“I’m Alex’s... friend.”
I stared at him before gingerly accepting his hand, not caring that he probably thought I was a weirdo.
He had Sponge Bob Squarepants on his tie.
How dangerous could he be?
“Ah, my point in coming over here was to tell you that I taught Alex better than to leave his date alone. And also to ask you to dance while he lectures my date.” The way Tripp’s eyes lingered on Georgeanne was impossible to miss, and I found myself more confused than ever.
Georgeanne had been Alex’s foster sister. Tripp said he was Alex’s friend, and yet the way he spoke of him sounded more like a father figure, though he couldn’t have had more than a decade on Alex. And Georgeanne and Tripp were clearly together, though Alex was unhappy enough about that to forget his manners and leave me alone, something I was certain he would never do under normal circumstances.
My head spun from all of the connections that I didn’t understand.
It took a moment before I realized that Tripp was watching me with eyebrows slightly raised. Belatedly I realized that I hadn’t answered his question.
“Oh. Um. Yes. I’ll—I’ll dance.” I’ll try is what I added in my head.
“It’s nice to finally meet a... friend... of Alex’s.” I tried not to stiffen when Tripp placed his hand on my elbow to guide me to the dance floor.
It’s just a dance , I reminded myself, even as my pulse sped up in a way entirely different from the way it did when Alex touched me. He has to touch you to dance with you .
“Oh?” My tone was light as Tripp faced me on the dance floor, but inside I was freaking out. When he placed one hand on my shoulder, the other on my waist I had to try hard not to flinch away.
It was right at that moment that I appreciated how truly unique the connection between Alex and I was. He might have been the first man I’d let touch me since I’d made the decision to stop giving in to every boy who asked, but that didn’t mean that it would have been this way with anyone.
Tripp seemed nice enough, but I wanted his hands off of me. I tried to be subtle as I scanned the room for Alex, wanting nothing more than to be safe in his arms.
“He never brings anyone to these functions. Never brings anyone anytime I see him, actually.” I could tell that Tripp was scanning my face, trying to get a read on what, exactly, Alex and I were to each other.
I couldn’t have told him, because I didn’t know myself. But I couldn’t deny that I was insanely happy to hear that I was the first girl he’d ever brought around.
“Excuse me.” Alex. I turned my head, orienting myself to the voice as soon as I heard it. There—there he was. He’d danced Georgeanne over so that they were side by side with Tripp and I. “Wanna trade?”
Though Tripp winked at me, it was clear that he was only too happy to have Georgeanne back in his arms. As for me... I couldn’t stop my lower lip from trembling a bit as Alex studied me, then held open his arms. I moved into them gladly, going so far as to rest head on his chest.
“I’m sorry.” His hands stroked over my back, but this time the gesture one of comfort, not seduction. “I was distracted by the news that Georgeanne and Tripp are dating. I should never have left you alone.”
“It’s okay now.” I inhaled deeply, savouring his smell through his dress shirt. My own words to Kaylee from earlier that day played back through my head as I did.
We’re not dating. It’s just a date .
Whatever I called it, I craved this connection more than I wanted my next breath.
“You know, Tripp’s a good guy.” I looked up, saw the lines of worry around Alex’s eyes. He was worried about me, I realized—worried, I was sure, about the reason that I would be upset by the most benign of touches by another man. “He’s looked after me for ten years. Kept me out of trouble. Even hooked me up with a sweet deal on my apartment, so I didn’t have to live in the
I stared at him before gingerly accepting his hand, not caring that he probably thought I was a weirdo.
He had Sponge Bob Squarepants on his tie.
How dangerous could he be?
“Ah, my point in coming over here was to tell you that I taught Alex better than to leave his date alone. And also to ask you to dance while he lectures my date.” The way Tripp’s eyes lingered on Georgeanne was impossible to miss, and I found myself more confused than ever.
Georgeanne had been Alex’s foster sister. Tripp said he was Alex’s friend, and yet the way he spoke of him sounded more like a father figure, though he couldn’t have had more than a decade on Alex. And Georgeanne and Tripp were clearly together, though Alex was unhappy enough about that to forget his manners and leave me alone, something I was certain he would never do under normal circumstances.
My head spun from all of the connections that I didn’t understand.
It took a moment before I realized that Tripp was watching me with eyebrows slightly raised. Belatedly I realized that I hadn’t answered his question.
“Oh. Um. Yes. I’ll—I’ll dance.” I’ll try is what I added in my head.
“It’s nice to finally meet a... friend... of Alex’s.” I tried not to stiffen when Tripp placed his hand on my elbow to guide me to the dance floor.
It’s just a dance , I reminded myself, even as my pulse sped up in a way entirely different from the way it did when Alex touched me. He has to touch you to dance with you .
“Oh?” My tone was light as Tripp faced me on the dance floor, but inside I was freaking out. When he placed one hand on my shoulder, the other on my waist I had to try hard not to flinch away.
It was right at that moment that I appreciated how truly unique the connection between Alex and I was. He might have been the first man I’d let touch me since I’d made the decision to stop giving in to every boy who asked, but that didn’t mean that it would have been this way with anyone.
Tripp seemed nice enough, but I wanted his hands off of me. I tried to be subtle as I scanned the room for Alex, wanting nothing more than to be safe in his arms.
“He never brings anyone to these functions. Never brings anyone anytime I see him, actually.” I could tell that Tripp was scanning my face, trying to get a read on what, exactly, Alex and I were to each other.
I couldn’t have told him, because I didn’t know myself. But I couldn’t deny that I was insanely happy to hear that I was the first girl he’d ever brought around.
“Excuse me.” Alex. I turned my head, orienting myself to the voice as soon as I heard it. There—there he was. He’d danced Georgeanne over so that they were side by side with Tripp and I. “Wanna trade?”
Though Tripp winked at me, it was clear that he was only too happy to have Georgeanne back in his arms. As for me... I couldn’t stop my lower lip from trembling a bit as Alex studied me, then held open his arms. I moved into them gladly, going so far as to rest head on his chest.
“I’m sorry.” His hands stroked over my back, but this time the gesture one of comfort, not seduction. “I was distracted by the news that Georgeanne and Tripp are dating. I should never have left you alone.”
“It’s okay now.” I inhaled deeply, savouring his smell through his dress shirt. My own words to Kaylee from earlier that day played back through my head as I did.
We’re not dating. It’s just a date .
Whatever I called it, I craved this connection more than I wanted my next breath.
“You know, Tripp’s a good guy.” I looked up, saw the lines of worry around Alex’s eyes. He was worried about me, I realized—worried, I was sure, about the reason that I would be upset by the most benign of touches by another man. “He’s looked after me for ten years. Kept me out of trouble. Even hooked me up with a sweet deal on my apartment, so I didn’t have to live in the
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