Page 81 of A Solid Guide to Surviving a Situationship

“You always did,” he added.

I took another sip. “Don’t start, Kyle.”

“I’m not starting anything,” he said, a hint of grin forming. “I’m just… observing.”

He winked.

“Observe quietly.”

He chuckled under his breath.

God, I hated that sound.

“You still do that thing,” he said.

“What thing?”

“That attitude,” he replied. “Like you’re above everything, but your eyes give you away.”

I stilled for half a second.

“They don’t,” I said flatly—I was trying, okay?

“They do,” he said easily. “You’re doing it right now.”

I looked away, pretending to focus on something across the restaurant.

“Relax,” he added, softer this time. “I’m not here to fight you.”

“Then what are you here for?” I asked.

There was a pause. Just long enough to feel intentional.

“You,” he said.

That was it.

Simple. Direct. Annoying. Heart-racing.

I huffed, shaking my head—but I could feel it now.

That shift.

That subtle pull.

Kyle leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table, just close enough to feel like he was stepping into my space without actually touching me.

“Why do you always pretend you’re not affected?” he asked.

“I’m not.”

He grinned.

Slow.

Knowing.

And that… that did something to me.