Page 196 of Burn Bright

They both pat my shoulders, congratulating me like I won an award, and I’m grateful when Eliot says they’ll stay in their rooms for the rest of the night.

When they leave, all I want to do is return to Harriet.

So I do.

45

HARRIET FISHER

“Want to spend the night again, Fisher?” Ben asks me through my earbuds. I’m bowed over a fluorescence microscope in Dr. Venison’s research lab. The small, empty room is pitch black except for the computer beside me. Proteins from a section of the thymus glow bright neon green on the screen, and I adjust the focus to sharpen the image.

I know what this looks like, but his call isnotdistracting me. I’ve been doing a mediocre job of concentrating on anything other than Ben before my phone rang.

In my defense, wejusthad sex for the first time and woke up together this morning. Legs tangled, my cheek on his chest, his hand sliding down my arm in a sleepy just-waking-up haze. I loved how he kissed my nose, then later how he split one of his smoothies with me after we showered. It feels like we’re together.

Like a couple.

Even if we aren’t labeling anything. Even if there is an expiration date.

It’s been a lot for my brain to handle, so I’m not beating myself up for working at a snail’s pace today. Or for even answering his call now.

My handflewto the phone when it rang. I was also terrifyingly close to falling off the chair like a lovesick, demented fool. Thankfully no one is around. I signed up to use the microscope for the next two hours. No one will even open the door to this dark room without good reason because the light has potential to fuck up the results.

But even being alone, I’m trying so hard not to wear a dopey grin.

“Booty calling me already, Friend?” I tease. “I must’ve made a lasting impression.”

He laughs so brightly. “I’m afraid you forever changed me.”

“I’ve been afraid of that too.” I purse my lips so the smile will stop hurting my cheeks, but my insecurities do the job for me. “You sure you want me over again? Won’t your brothers care if we have anotherfriendlysleepover?” I emphasize. “I’m guessing they’ll be home.”

“Yeah, they will be, but as long as you’re comfortable with it, they have no problem with you staying over.” He must pull the phone away to shout a distant, “Yeah, I have it, Colton! You too, man! See you soon!” Then back to me, “Sorry, that was a Kappa checking to see if I’m carrying my cub.”

His lion cub. The frat bestowed Ben with a teddy-bear-sized stuffed animal that he must tote around campus every day. They call Ben the “lion pledge”—and he said it’s the easiest pledge task. Of what he’s described, the “jeans pledge” sounded the worst. One unlucky guy has to wear the same pants until initiation while Kappa brothers hack away at the material every time they see him.

They’re already jorts.

“You name your lion cub yet?” I ask.

“I was actually hoping you’d do the honors. Want to brainstorm tonight?” He’s still waiting for my answer. “I have a chapter meeting, then I don’t have much else going on.” Off my silence, he adds, “We don’t have to do anything but watch a movie and go to bed. I just like being with you. Last night was honestly the best sleep I’ve had since the last time you were over.”

Giddiness returns, and I fall forward, hand to my hot cheek. My heart wants nothing more than to spendeverynight with him, but will my grades plummet? Will he fill 100% of my brain? Then again, even when I’m not around Ben, he’s become a mental fixation—so it’s not like I can easily detach.Might as well give in, Harriet.He won’t be around forever.

Okay, that solidifies it.

“Yeah, I’ll spend another night with you,” I agree, but five minutes after our call ends and I return to the microscope, I start majorly overthinking about his brothers.

Maybe I should ask them if it’s okay? It’stheirspace too. I whip my phone back out. The night Charlie, Eliot, and Tom spontaneously showed up at the End of the World, they exchanged their numbers with me, and then this morning, Ben and I ran into Beckett near the elevator in the apartment. He asked me for my number as well.

So I text all four of Ben’s brothers at once, starting a group chat.

Harriet

Is it okay if I spend the night again? I won’t bother you or anything. Just want to make sure you’re all comfortable with me being there.

I press send. Then I add really, really fast.

Harriet