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"Neither."

"Then you're going to have to fill me in," he says. "I'm smart, but I'm notthatsmart."

I let out a loud sigh and check the front of the room again. The last thing I want is for our conversation to end up stopped before we're ready for it to be. I may have been avoiding it as much as possible in the last few days, but I don't want anything hanging in the air between us now we've got it out in the open.

"It's just that when I came here, I promised that I'd focus on my studies and on cheering, and that I wouldn't let myself get distracted by dating."

"Promised who? You never mentioned your parents being strict like that."

"They're not. I promised myself."

"I see."

"So now I have to focus on what I promised and not get distracted."

"You know, there's one way you can try and get me out of your system." The impish grin on his face leaves absolutely no doubt as to what he's implying.

"We're not doing that," I respond hastily.

He shrugs. "Just a suggestion."

He doesn't seem all that bothered by my shut down, which bothers me, though I can't quite pinpoint why.

I sigh. "I just don't think it would work. I know what I'm like."

"I assumed as much."

Oh, okay. So it's not that he doesn't want to sleep with me. Just that he doesn't think we can end up in bed together in a casual setting. Good to know. Especially that he's on the same page as me.

"So what do we do now?" he asks. "Considering we live together, I'd much rather we moved on from you avoiding me."

I sigh. "I'd like that too."

"Okay, so friends?"

"We're already friends," I point out.

"Friends who have kissed."

"I can go back to the flat and get Essie to kiss me too if you want? That way I've kissed two of my friends."

He raises an eyebrow. "Why Essie?"

"She's mentioned I'm her type a couple of times," I say offhandedly.

"Wait, Essie's gay?"

"Bi. Were you not paying any attention during the first week?"

"I was distracted by a beautiful leopard shifter," he mutters.

A furious blush rises to my cheeks. "You can't say stuff like that, we're friends, remember?"

"Aren't friends allowed to tell other friends they look good?"

Men. I swear they can be so clueless sometimes. "Not when they're thinking about kissing them, no."

"The rules are confusing."