Charlee hated to admit it, but it was actually noble of him to do be doing this. She was sure no matter how many times he tried to kiss her without the promise of anything more she’d probably let him and he probably sensed that she would. He could take advantage of that and he hadn’t. It just hurt that she obviously wasn’t enough for him.

Taking a deep breath, she glanced up at Drew, who looked a little too pensive for Charlee’s comfort. She knew that look. Drew was up to something again.

“Drew?”

“Hmm?”

“We’re dropping this now, okay? No more games. No more trying to prove your theories. No more of anything. There’s nothing to prove anymore. He’s admitted it now. It is what it is. We can’t change who he is, and I’m done getting emotionally beat up over this. In fact, I’m considering going back home for a week or so. Maybe that would help me stop thinking about this so much and move on already.”

“Go home? You can’t go home in the middle of the semester.”

“I can if I’m way ahead and make sure I do it on a week like next week when I know I have no tests or anything important do.”

Making the most pathetic begging face, Drew placed her hands in front of her as if she were praying. “No, Charlee. Please! I don’t want you go.”

“Then promise me we’re done with all this.”

The pathetic expression was gone, and Drew chewed her food now with a little smile but didn’t say anything.

“You haven’t promised.”

Reaching for a napkin, Drew was able to cover her nose and mouth just before sneezing. “Bless you,” Charlee waited through three more sneezes, and still Drew promised nothing. “Drew?”

“Yes, yes,” Drew finally conceded. “No more games. No more theories.”

“No more anything.” Charlee repeated. “I’m done with all this.” She stood up from the table, taking her cup with her. “Say it, Drew.”

“You’re done with all of this.”

Charlee turned to look at her too-smug-sounding friend and peered at her. If her head weren’t pounding so much, she might put more effort into trying to figure out what that grin on her face was about. Instead she gave in to the pain. “Good. I’m going back to bed now.”

Charlee was glad that the pain was all she could think of right that minute, so she headed for her bed and would worry about having to face Hector again after last night’s disaster later.

Chapter 20

Walter hadn’t talked about Charlee nearly as much as he normally did, and still the workout with him that morning had been grueling. After hearing Charlee say she wanted more last night, it made it that much more torturous to have to hold back from giving it to her. To think, if it weren’t for his loyalty to Walter, a guy whose only move so far was to invite her over to see his robot and play chess with his grandpa, Hector could be holding Charlee every day now.

She wanted more, damn it. He’d suspected she might but couldn’t be sure. Now he was one-hundred percent sure that if he asked her to be his, all his, she’d be willing to at least give it a go. And if they gave it a go, he’d make sure it’d work out, because after having just a tiny taste of what it’d be like, he was sure if things ever went further between them there would be no turning back for him.

Hector still didn’t know too much about her, but he knew enough. He knew she was sweet, smart, and when he looked into those eyes, he felt things he couldn’t understand but felt damn good. To be able to feel that all the time would be heaven.

Grabbing a handful of clipboards, he threw them in the box under the counter, and they crashed loudly. Continuing to mutter under his breath, he cleared off the counter of the greeting station in front of 5th Street. Someone behind him sneezed, and he didn’t bother doing the polite thing and saying, “Bless you.” He was too f**king irritated again to talk to anyone. The sneezing went on again a few more times before he finally glanced back, not bothering to hide his annoyance, and to his surprise, he saw Drew staring back at him. She didn’t look nearly as friendly as she had last night.

Wiping her nose with a tissue, she glared at him. “Oh, I’m sorry. I must be allergic to ass**les.”

If he weren’t in such a bad mood, he might’ve laughed at that. “What?”

“I just called you an ass**le,” she said, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yeah, I got that. You mind telling me why?”

She leaned against the counter and glared at him. “I don’t even know where to start. Maybe because you made my best friend feel special and kissed her like she’s never been kissed before then avoided her for days only to finally tell her to just forget it ever happened.”

“I explained why and even apologized for that. And she is special.” Hector’s words got a little louder now. “I never took that part back.”

Drew lifted an eyebrow. “Maybe because she cried all the way home last night because the guy she’s crazy about told her he’s crazy about her too—only not enough.”

“She cried all the way home?” Drew had just told him Charlee was crazy about him, and all he could focus on was this part. He slammed his fist on the counter. This was the last thing he needed to hear this morning. “I never meant to make her cry.”

“Yeah, well, you did. And F.Y.I., it’s not the first time she’s shed a few tears for you.” Feeling his stomach drop like a brick, he stared at her as she continued. “You can’t tell her I told you though.”