Page 16 of Lured By Shadows

“I apologize,” he said, carefully holding the papers out to me. “Here you are.”

His smile was soft, almost boyish, but his attention stayed fixed on me with an intensity that made irritation difficult to hold onto.

With that calm of his, how was I supposed to stay annoyed?

I cleared my throat and took the folder. “It’s fine. I should probably stop walking around as though I own the place anyway.”

His hand lifted, and before I could react, his fingers slid lightly through my hair. It wasn’t playful or teasing. It was too careful for something casual. Too familiar for someone I barely knew. I stilled, realization settling over me. His touch hadn’t changed since earlier. It was still cold, unmistakably so, sending a shiver across my skin.

Touchy.

That was the word.

Culver was touchy. Boundaries? Never heard of them.

“It hardly troubles me,” he murmured, a faint curve touching his lips, “so feel free to continue colliding with me.”

“You’re a strange one, Culver,” I said, ducking away from his hand to steady myself. “I bet you touch all the girls like that.”

The second the words left my mouth, I knew they didn’t sound accusatory. They sounded… something else. Something dangerously close to jealous, which was mortifying. I looked back at him, expecting that same amused expression. Instead, something quieter crossed his face. Brief, conflicted, and gone almost as quickly as it appeared.

“No,” he said simply. “Quite the opposite, actually.”

“Lies,” I said, rolling my eyes as I started walking again. “You look like the type who’s been told he’s charming one too many times.”

Behind me, I caught the faintest huff of amusement with just a trace of something defensive beneath it. “Surely that means you find me charming, then?”

Unfortunately, yes.

Heat crept into my cheeks as I realized I’d just handed him proof that girls found him charming.

That I found him charming.

Before I could answer, his hands settled lightly on my shoulders, guiding me with gentle pressure. A wave of chills swept down my arms.

“This way,” he said quietly, his breath brushing my ear. “You were walking in the wrong direction, little lamb. Your next seminar is down this hall.”

“Really?” I pulled out my schedule, already scanning it. “But—”

“Yes,” he interrupted, his tone soft but certain. “This way. I know your schedule.”

He said it so evenly that I probably should’ve been more concerned about how he knew, but what settled harder inside me was the quiet relief of not having to navigate this place alone.

“What are you, smart or something?” I teased, narrowing my eyes. “Or maybe you’re just a stalker?”

His mouth curved slightly, not quite denying it. “It would be more accurate to call it wit than mistake it for something else. Not that it is difficult to remember a few words.”

“I was kidding, Culver,” I said, shaking my head as a small smile slipped through anyway. The fact he didn’t instantly deny it was honestly a little concerning, though.

His hands fell away from my shoulders, and I caught my breath at the sudden absence of his touch. I’d been with plenty of guys before. I’d let them close, touched them, and watched them leave without it meaning much. But Culver, someone I’d barely met, left behind a strange emptiness the second his fingers slipped away.

My thoughts broke apart when I spotted Sienna and Oliver farther down the hall.

Oliver looked completely absorbed in whatever was on his phone, oblivious to everything else around him. Sienna wasn’t. Her eyes locked onto mine instantly, sharp and observant, carrying a knowing edge.

I held her gaze for a moment before looking away, gripping my folder tighter. It irritated me that her opinion had gotten under my skin at all. She didn’t know me. That should’ve been enough to brush it off.

But it wasn’t.