Fighting Fate (Granton University #1)(47)

Why she was even thinking about this, she had no idea. But it was hard to concentrate on anything else.

Samantha cleared her throat, gaining the room’s attention. “First of all, I wanted to let everyone know I got us some hour-long slots to visit the children’s ward at the cancer center next month. So I have a clipboard here with the sign-up sheet. Once everyone interested in participating writes down their name, I’ll split you up into groups and let you know which dates you have.”

She handed the clipboard to the girl on her right.

“And since finals are next week, this is technically our last meeting before winter break. So, I’m making it our Christmas party of sorts. Because our group uses the Crimson Room more actively than any other group on campus, we were asked to decorate it for the holidays. Which means, no group sharing tonight. We’re hanging decorations instead!”

Christmas.

The word sent a lonely flutter through Paige’s throat. She’d have to go home for a few weeks following finals since the dorms closed during the winter break. After spending two days home during Thanksgiving, she wasn’t looking forward to Christmas at all. Her dad hadn’t said a total of five sentences to her the last time she’d seen him. She wondered if he’d bother to talk to her at all this time.

Realizing most of the grief group had already shifted to the boxes full of decorations lined against the wall, Paige looked up when the girl on her left handed her the sign-in sheet.

“Thanks.” She studied the list, a little disappointed so few had volunteered to visit the sick children. Wanting to write her name in huge, bold letters, she frowned when she realized she didn’t have the proper equipment.

“Does anyone have a pen I can borrow?” she called, lifting her attention from the clipboard.

“I think I do.”

When she realized Logan still sat beside her, waiting for his turn to sign while everyone else had wandered toward the decorations, her muscles tensed.

Ducking his face, he dug through his backpack. Paige grew fascinated watching the crown of his head where she could see his scalp through his trim, buzzed hair. She wondered why he cut it so short. Did it have anything to do with this penance thing he seemed so determined to put himself through?

When he came up from the depth of his bag with a pen in hand, he sucked in a breath the same moment she recognized it. It was her pen, the very pen she’d dropped the first day of classes when she’d learned he was attending the same university as her.

“Oh.” The word puffed from his lips as he gaped at the pen in horrified embarrassment. “Sorry. I have another…” He began to retract it and slip it into his bag when she decided they were being silly.

For crying out loud, it was just a pen.

“This one will do.” She plucked it from his hand before he could tuck it away.

His head snapped up, blue eyes startled.

Turning away before she could read too much into his expression, or he could read too much into hers, she scrawled her name on the sheet, ignoring the way her hand shook slightly.

Plastering an overly grateful smile on her face, she said, “Thanks,” and tried to give the pen back to him.

His eyes flared wide, and he pulled back as if scared of the pen. Shaking his head, he waved her to keep it. “It’s yours anyway.”

“Don’t you need it to sign in?” she asked.

He stared at her a moment as if he wanted to figure out what was going on in her head. Then he apparently gave up trying and lowered his gaze as he nodded. “Thanks.”

The pen slipped slowly from her hand. She had no idea why she stuck around, but she remained seated beside him while he signed in his name and set the clipboard on Samantha’s vacated seat.

He stared at the pen in his hand. She could almost hear the inner debate in his head, wondering if he should try to foist it back on her or just keep it.

Deciding to save him from such daunting indecision, she reached out and tugged it from his fingers.

Though he let her take it without a word of protest, he tracked the departing tool as if silently saying goodbye to an old friend. Then his gaze shifted to her.

She held her breath, knowing she should really stand up and go now, but she couldn’t seem to move.

“I didn’t know if you’d really show up tonight or not.”

One corner of his mouth hitched in amusement. “Neither did I.”

Paige patted his knee. “Well, I’m glad you did.” She realized she shouldn’t have touched him when he immediately focused on her hand. She’d been attempting to be friendly—and nothing more—but even a friendly touch was too much between them. She pulled her fingers back to her own lap.

Needing to escape, she surged to her feet and hurried to the main event of the evening. When Kevin called her over to the imitation tree that was rapidly growing from the floor up, she joined him, grateful for the distraction.

While others strung vines of holly and festive streamers around the room, she and Kevin buried themselves in the tree project. Though she made sure not to look his way, she heard Samantha call to Logan for assistance with untangling a huge ball of lights.

Always aware of where Logan was, she cracked jokes with Kevin as they put their heads together and hooked faux tree limbs around the metal-pipe trunk.

Stepping back after they finished, Kevin scratched his head and made a face. “There’s just something about imitation trees that looks so…”