the only thing that had me refraining from saying so.
People like Fleur and me were too fucked up for nice, normal people. We hurt them without even meaning to, let them down without even realizing it. We should come with a warning label.
“So you’re matchmaking.”
“Maybe.”
I grinned, reaching out and tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. I’d never thought cute could be sexy before her, but she was so adorable I couldn’t resist.
For a moment, my fingers lingered against her skin.
The pink shade on her cheeks deepened. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“My pleasure.”
“Are you like this with everyone? Or am I just lucky?” she asked, her voice tart.
“Like what?”
“Turning every word into a proposition?”
I laughed. “Only for you, babe.”
She shoved me playfully and all I could think was, Don’t ever take your hands off of me. Please.
We faced off across from each other, her hands on my chest. She was close enough that if I just leaned forward, I could kiss her. Our breath mingled, our faces nearly touching. Her fingers curled into the fabric of my jacket, holding me in place. I didn’t move. I just sat there, staring at her. Waiting to see what she would do next, wondering how I would respond. There was an invitation in her eyes that made me want to close the distance between us. There was a defensiveness in her stance that held me back.
Suddenly Maggie broke the connection, looking away from me. She reached down, grabbing her bag. I sat there, watching her, my hands at my sides, struggling not to reach out and take what I so desperately wanted.
Whatever had passed between us disappeared as quickly as it had flared. Its absence left a chill in the air.
“I’m going to head back to the dorm,” Maggie announced.
“I thought you were waiting for Fleur.”
“I better go before you do full-on proposition me here on the steps.”
Her words were light, but her eyes and her voice were sad. I knew what she was trying to do, hated faking it with her. But I played along. It was easier not to be serious with her.
“I bet I could have you naked in three minutes flat.”
She laughed, the sound filling the air. “Come on, Samir. You know I’m not that kind of girl. It would take at least ten.”
“Then it would be the best ten minutes of my life,” I answered honestly.
She turned away for a moment, hiding her face, before looking back at me. “I’ll see you around.”
I wanted to ask her to stay. I wanted to keep joking with her, talking with her, anything to keep her near me. I wanted to strip her naked on the steps. I wanted it all, and I had a right to none of it. So I simply nodded.
“See you around.”
I watched her walk away, her hips swaying and hair swinging, and I couldn’t help but feel like her departure had taken all of the laughter out of the air.
I sat on the steps, staring out at the sky, taking another drag from my cigarette. It was all I could do to keep from calling her back to me.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Maggie
IT TOOK ME ten minutes to get my shit together after seeing Samir out on the steps. Twenty before I was able to think about something other than how good it felt when he touched me, how easy it had been to laugh around him. It took me opening a book in order to clear my head. I was still reading when I heard the sound of the door opening.
I was closing my book and setting it down on the comforter when Fleur walked into the room.
I wasn’t even sure how to start this conversation. I didn’t know how Fleur was going to take it, or if she was even strong enough to hear it right now. But she deserved to hear it from someone who cared about her rather than someone looking for a piece of gossip.
“Nice job back there in the cafeteria. Way to be smooth.”
“It was all Mya.”
Fleur shot me a look. “Sure it was.”
“How did it go?”
Fleur sank down on the bed across from me. “It was good, I think. I don’t know. He’s nice. Quiet. I’ve never been with a guy like that before. But he’s also so shy. It’s hard to get him to talk.”
“I think it’s you. Honestly, I’ve known him for a year now, and he’s really fun. I think you intimidate him.”
Fleur frowned. “I’m not trying to.”
“I know. But I think he has this image of you built up in his head. The whole starring-in-the-French-rap-video thing, the guys, the clubs, the money. I don’t think his past is nearly as flashy as yours.”
She sighed. “I just wish he would let go a bit. I think I could actually like him if he were more relaxed with me. Half the time we just stare at each other and he doesn’t even talk. And when he does talk, I have no clue what he’s talking about. He’s so smart. I feel like an idiot around him.”
Surprise filled me. “You’re not an idiot.”
“Well, I feel like one. Did you know he’s a history major?”
I nodded.
“He talks about all these old wars; I’ve never even heard of half of them.”
“I don’t think knowing about old wars makes you smart.”
“I’m fairly sure it does in his book. And I can’t help but feel like he thinks I’m a moron.”
“Fleur, he doesn’t.”
“His friend does.”
“Which friend?”
“That guy Max. The American one.”
“I don’t know him.”
“Oh, come on. You totally do. He’s the super-boring guy with the underwear model’s body. I swear, you can practically see how cut his abs are through his T-shirts.” She shrugged. “He works out at my gym.”
I cracked up. “Definitely don’t know who you’re talking about.”
“Whatever. We’ve had a few classes together, and he’s a total dick. He got pissed at me one time because I was texting in class next to him. Said it was distracting.”
As nice as George was,
