I smiled back. “Okay.”

We had an elevator, but I didn’t say anything. He always offered to help me, and I thought it sweet.

I could feel Shelley’s eyes on us, watching. Plotting.

“She needs help a lot, Rick . She needs a big old—oh, never mind.” She grinned maniacally.

I shot her a look. This was not what I meant by make me laugh .

Her eyes said what she’d said to me many times, That is some good man-meat right there. What are you waiting on, chica? Scaredy-cat. Here, pussyyyyyyy.

I huffed just as the café door opened and Blake walked through to the bookstore.

“What’s going on?” he asked us.

“Nothing,” snorted Shelley. “This bookstore needs to magically turn into a night club or a frat house.”

“Geez, no one’s keeping you here with me,” I replied. “I’m not bored at all. I’m working to pay my bills.”

She shrugged and sipped on her soda. “This year is just so blasé so far.”

“Don’t you have homework?” How did the girl not get kicked out of school?

“All done.” She tapped her head. “I might look like a dumb co-ed, but this brain is smarter than you think.”

“Let’s all do something,” Blake said. “Movie maybe? I hear the new Marvel movie is showing at the Malco.” He sent me a sheepish grin. “I know Elizabeth loves Thor, right?”

“Wow, Elizabeth? Is that so?” Shelley asked in a snarky voice.

I shrugged. “Sure, what’s not to like? There are big muscles and blond hair and tattoos and a hammer …”

“Yeah, she likes big hammers,” Shelley deadpanned.

“That’s enough,” I said.

“I was kidding.” She sent me a sly look.

Blake and Rick chuckled, and even though I was the butt of the joke, it made me glad to see Blake smile. I didn’t want things to be weird between us. I’d been processing his declaration of love, but I still didn’t know what I wanted to do about it.

The chime on the overhead door went off as Dax and Declan both walked in the café entrance.

Shelley came to attention. “The British are coming, the British are coming.”

“Stop it,” I hissed.

Blake’s face had grown still at our conversation, his body tense. “I don’t know what all the girls see in those two—”

“—who are hotter than my hair straightener,” Shelley finished.

A girl in the café waylaid Dax, but Declan strode our way wearing low-slung jeans, a Whitman shirt, and a pair of leather flip-flops.

I sighed, taking in the dark hair that curled around his ears and nape, the glossy sheen catching the lights. His steely-gray eyes seemed to zero in right on me from clear across the store, and I felt myself prepping my body for the current that would inevitably shoot through me.

He came closer and it seemed as if every eye in the place followed him.

Why couldn’t I just write him off like I had all the others?

“Yep, hotter than a Times Square Rolex,” I murmured to myself.

He came to a stop in front of the counter. “Hey. You good today?”

I squirmed at the attention. He meant the nightmare. It had been several days since our sleepover and he’d been checking in with me each morning in Lit class, keeping it casual but always asking if I was okay.

“Yeah. And you?”

He nodded.

Dax came crashing into us, the girl he’d been talking to tagging along behind him. “What’s going on? Anybody want to come to the house and hang out?” He came over and tossed an arm around me. “Hey, love, when do you get off work?”

Blake answered. “We’re going to the movies later. Sorry.”

I didn’t recall agreeing to a movie. Seems my friends had decided what my plans were for the evening when really I needed to get home and study.

“Sounds kinda boring, but I’m in,” Dax said with a clap of his hands. He left me to toss an arm around the random girl. “You too?”

She blushed.

“Actually, Elizabeth and I already have plans tonight. I was just coming by to confirm,” Declan inserted smoothly.

All eyes turned to me and then bounced back to Declan.

“Plans?” Shelley squeaked. “You didn’t tell moi ?”

“But, the movie …” Blake’s voice trailed off.

Dax’s eyes widened. “Oh, I didn’t see that coming.”

Rick moved to the cash register to check someone out but not before looking at me with questioning eyebrows.