through his hair. “Well, if it’s any consolation, I don’t think I’m going to be one of those guys.”

I turn to him. “What? What happened? You two looked like you were having a good time at the fundraiser.” I narrow my eyes at him. “Did you fuck it up?”

“It was fun. More than I thought I’d have with a bunch of jocks.” He grins sheepishly. “No offense.”

“None taken.” I press on. “So what happened?”

“Nothing exactly, but I could tell she was preoccupied all night. I’m pretty sure you’re the reason behind that.”

I grimace. “Shit. That’s not what I want.”

“You just said you want her.”

“I don’t want her distracted by me—that’s the whole reason she won’t go out with me in the first place.” He chuckles at me. I narrow my eyes and demand, “What?”

“That sounds like a load of crap.”