This conversation is too much to process. “A what?”
“We could have just had a conversation. This is not the kind of main character moment I’m looking for in my life!” She groans loudly, peeking at me between her fingers.
Reaching forward, I wrestle her hands away from her face, so she has to look at me. Her head tilts to the side as she takes me in, her expression falling somewhere between frustration and relief. “I’m sorry, Rory. I always fuck everything up. I mean it when I say I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
“If you hadn’t avoided me last night, drunk me would have probably asked why you were acting weird during truth or dare, loudly also with an audience, so we’d have got to the bottom of it one way or another.” Her left hand is still holding mine, but her right is drawing patterns across my palm. I know I should stand up and leave now we’re both on the same page, but lack of self-control is clearly a Callaghan trait.
“Drunk you nearly got us caught by Jenna last night.” I sigh. “I can’t promise I’m going to be around when you’re being reckless, Aurora. I really need this job and I can’t risk being fired, so if it happens again, please don’t think I’m avoiding you.”
She groans again, this time accompanied by a dramatic eye roll, but her fingers keep dancing across my skin. “I don’t think I’m going to drink anymore anyway. But nobody ever actually gets fired, Russ. People break all kind of rules while they’re here and nothing ever happens.”
The memory of how soft Aurora felt beneath me invades my brain.
Think with your head not your dick, Callaghan. “I don’t want to test that theory.”
“But testing the theory is the fun part.” She smiles at me, a real one that makes a little line appear at the corner of her eyes. “And the trick is to not get caught.”
Her eyes burn into me and I should look away, but I can’t. They travel down to my lips, then back to my eyes; her teeth sinking into her lip.
I want to kiss her.
She looks like she wants to be kissed.
It takes every shred of restraint to not lean in, especially when she’s looking at me like that. Sighing, I force myself to remember why I’m here and what it is I’m avoiding. “I just want to peacefully co-exist with you and stay out of trouble, Aurora.”
She shrugs, dropping her hands into her lap as I stand. “That’s fine. I’m supposed to be working on myself or something anyway. It was really clear in my head, now it’s kind of fuzzy. I should probably get back to doing that.”
“I need to go before someone comes looking for me. I don’t want them to think it’s weird we’re here alone. I’m sorry again, I’m glad we’re on the same page now.” It’s an oddly formal response to a personal revelation, but the longer I’m around her the easier it becomes to say maybe I could test her theory a little.
Thankfully she doesn’t call me out. I watch as she unscrews the orange juice and holds it up to me. “To our peaceful co-existence.”
Chapter Twelve
RUSS
“Why do you look like the golden retriever that got the bacon?” Xander says suspiciously, scrutinizing every inch of me.
“The what?” I watch Salmon and Trout’s ears twitch at the mention of bacon and it immediately becomes clear why Xander is their favorite this morning.
“It’s like the cat that got the cream, but relatable, y’know?”
“It’s just my face.” And the relief of not having to avoid someone I don’t want to avoid. “Grab that paintbrush for me?”
My roommate does not look convinced as he hands me the brush. “You were gone a long time taking Aurora breakfast this morning.” I hear the and now you’re in a good mood and, even though he doesn’t say it, the smug look on his face is enough to assume that’s what he’s thinking.
“I don’t think I was that long.”
“She’s so hot. I might see if she wants to pair up at the swimming training later,” he says carefully, in a way that tells me he’s baiting me. “What do you think about that?”
Not looking at him, I concentrate on making sure I have enough paint and paintbrushes, knowing I’ll immediately give myself away. “I think that’s a great idea.”
“You’re such a fucking liar, Callaghan,” he laughs. “Fine. Have your secret summer of fun. I’ll just be lonely in our cabin with my dogs.”