I shook my head, trying to focus on the moment. “I was thinking I need to put on at least four more layers so we can begin our romantic adventure.”

He rolled his eyes at my obvious lie. “Are you still worried about the meeting with the dean?”

That reminder I could’ve done without. I’d been called in for a meeting, which coincidentally came the Monday after Easton and I had our run-in with Brad. It was supposed to be a “check in” but when I asked Ted, he’d told me that was unusual. So I was expecting to be called out on the carpet for something that had nothing to do with the job I was actually hired for. But that was another thing I didn’t want to get into right now.

“Nah, I’m trying not to worry about it until it happens. There’s nothing I can do about it at this point.” I lifted a shoulder before turning around and going up the stairs to finish getting dressed with Easton right behind me.

“I hope this isn’t Brad being a petty asshole, but this would be very in line with his MO. Fucking with people because he can’t deal with rejection.” I stopped as I got to the mezzanine and looked over my shoulder at him. His angry expression made me wonder what that little prick had done to fuck with him. But before I could even answer he just shook his head and waved his hand as if asking me to forget about it.

“That was a long time ago. I don’t indulge in grudges about petty shit people do.” The way his mouth flattened and his face blanched made it pretty obvious it was not just some petty thing. Easton liked to maintain that unaffected facade. Except I could tell he minimized how things that people said and did hurt him. He acted like his dad’s slights didn’t affect him. How much it hurt him to be dismissed. But I’d seen it when I’d done it to him.

I pulled a T-shirt and then a sweater over my head, trying to figure out how to let him know he could trust me, while Easton acted like a fool, fake swooning and fanning himself. He was so extra, but fuck if I could stay mad with him around.

I walked up to where he was leaning against the dresser and tightened my arms around his waist. Again taken aback by the way he just made me forget to be pissed at shit that usually infuriated me. “You’re a clown.”

He preened like I’d given him the best compliment of his life. “I think you like it though.”