New Romantics

Chapter 13

We stood in silence, gazed locked, and my mind raced. Dani and Sasha would be back soon. My stomach was growling. The familiarity of this scene made butterflies erupt in my stomach.

"So," he began. "Have you picked a life-changing romance yet?"

"I've been a bit preoccupied."

"Right..." His cheeks flushed. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I almost drowned," I said, shoulders slumping, a fresh wave of exhaustion tugging painfully at my nerves. Embarrassment deepening the crimson in his cheeks, Leo leaned in, his eyes scanning me from top to bottom, as though he could see in the invisible wounds, and frowned. "I'll be okay," I continued. It was the only option, after all. "I'm just exhausted."

A different exhausted from the perpetual exhaustion etched into my bones.

"Do you want to sit down?" he asked gently, and gravity pushed further into my aching muscles. "I can help you get back to your room."

I wrapped my arms protectively around my waist. Though the comfort of my sheets called my name, I didn't want to risk the tightness in my chest returning. It's not that I ever felt claustrophobic in my room—it was my solace—but I needed the vastness of the open sky, the crisp, fresh air for a few minutes more. Grabbing the tiny, pastel pink folding chair leaned against the railing furthest from the window, I sat down. "I'm good out here for now. I've been cooped up inside all last night and most of today, so some fresh air is needed."

A soft breeze ruffled my gnarled black curls. I didn't even want to think about how much it would suck to get the tangles out.

"So, about the romance novels," Leo began from his spot against the railing. He hooked one ankle over the other and rested both elbows against the metal to lean back in a lazy, comfortable stance that made him look even more attractive than he already was. "Do you have a go-to list? Like, Romeo and Juliet. Pride and Prejudice. Stuff like that?"

Everyone had a list. But not every list was for public consumption. Especially when two of the books on that list were epic fanfiction retellings. "Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy. Romeo was a player and Juliet was thirteen. There is nothing romantic about that. Besides, those books are classics. There's nothing wrong with a classic. They get those titles for a reason. But I want to pick something out of the ordinary. Something...newer."

"Like...?"

"I don't know yet." Running my fingers through my hair, I pursed my lips. "There's a lot of pressure to get it right, Leo. The fate of all the women on this campus depends on it."

Leo barked a laugh. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Where did that come from? I did not sign up to be your reformed bad boy."

"You think you're a bad boy?" I teased. When he opened his mouth to argue, I snickered. "There you are making assumptions, Leo. I thought you hated that. I don't think you're a bad boy as much as you think I'm some delusional good girl."

Clicking his tongue, Leo shook his head. "Oh, Aria, I don't think you're a good girl."

The way he said it—low and gravely—sucked every bit of oxygen out of my lungs. My insides shrieked. My outsides might have shrieked if I didn't clamp my mouth shut the moment his words registered in my brain—and sent it short-circuiting.

Good girl.

I wondered how many times he said it. How many ways. In how many places doing God knows what. "Good to know," I squeaked.

"This, uh, girl I took to DTE's Spring Formal last year never stopped talking about her favorite books. She was trying to become one of those book influencers, so it came off a little forced at the time, but she swore she had a book for every mood." There was no judgment in his voice; only plain, simple facts. "She wanted to recreate a hot tub scene she read on the ride to the cabins."