“Tell me everything, Mina.” I look back at Rosie, who has gathered herself, her manicured nails digging into my skin. “Now!”

“We didn’t kiss kiss,” I say, hiding my face behind my hands. “Some Firebrand fans recognized Emmitt so we had to run, and then we needed a distraction, and he just—he asked to kiss me and I was panicking and...it just kind of happened?”

Rosie’s silence speaks volumes. I peek between my fingers, and she’s staring at me incredulously. “I thought you hated him?” She starts poking my chest. “You two are running clown nation over there, huh?”

“Don’t start,” I mutter and drop my head on her shoulder.

She runs a gentle hand over my braid, before giving it a sharp tug. “Don’t be an imbecile. Even my gay ass knows you don’t just ‘randomly’ agree to kiss people you hate.”

“Shhh,” I say, pressing my hand against her mouth. “Don’t manifest it.”

Rosie snorts. “At this rate, I don’t think I need to manifest anything.”

I hate that I’m starting to think along the same lines.

24

When I walk up to my Italian classroom with Rosie, Emmitt is leaning a shoulder against the doorway, absently toying with the rings on his fingers.

“There you are,” he says. There’s an arrogant tilt to his mouth as per usual, but in the morning light, his eyes look—softer? “I’ve been looking for you.”

Rosie lifts her brows. “I will leave you two to it, then.”

“Wait,” I say, but Rosie slips free of my grasp, disappearing into the classroom after shooting a grin at me over her shoulder. I glower after her before turning to Emmitt.

His eyes scan my expression, but his tone doesn’t change as he says, “The prompt for this week is memory.”

Two of our classmates pass between us, walking into the room, but not without giving me a pointed look. I stare after them, wondering what I could have possibly done to deserve special attention from them. Kaity and the freshmen couldn’t have spread the news that fast. Right?

Emmitt is still watching me expectantly, and I shift uncomfortably under his intense gaze. “You know, you could just text me the link. Then I could find out the prompt by myself and you wouldn’t have to tell me.”

And then people wouldn’t see us together more than necessary and draw ridiculous conclusions, I think.

His cool expression slips somewhat, and he runs a hand through his messy blond hair, almost self-consciously. “Oh. Yeah. I mean... I don’t mind telling you.”

I shake my head, a thin smile on my lips. “It’s fine. Just send me the link.”

Emmitt nods slowly, taking out his phone and typing a quick message. My bag buzzes faintly as the text delivers.