I hear him. Unfortunately, Sydney does too. She looks at Cassia, then glances at me. “Tutor?”

I tense. The last thing I need is for Sydney to start getting suspicious about me having feelings for her best friend. Or to start worrying I’m flunking out of high school again. As far as Sydney knows, Cassia and I haven’t spent any time together alone in years.

“I just helped him with that one thing,” Cassia says. “We should head out, right?”

Apparently, I’m not the only one more than ready to get out of here. Thankfully, Sydney drops the tutoring topic as we walk outside.

There’s a sharp chill to the air, the closest to winter’s bite we’ve gotten this fall. Every inhale burns my lungs and I can see my breath when I exhale.

“You good to get home, Sydney?” I ask.

Sydney glances at Graham.

“I can drive you,” he offers.

It’s obviously what she was hoping for, based on her broad smile, so I keep my mouth shut. I’m not expecting for Sydney to look to Cassia next.

“Can you give Cassia a ride?” she asks me.

I stiffen. It’s obvious Sydney wants to be alone with Graham. But I assumed Cassia had driven here herself or came with Harrison.

“I drove,” Harrison states. “I don’t mind dropping you off.”

Cassia smiles at him. My jaw clenches. Tightly enough, it’s painful despite how numb my face is, thanks to the outside temperature.

“Thanks for offering, but Holden is right across the street. I don’t want you to have to go out of your way.”

It’s obvious to everyone Harrison wouldn’t consider it to be any sort of inconvenience, but Cassia turns and walks toward me before he can say a word. “Ready?”

“Yeah.”

She chose me over him.

I’m not expecting for that to matter to me the way it does. There are plenty of girls who have ignored other guys in favor of getting my attention, as arrogant as that sounds. In the past, I’ve found it amusing or irritating, depending on my mood. It’s never incited this warm feeling in my chest before.

I say goodbye to the guys and give Graham a glare that conveys Sydney better make it home safely. It’s a ten-minute drive to our house from Fellini’s, so I’ll know if he makes any detours.

Cassia follows me down the street toward my truck. The farther we get from our friends, the tenser the silence between us becomes. The easier it is to imagine we were just the ones having dinner together.

I make it one block before glancing at her. Cassia’s arms are wrapped around her midsection. She’s wearing a sweatshirt but no jacket over it.