“Thought we could hang out here.” I gauged her reaction.

“Who knew Nick Maguire could be such a romantic?” Her cold hand squeezed mine.

We leaned against the tree, with her head pressed against my shoulder. She skimmed my cheeks with her fingertips.

“You smell good.”

My skin tickled where her warm breath touched it, and even more when Eliza lightly kissed my jaw. I stayed put, half hugging her, playing with the ends of her sweater. When she didn’t pull away, I slipped my pinky under it, brushing her bare skin. I found the waistline of her jeans and had to stop as quickly as I’d begun. I didn’t want to freak her out. And I didn’t want to do this here.

“I need to tell you something,” I finally said.

“M’kay,” she bit her lip, as if she were teasing me for not kissing her.

“Okay, you need to stop that,” I whispered. She stepped away, laughing lightly. She knew she had me.

“I happen to be tanking my biology class—” I started.

“Hang on. Tell me over fake wine and cheese.” She took in the boss spread I’d arranged on the blanket. “We need plates and napkins.”

She tore off, back into the house.

“Can you bring back some cupcakes?” I called.

A gate creaked in the near vicinity. It was hard to tell exactly where, as the backyard was shrouded by darkness.

“Cupcakes for what?”

I paled.

Carter came closer, dripping wet and wrapped in a Mickey Mouse beach towel. Right—sometimes he liked to swim in their heated pool after practice to relax and stretch out more.

Whoops.

Their back door slammed closed—Eliza must have gone inside without hearing him.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Great timing, I was just coming to find you. Told Eliza I was coming over and she thought it would be fun to have a study-picnic. I thought she informed you.”

“It’s almost November, Nick. It’s freezing.”

I dropped onto the blanket so he wouldn’t see me squirm. Cold had kind of been the point. Warm, cozy blankets, stars, Eliza . . .

“This is stupid,” he said when I stayed silent. “We’re gonna need some more light.” He paused. “And I need a coat. Guess she forgot about daylight savings time too. I’m gonna go change and get some lanterns. Thanks for helping her set this up. This is a real fancy way to study.”

“Only way I know how.”

Carter left me to guard the charcutenanny—or however you say that word—and the distant chirping of bugs trying to mate.

“Don’t rub it in,” I muttered.

I don’t know what I really expected; of course there was no way I’d have been able to pull off running between the O’Connor siblings without either of them figuring it out.

Now it would be a devil’s three-way in purgatory: my date with Eliza, with Carter as the third wheel; my study sesh with Carter, with Eliza as the third wheel; and Eliza and Carter’s sibling life, with me as the third wheel. Weirdness all around.