Page 43 of Twisted Ties

“I can’t help it.”

He closes his eyes and the cut heals instantly. “I thought you learned that spell.”

“I did. I guess I forgot. My mind has been on other things.” Like him. Mostly him. But also the weird way my body reacted when I bumped into Tristan and Spencer on the path. Is that some strange side effect of the mating?

Azlan kicks the door shut behind him.

“Where’s the roommate?”

“With her boyfriend.”

He pulls me towards him. “What’s been on your mind?”

“You,” I say, rolling my eyes. Like he doesn’t know that.

“Me? But you’re nervous,” he says, that frown not leaving his face.

“Nervous? I’m not nervous,” I say, even though my legs are practically shaking. I’m pretty sure that’s from anticipation, not nerves.

“Then why were you mauling your thumb?” He lifts my hand between us, then ducks his head and kisses it gently.

My breath catches in my throat.

“I didn’t know if you were going to be angry with me,” I blurt out.

“What about?”

“Wanting to come back to school so soon. It wasn’t what we agreed.”

“I got the impression you hated it here so I’m a little hurt you’d rather be here than with me.”

“Most of the time I hate it here. But sometimes it’s not so bad. And I want to learn. I’m fed up with being ignorant. Not knowing all the things I should know. It doesn’t have anything to do with you, although living with you is pretty intense.”

“Because I make you nervous.”

“Because it’s pretty extreme to go from never having had a boyfriend to living with one in a week.”

“I’m more than a boyfriend.”

“It doesn’t make any difference. This has all been moving so fast.”

He drops my hand and takes my place pacing around the room. “You’re right. It has.”

“I need some time to think.”

“Me too.” His words may be fair – an echo of my own – and yet I still feel like he just punched me in the gut.

Does he regret everything now? Or maybe he’s bored with me already?

“Do you want me to leave?” he asks, staring with blank eyes at one of Winnie’s posters.

“If you want to,” I mutter.

He swings his gaze my way and his eyes have that heat blazing in them that doesn’t just have my legs shaking, they have my knees buckling. “I don’t want to go. But I will if you ask me to.”

“I don’t want you to go … not yet.”

We stare at each other. And if he doesn’t lay his hands on me this instant, I think I might combust.