Sydney glances at me. I avoid her gaze, hoping she’ll drop it. I want Holden to stay, not only because of what I’m hoping will take place tonight, but because it will feel less like I’m third-wheeling.

Harrison joining us at Fellini’s yesterday afternoon helped with that, but made it awkward in other ways. Namely, I wasn’t quite sure what to say to him. I’m not worried about that with Holden. I mean, I am, but it’s more in the context of being worried about saying too much. I’m not at a loss of what common ground to find in the first place.

“Cassia will be here. I don’t need you to look out for me.”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure Cassia is a very capable chaperone,” Holden replies.

I roll my eyes at that, and he smirks in response.

“But for the millionth time, me staying home has nothing to do with you or with Graham.”

He doesn’t include me on the list, I notice. Probably because Sydney has no reason to think anything Holden does or doesn’t do would involve me. But I read into it anyway.

Holden pulls his phone out of his pocket and glances at the screen. “See you guys later,” he says, grabbing his Gatorade and leaving the kitchen.

* * *

I’m sitting on the couch, alone, almost as far away as possible from Sydney and Graham’s whispering, when Holden walks back downstairs. It’s been total silence upstairs since he left the kitchen a couple of hours ago. Part of me was wondering if he went out after all, without saying anything.

Based on how disheveled his hair is, I think he was sleeping. He runs his hand through it again as he approaches the couch, smoothing some of the disarray.

Holden grins when he sees how I’m huddled at one end of the couch, then plops down right beside me, so close our arms brush. My cheeks flare pink, and I hope it’s dark enough in here he can’t tell.

All I can think about is the last time the two of us were on this couch together.

“What are you guys watching?” he whispers to me.

“I forget,” I reply. “One of the goblin movies?”

He glances at me, one corner of his mouth curling up in a smile. “Lord of the Rings?”

“I guess? I didn’t pick it. Graham would know.” I glance toward the kitchen. “He and Sydney paused the movie a couple of minutes ago to make popcorn.”

“Ah.” He leans back, getting comfortable. I resist the urge to lean closer. We agreed to sex, not snuggling.

When I glance over, he’s looking at me. It’s a searching gaze. He’s looking at me like it’s the first time he’s seeing me.

“Hi,” I whisper.

He smiles. “Hi.”

“Congrats. I saw you won.”