“Something about me, huh?” I say. “You barely know me.”
“Maybe I’m intrigued by a woman who goes off to hang out alone at a boring party. Maybe I want to know more about a woman who hides when she’s tipsy.”
“You like a hermit who can’t handle her alcohol?”
I like the way he tilts his face back when he laughs. “Okay. Maybe I’m curious about a woman who played lacrosse at the number-two-ranked school in the country and said that her team was ‘all right,’” he says. “Maybe I’m curious about a student who was the only one in the class to get every question right on a notoriously difficult neuroanatomy exam.”
My eyes go wide. I aced it? “Shut up.”
“Dr. Ashkar cc’d me on the grade distribution. I’m happy I get to give you the good news in person.”
“That is”—I cup a hand over my forehead—“that is really hard to believe, actually, because I was such a distracted mess yesterday.”
He studies me for a mysterious beat. “Well, it didn’t show.”
I make fists, hold them up at shoulder height, and do a little dance. I am so fucking elated.
Callum watches me with sparkling, amused eyes. “Can I take you out to dinner?”
His question comes out of absolutely nowhere, and my fists drop like stones. “What?”
“Dinner.” He cutely mimes spooning food into his mouth. “Sun goes down. People eat.”
“Like a date?”
“I hope so? I intend to flirt.”
“When?”
He smiles and gives a happy shrug. “Whenever you want.”
It feels genuinely impossible that this is happening. Callum Sundberg is asking me out on a date? After two and a half conversations and zero makeup or wardrobe efforts on my part? I look behind me.
When I turn back, he’s fighting a laugh. “What are you doing?” he asks.
“Double-checking there wasn’t someone behind me.”
He releases the laugh, tilting my face up with a finger under my chin. “I’m asking you.”
Something crystallizes when our eyes meet, and I realize this is actually happening. “I’m in.”
His reply is instant. “Tonight?”
I nod, numbly, and when he holds out his hand, palm up, I carefully set my mittened hand down upon it.
Callum laughs again. The sound is addictive. “No. Give me your phone, Terra.”
“Oh.” I reach into my pocket, pull my phone out, and hand it over.
He texts himself and hands it back. “Text me your address. I’ll pick you up at seven.”
In shock, I watch him walk away.
I look down at my phone. He’s created a new contact with his number.
The Hot TA.
Oh my God.
Until you’re able to be right in front of me, connecting my face to my initial, don’t feel guilty for spending time with other people and wondering about them, even romantically.
Suspicion rears its head again, and I have to shove it away, climbing on my bike and pushing off.
My heart hammers the entire ride to the lab. When I get there, my phone pings with another email from C, and I tap my phone awake with electricity flowing through my fingers.
From: [email protected]
Date: February 17, 2024
Subject: Re: Emerging from the hungover study cave Four things, now? Okay: my middle name is Jude, after the song. My first concert was the Jonas Brothers with my oldest sister, Annika. Other than the guinea pig, Freckles, we had an adorable but really （I mean truly） stupid cocker spaniel. And I currently live in Philadelphia.
C.
From: [email protected]
Date: February 17, 2024
Subject: Re: Emerging from the hungover study cave C . . . my hands are shaking right now. I am freaking the hell out.
I live in Philly, too. And I think you know that.
He replies with a phone number. And when I enter it into a text box, an existing contact pops up on-screen.
The Hot TA.
Chapter Twenty-Three
FEBRUARY 17, 2024
Terra
Getting ready for my date with Our Lord and Savior is an all-hands-on-deck emergency. While I prop my foot in the sink and carefully guide a razor up my leg, Jamie runs the flat iron through my hair and Elise attempts to put makeup on me. I screamed my way into the apartment an hour ago, sending Elise diving for her phone to get Jamie here for reinforcement. It took nearly a half hour of them shouting, “Callum Sundberg is Terra’s pen pal!” at each other before it seemed to sink in for any of us. And yet! How on earth is it even possible that I am going on a date with Callum Sundberg, who also happens to be my longtime valentine?