THE LINE BETWEEN US

lms was still shar

d instead of nearly sending me sprawling face-first into the lockers. His dark eyes swept over me with a slow, delibera

ferent one. No. A look that said I'm annoy

g inside

I couldn't swallow down. Before I could even think about staying quiet and avoiding further atte

than I expected. "You trip me, and th

ldly entertained. "You weren't even looking where you were going," he said evenly, his tone laced with a kind of lazy arrogance.

es. "Oh, please. I was walkin

your glasses aren't doing their job," he drawled. Then, as if to punctuate his pettiness, he kicked o

," I muttered

something incoherent as he went. The laughter from a couple

things. My hands trembled slightly, not just from the f

a shadow f

utu

d there, his brows drawn together in concern, the faint scent of h

y didn't you answer whe

n publicly tripped and insulted by some random jerk. I shook my head quickly. "Nothing

rd of it. Still, he bent down and started helping me

the floor, picking up the pieces of my morning. So when he held

red, already turni

slow down. The hallway noise swallowed the rest of whatever he'd been ab

into my seat, the first

ross the margins as I scribbled little loops and half-formed sentences that made no sense. My mind kept r

e faded into backgr

s Sim

tire class had gone quiet, all eyes sw

Ye

cher's lips. "Perhaps you could

e room, feeling the flush creep back into my cheeks. Then, fr

erc

ction of a second before re

ened, and he gave a curt

eat, exhaling slowly. I turned my head slightly

was

who'd t

something else, as he leaned back in

hed teeth. "Thanks." Then I looked aw

my things quickly, hoping to slip out unnoticed. But the moment I

He

n't sl

ait

lking, my eyes fi

fferent in his tone now. Less sharp. More... awkward? "Look, I was i

expression wasn't mocking this time. If anyth

is pockets. "I'm Taylor," h

oment before reluctantl

verbearing. He gave a small nod, like th

, "looks like we've got

. Just

being both brilliant and terrifying, I found myself walking beside him toward the next room. His voice

ch. But I didn't

lt less like an accident that we'd gotten there toge