CHAPTER 30: I’LL BE GOOD (SORT OF)

She was talking.

And smiling. Laughing, even. The kind that crinkled the corners of her eyes and made her nose scrunch just a little. The kind that could make anyone fall in love with her—if they weren’t careful.

Her boots clacked across my crappy apartment floor as she moved like a girl without a care in the world.

"...and you should’ve seen Mr. Halifax’s face when I told him our charts were off by 0.2%—I swear he turned white. Like, ghost-white. I almost felt bad for him." She flopped onto my couch like it owed her rent. "Almost."

I stood by the fridge, sipping water.

"Mm," I replied.

"Like, I get that he’s old, but if you’re gonna assign work, at least know how to read the results, right?"

"Yeah."

She stretched, boots tapping the armrest now. "I kinda feel like we aced that project too hard. It’s like—next time, we need to tone it down. Let them breathe."

"Mmhmm."

She went quiet for a beat.

I didn’t look up.

"...You’re being weird."

I shrugged.

She sat up now, fully facing me. "Did I do something?"

Silence.

"That’s a yes," she said, drawing her knees to her chest. "I can tell."

I turned away, pretending to check my phone. "It’s nothing."

"That’s a lie." She stood. "I know your tone. That’s your ’everything is not fine but I’m gonna act like it is’ voice."

"It’s not a thing."

"It is a thing. I noticed it the first week we met. You use it when you’re pretending not to be upset but secretly want someone to ask you what’s wrong. So here I am, asking."

I sighed.

She stepped closer. "Is it because of earlier?"

I said nothing.

Her voice dipped. "The pen-breaking? Locker-threats? The whole... don’t-talk-to-other-girls thing?"

Still nothing.

She exhaled, then walked toward me like I was a scared animal she didn’t want to spook.

"I was jealous, okay?" she said. "I mean—look at you now. You look—like you. The you I always saw, just with better lighting. Better hair. Better confidence. And now the rest of the world sees it too."

She was in front of me now.

I still didn’t look up.

"I panicked," she whispered. "I thought maybe you’d see it too. The options. The girls. And maybe one day you’d wake up and realize you didn’t need to settle for someone who always comes into your room uninvited and touches your—"

"Val."

She blinked.

"You’re literally the one who made me look like this."

"I know," she whispered. "I know that. I just..."

She finally looked small.

Like a girl who wasn’t trying to win. Just trying not to lose.

"...don’t be mad, okay?"

I looked at her. Really looked at her. Eyes glossy. Lips parted like she’d say more if I didn’t cut in.

"I’m sorry," she said, tugging at my sleeve. "I’ll be better. Just don’t be upset with me. I hate it."

I stared at her for a beat longer.

And then nodded. "...I’m not mad. Not really."

She smiled like I gave her the moon.

"You’re such a bad liar," she said, voice lighter now. "But I’ll take it."

And that’s when I tried pushing it.

"So that means I can talk to whoever I want now, right?"

She beamed. "Of course."

Then tilted her head.

"...as long as they’re not females."

I blinked. "Val..."

She groaned. "I’m serious! Girls are evil. And sneaky. And you—Kai Tanaka—are tragically clueless when it comes to girls who want you."

I stared.

"I’m protecting you," she said.

"From who? A girl asking about calculus?"

"They weren’t asking about calculus. They were asking if you’d be free Friday night to rearrange their guts and you didn’teven notice."

I choked. "Oh my God—"

"I knew you were gonna say that." She pouted. "That’s why I gotta stay ten steps ahead."

"You’re crazy."

She grinned. "Not to you."

"You literally broke a pen just from watching a girl talk to me."

"That’s passion, babe."

I narrowed my eyes. "Not to me, huh?"

She turned smug.

I raised my hand, meaning to tap her shoulder, she ducked, we fell, I landed on top of her.

Both of us froze.

Eyes. Breath. Pulse.

She was warm beneath me, hair spread across the pillow, cheeks dusted pink.

"Look at you," she said softly. "Brave enough to hit me now."

"I didn’t mean—"

She pressed a finger to my lips.

"I like this version of you."

And then, softer than I thought her voice could get: "If I kissed you right now... I might end up taking your V-Card."

I swallowed.

She tilted her head. "Can I?"

My gaze dropped to her lips, just for a second.

Then back up to her eyes.

And—

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To be continued...