“Your hands are clenched like you want to hit someone. Have I done something wrong?”
“No, it’s not that. I’m just not a huge fan of calculus,” she lied.
“Don’t worry. I’m not crazy about it either.”
He winked at her and she thought that her heart would explode at any minute.
After they’d shared two more classes, she was relieved when the lunch bell rang. Her nerves were strained. Each time his jeans scraped against her leg, she jerked, and every time his hand turned the page for her, she stiffened. She needed the break.
“Do you mind if I follow you to the cafeteria?” he asked as the last ring of the bell faded away.
Aspen packed her books into her bag. “Sure, but I’ve brought lunch, so I’ll just show you where it is.”
She rose from the desk and then sat back down when she saw Miriam. Her stepsister was headed straight for her, and it was pointless to try to avoid her.
Miriam turned to Dylan’s side of the desk at the last minute. “Well, hello and welcome,” her sister purred. She sat down on his desktop, subtly blocking him in his chair with her legs.
“Why haven’t you introduced us yet, sis?” Even though she spoke to Aspen, she kept her focus on him. Cherry lip gloss gleamed on her mouth, and she tapped coquettishly on the laminate flooring with one high heel.
Dylan looked up at her and grinned. He relaxed back in the seat and spread his arm over the back of Aspen’s chair, which caused her heart to thump all over again.
Miriam glanced impatiently at her when she remained silent.
“Dylan, Miriam. Miriam, Dylan,” she said flatly.
“So nice to meet you. I’m Aspen’s sister.” Miriam beamed.
“Stepsister,” Aspen corrected.
With a glare, Miriam turned back to the new boy again. “I’m sure you must be tired of my sister’s boring conversation. You seem like someone used to excitement, and you’re definitely with the wrong person for that.” She waggled her eyebrows suggestively. “Let me take you to the cafeteria and introduce you to some real people. You know, the popular ones.”
Aspen’s mouth fell open. “There’s nothing wrong with my conversation, Miriam.” She felt her cheeks heat up. “Besides, he’s coming with me.” With that, she reached up and grabbed the hand that dangled over the back of her seat. An instant wave of warmth coursed through her body as she touched him, and her limbs tingled deliciously. “He asked me to take him to the cafeteria already.”
Dylan tilted his head and studied Aspen’s grip on his hand, then a slow smile traveled across his face.
Miriam ignored her stepsister and stared at Dylan, waiting for an answer.
Dylan nodded. “Your sister’s right. I did ask her.” The satisfied look on his face made Aspen suspect that he’d had girls fighting over him before, and she cursed her eagerness.
Her stepsister’s lips thinned. “I guess I’ll see you there next break.” Sliding her leg over the desktop, Miriam sauntered away with a calculated swing of her hips.
As soon as Miriam was out of earshot, Dylan asked quietly, “Are you fighting with your sister, or do you two usually speak to each other like that?”
“It’s my stepsister,” she repeated. “And no, I’m not fighting with her.”
Dropping his hand, she jumped up. Once she was standing, she snatched her backpack and walked out of the classroom. Dylan called out her name, and she stopped as his fingers circled her wrist and tugged her back around. When the tingling returned, her legs almost collapsed beneath her and she grasped his other arm for support.
“Hey, it’s all good. I did ask you to take me to the cafeteria anyway. Don’t be so upset.” Dylan released her and stepped back, and at once her body stilled.
“Let me carry that for you.” He lifted the backpack from her shoulder.
After staring at him, she took a deep breath. “The cafeteria is up ahead. I think we should go before it gets too packed.”
They followed the exodus of students and headed toward the cafeteria. Dylan didn’t speak and trailed her into the already crowded room.
Aromas of cooked vegetables and grilled meat wafted in the air, and the din of conversation was almost overwhelming.
“I’ll grab a table for us,” she said once they’d entered the cafeteria. “Get some lunch from the counter. My mom packed something for me already, so I don’t need anything.”
She pounced on an empty table and Dylan pulled out a chair for her. Placing their bags on a vacant chair, he turned to face her.
“I’ll be back in a minute,” he promised and then disappeared around a long line of kids.