Foreplay (The Ivy Chronicles #1)(61)

I resumed tapping at the keys, struggling to concentrate on my concluding paragraph. I finally gave up and pushed back from my desk. Standing, I rubbed my hands over my face and paced the small space between my desk and bed.

The conversation with Em hadn’t helped. I’d been thinking about him a lot. Especially after he opened up to me and told me about his mother. My mom might have left voluntarily, chosen addiction over me, but we’d both grown up motherless. He was right. We weren’t that different. Deciding it wouldn’t be wrong to at least reply to his text, I plucked my phone off my desk. His message stared back at me. My fingers paused a moment before typing.


Me: Hey. How’s it going?

I hesitated, reading the simple line, making certain it was what I wanted to say. Not too much. Not too little. Satisfied, I hit SEND.

Setting the phone down, I sank back in my chair and reread my last paragraph. Text sent, I was determined to finish this assignment.

And then my phone buzzed. I snatched it up.


Reece: I’m good. Ever since this excellent nurse took really good care of me a few days ago I’m better than ever

Smiling, I typed back, my thumbs flying.


Me: Lucky u

Reece: She tastes good, too. Like cupcake

My face flamed as I typed.


Me: That’s what happens when someone feeds her cupcake

Reece: She just needed one of those sexy nurse outfits to make my fantasy complete

I giggled.


Me: Your fantasy involves puke and a nasty stomach bug???

Reece: It involves you

The smile slipped from my face and my breath caught. Shit. He wasn’t even here, and just like that he made my knees go weak and my face heat. My fingers trembled over the keys, unsure how to respond. Then I noticed he had started typing again. I waited for the words to appear.


Reece: When can I see u again?

My heart raced at the idea of seeing him again. At my place? Or his? I gnawed on my bottom lip, thinking.


Reece: Can u grab lunch Wed?

I blinked. Lunch out? Not his loft or my dorm. What was that about? Friends went out for lunch. And couples. We weren’t a couple, but I guess we could be the latter. Friends. Would that be too weird?


Reece: Hello?

Me: Yes. Wed works

Reece: How about Gino’s?

Gino’s served the best pizza and calzones in town. The popular pizza parlor wasn’t far from Mulvaney’s off the strip.


Me: Sounds good. What time should I meet u?

Reece: I’ll pick u up at noon, ok?

I frowned. Picking me up made it feel like a date.


Me: It’s just lunch. I can meet u there

Reece: I’ll pick u up

I stared at the screen, debating arguing. Instead, I just typed okay.


Reece: See u then

Setting my phone on my desk, I looked at the adjoining door. The sound of the television floated into my room. Emerson always studied with the TV on. I took a step in that direction and stopped myself, deciding against telling her about the date. After the inquisition of a few moments ago she would only see this as affirmation that I missed Reece and wanted to see him again or some such nonsense.

It wasn’t that. It was simply deepening my education. Our pseudo-date would be a trial run for when Hunter took me out. If that even happened like I hoped.

This was just a pretend date. The center of my chest pulled uncomfortably. I rubbed at the spot, willing for the tightness to loosen. Yeah. Pretend. As was everything else we had done. Nothing more. Nothing real.





Chapter 21

He knocked at a few minutes before noon. I took a final look at myself in the mirror. It was tricky deciding what to wear. We were going for pizza in the middle of the day. It wasn’t like getting dressed up for an evening out.

I settled on skinny jeans and a fitted long-sleeved shirt. I opted for my half-boots instead of sneakers like I always wore to class. The hair I wore down. I even tamed the mess of waves with product and a diffuser. A lot of effort for me. I wasn’t in total denial. He thought my hair was beautiful and I wanted to live up to that. It was somewhat humbling to know that my ego craved such affirmation. I wasn’t so unlike other girls who sought approval. That made me normal, I supposed. A laugh escaped me. Finally. I’d only ever wanted to be normal. To sit at the cool kids’ table just for being me and not because I was Lila Montgomery’s best friend.

Opening the door, the sight of him hit me like a fist. God. When was that going to stop happening. How many kisses would it take for him not to have that effect on me?

“Hey.” Okay, did my voice have to sound like I just sucked down helium?

“Hey.” His gaze moved over me from top to bottom. “You look really pretty.”

“Thanks.” I surveyed him in turn. He wore jeans and a gray thermal shirt that hugged his broad shoulders. The shirt wasn’t skin-tight, but the corded strength of his lean torso was evident. “So do you.”

He grinned.

“Well, not pretty,” I corrected. “Good. You look good.” God. First date fail.

“Thanks. Ready?”

I nodded and grabbed my bag. Pulling the strap across my chest, I locked the door behind me. There were plenty of girls walking the hall and lounging in the small sitting area across from the elevator at this time of day. They weren’t subtle in their stares. One girl leaned far back, nearly toppling over the chair to better check out Reece as we waited in front of the elevator.