Page 12 of No Going Back

I open my mouth to answer, “Well…”

Remy slides in, right next to me, and hooks his arm through mine like some lovesick high-school girl. “What you guys talking about?”

I stop dead in the corridor and stare at him like he’s grown a second head.

Matteo bursts out laughing. “Dude, what are you doing?”

Remy blinks innocently. “What?”

I shake my head. “You know what. Fine. Whatever. This is normal.”

Matteo snorts. “Yeah. Normal.”

It’s not comfortable, so I yank my arm free and compromise by throwing it over his shoulders instead. At least that looks somewhat like us, nothing weird.

Matteo grins. “Is best-friend clinginess a thing now?”

I shrug, running my free hand through my hair. “Matteo was asking if you’re coming to the party Saturday, Remy.”

Remy looks over at him. “Oh… yeah. Probably.”

“You bringing your girl?”

Remy freezes, just for a second, and I feel his thumb hook through one of my belt loops, fingers brushing the top of my ass. My brain stutters. I stare straight ahead, blinking rapidly, trying to reboot while my pulse hammers.

Remy swallows. “Yeah. Hannah’ll probably want to come too.”

“Cool,” Matteo says. “Anyway, see you later, guys.”

“See ya, man,” I mutter as he heads toward the main road.

The rest of the guys trickle off in different directions, and suddenly it’s just me and Remy walking back to the dorm like this… his arm still slung around my waist, my arm over his shoulders, thumb in my belt loop, bodies brushing.

“Hey, Cole?”

“Hmm?”

He looks up at me. His face is too close, way too close. I gently nudge his chin forward so he’s looking ahead again. My heart’s beating stupid fast now, nerves and confusion and something hotter twisting in my chest.

“Can we just… chill for a couple nights? Before Hannah comes back.”

I frown. “How’s that any different from what we usually do?”

He shrugs under my arm. “I dunno. Like… watch movies together and stuff.”

I swallow hard, keeping my voice casual even though my throat feels tight. “Yeah. Of course.”

He finally pulls away, sliding his thumb out of my loop, stepping back, and I feel the air rush back in. I can breathe again, but it’s colder without him pressed close.

He gives me a small, shy smile, not cocky, not Remy at all, almost… adorable, and says, “I’m gonna go to the shop for ice cream.”

“Ice cream?”

He nods. “You want anything?”

“Uh… sure.”

I reach for my wallet, but he waves it off. “Don’t worry about it. I’ve got it.”