Page 13 of The Casualty of Us (Philosophies of the Heart Duet #1)

“What that means is that I want to go to a party just like every other girl in college. I want to go to a party, have a few drinks, make sure my brother has enough that he’s sufficiently distracted too.

” I raise my hand to pop my head back into it before just laying it out there.

“And then after those few drinks, I want to make the definitely questionable decision of flirting with his roommate and possibly seeing where that goes.” He pulls at his bottom lip with his teeth like he’s fighting a smirk, and I go for the gold.

“I want to be a normal girl, Graham. Is that really too much to ask? Would you deprive your sisters of that very thing?”

“But you’re not my sister.”

I wave him off. “True but unimportant.”

His eyes drift over my shoulder again. “Hayes?”

“Yeah,” I sigh. “Like I said, I’ll probably need alcohol for that.”

His gaze comes back to mine. “I could help with him.”

“Huh.” I narrow my eyes at him, picking up on the playful vibes he’s throwing out suddenly. “Wasn’t expecting that.”

“Really?” He folds his arms, leaning back toward me across the table. “Because like I said, you’re thankfully not my sister.”

“True.” I let my lips curve up into the grin they’re fighting for and blink up at him purposefully. “Now do I need to blink my sad, kidnapped eyes at you more, or am I invited to the party?”

“Ophelia Fitzroy.” He chuckles around my name, a full-fledged smirk breaking free on his face. “I think I’m actually sad that I don’t get to spend a full four years with you.”

“Better make the most of the two you do have then,” I quip.

“Noted.” He chuckles again before sighing. “I have conditions.” He raises a finger to start listing them off. “One, this isn’t an open invite to the whole freshman dorm. I want to know who’s coming and keep it small.”

“Done,” I agree readily. “It’ll only be me and my roommate plus the boys over there.”

“Good.” He nods. “Two, control your people. I don’t want anyone puking or dying.”

“Understandable.”

“Three.” He reaches down before lifting his phone back up and sliding it across the table to me. “Put your number in, the next party is Halloween, and I’ll text you the details.”

I lift a brow at him, picking up the phone and putting my number in while muttering, “Convenient.”

“Four and five.” He smirks when I pass the phone back. “I’d like an invite to one of your parents’ summer parties. I’m applying for law school next year, and a letter of recommendation from your dad would go a long way.”

“Tit for tat.” I nod in understanding. “No problem, but it’s up to you to get the letter. I’m only on the hook for the invite, agreed?”

“Agreed.”

I cock my head curiously. “What’s number five?”

“You can say no to this one, it’s more of an idea.” He pauses, gaze flicking down briefly before meeting mine again. “A kiss.”

I blink at him, probably more stupidly than purposefully this time, repeating his words back as a question. “A kiss?”

“A kiss.” He smirks, leaning even closer. “Just hear me out, you and Hayes have a thing going on, right?”

“I guess,” I sigh reluctantly. “Definition undetermined, but…” Admitting to both him and myself that I’ve missed the ties and excessive flirting in a single word. “Yes.”

“There’s nothing that will get a guy moving faster than someone else making moves on the girl he wants.

” He reaches across the small space left between us on the table, plucking up a piece of my hair and twirling it.

Some muffled choking noises come from the vague direction of the boys’ table behind me, but I ignore them as he continues. “So a kiss, that’s all.”

“This seems contradictory.” I frown, pulling back a bit. “Are you trying to make a move or lay the groundwork for Hayes? And who’s to say it wouldn’t make him lose interest?”

“I highly doubt it will.” He drops my hair. “And even if it did, that just shows you he’s not who you want anyway. As for me.” A pause comes before his smirk. “I’m laying the groundwork for you with Hayes and I might be getting something out of all this myself.”

“So generous.”

“What can I say?” He shrugs. “I’m good people like that.”

“I think I underestimated you, Graham.” I shake my head with amusement. “You know how to deal.”

His smirk grows to a genuine smile. “So what’s it going to be?”

I purse my lips, thinking it over for a moment before inspiration strikes and leaves me grinning. “Deal.”

He wastes no time in moving in after my acceptance, closing the space between us, and I keep my eyes on him until the last second. Waiting until he’s almost there to turn my head and give him my cheek, a grin still in place on my face as his breath hits it with a laugh.

“Well played, Ophelia Fitzroy, well played.”

He finishes the whisper with a kiss to my cheek, and I tilt my head back to him.

“You never said where.”

“He’ll still be jealous, trust me.”

“We’ll see.” I press my hands to the table and stand. “Be sure to text me the details.”

“As if I could forget.” He shakes his head, laughter still in his eyes. “Can’t wait to see you there.”

“Pleasure doing business with you, Graham.”

I wiggle my fingers at him before spinning on my heel and marching back over to the boys, purposefully not meeting any of their eyes while shaking my hands out to combat the sudden nerves.

I slide back into my seat and pick up the tablet immediately, going right back to my notes like nothing big just happened.

“Well?” Holden prods next to me.

I shrug, sucking in a breath to toss out. “I got the invite.”

“Right,” Ollie scoffs, griping petulantly. “And how exactly did you manage that?”

I lift my eyes to him and narrow them warningly, snapping out, “I blinked my sad little kidnapped girl eyes at him, if you must know, Oliver.” He narrows his own back suspiciously, jaw twitching at me with what he’s probably holding in and making me want to push him.

“A thank you would be great, by the way. The next party is on Halloween.”

We stare at each other for probably a solid minute in the silence that follows, our own personal war ensuing in which he conveys that he can’t believe I just let some random guy kiss me, and I remind him that I’m not a child to be bossed around before his eyes finally let up on their narrowing and he sighs grudgingly.

“Thanks, O.”

“You’re very welcome.” I nod graciously before looking back down.

It’s not until after another long silence fills that table that Ollie mutters, “Bet you wish you helped me now.”

And Hayes’s instant whisper of, “You have no idea,” has me grinning down at my notes all through the rest of my studying.