“I already ate lunch once,” he admits.
We take our food to our usual table.
“What time did you sneak out this morning?” he asks.
I hesitate with a chip up to my mouth. “I didn’t sneak out.”
His left brow rises as he takes a bite of food.
“Okay, fine. I very quietly left at a ridiculously early time. Happy?”
“Obviously not since I tracked you down.”
“I’m fine, okay?”
He shrugs. As we eat, he tells me about his morning with the team doing community service and I tell him about running with the girls.
“Congrats on being drafted, by the way. Adam mentioned it this summer, but I didn’t piece together it was you until Reagan mentioned it last night.”
“Thanks.” He sits back in his chair, drinking his water and studying me.
“What?” I ask self-consciously.
“Trying to figure you out. What are you into?”
“Everything and nothing. I didn’t play sports in high school or anything like that.”
“Had to have been into something.”
“I was into socializing. Turns out you can’t make a career out of that unless your parents are rich and famous.”
“Damn those Kardashians.”
“Right?”
“Genevieve, Genevieve, Genevieve.”
I love the way my full name sounds when he says it. I was always sort of embarrassed by it. Teachers would comment on how beautiful it was, which to a middle schooler, is super humiliating. Kids would taunt me with it, at least until I got boobs, then it became some sort of bad pickup line. “Genevieve, huh? Cool name.”
Cue swooning. Not.
Except, I’m sort of swooning now and all he did was say my name. And I’m also staring at him when I’m supposed to be saying something. Anything.
“Heath, Heath, Heath.”
His playful smile makes my stomach flip.
“I’m going to get ice cream.” I stand before he can comment and take my time at the dessert bar creating a perfect sundae.
He’s picking at the chips on my tray when I get back. “I assumed you were done.”
“They’re all yours.”
“What is that?” he asks, face twisted in disgust as he eyes my bowl of ice cream.
“Neapolitan with sprinkles and gummy bears.”
“All the flavors are touching.”
I laugh and bring a big spoonful of all three flavors to my mouth. He continues to watch on horrified.
“I don’t understand Neapolitan flavor. It’s ice cream for people who can’t make a decision.”
“Not true. The decision is we want all three and don’t want to settle for one boring flavor.” I offer him my spoon. “Wanna try it?”
His mouth pulls into a tight line and he shakes his head.
“Come on.” I sit forward and lean over the table to get the spoon closer to his mouth. He opens and I feed him, which turns out to be a surprisingly intimate thing. His throat works, eyes locked on mine, as I sit back and study his reaction to the food.
“Well?”
“I think I swallowed a gummy bear whole,” he says, voice tight.
We finish the rest of my ice cream and if Heath eating more than half of it is any indication, I’d say he likes my Neapolitan sundae just fine.
After, we take a walk around campus. It isn’t as busy as it is during the week, but lots of other people are out walking, hanging out in the shaded areas, playing frisbee, and some are even going in and out of buildings.
Eventually we take a seat on the ledge of the fountain in the center of campus. It’s one of my favorite spots.
“So, you’re all right?”
“What?” I try to play it off like I don’t know what he’s talking about, but his serious expression says it all. “Oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
I dig through my pocket for a penny, close my eyes, and toss it into the fountain.
“What’d you wish for?”
“I can’t tell you or it won’t come true.”
It’s quiet and I hope we’ve successfully avoided talking any more about last night until he asks, “You’ve had them before, right? Panic attacks? Adam said you had a thing with the dark.”
I consider lying, but it feels as if it couldn’t get any more embarrassing with the truth.
“Really, I’m fine. I don’t like being trapped in dark places. And, sure, I’ve had them before, but it isn’t like a common occurrence.” I quit talking and hope I’ve said enough to make me seem less crazy.
“My mom used to have them. The first time she thought she was dying or having a heart attack. Scared the shit out of both of us.”
I finger the hem of my shorts and avoid meeting his gaze.
“It’s okay. I didn’t bring it up to make you embarrassed. I just wanted you to know it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“I’m not ashamed. I’d just prefer not to need to be rescued by my brother’s insanely hot friend.” I slap a hand over my mouth. “Forget I said that. Clearly there was something wrong with those gummy bears and it’s making me say crazy things.”
He quirks a brow. “You think I’m insanely hot?”
“Did I say insanely? That was the gummy bears talking. I mean, objectively yes, you’re hot. But it isn’t like I think you’re hot.”
His hand comes up and brushes my hair back from my face. His thumb traces my bottom lip. He leans in and the seconds while his lips descend on mine seem to happen in slow motion while my pulse quickens.
My eyes flutter closed and finally his mouth covers mine. His lips are soft, but his scruff is scratchy against my smooth skin. His hand at my face slides to the back of my neck, cupping it with his large palm as his mouth widens and his tongue asks for entrance.
His tongue feels divine. Kissing Heath feels divine. He’s a great kisser, and even though it’s only my neck and lips he’s touching, I feel it everywhere.
When he pulls back, I’m breathless and turned on. Jesus.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
His words are like a bucket of cold water dumped over my lady parts. “Why not?”
“Because maybe you were right. You’re off men, I’m not capable of being more than your friend
