His voice is smooth, a British accent curving his vowels into shapes I don’t expect, and just like that I’m horny again. He’s about my age, and ridiculously handsome: light brown skin, high cheekbones, pillowy lips; dark, fluffy hair cut in a fade; skinny black pants ripped with fashionable precision to show off his knees. How is it possible that he has sexy knees? Can knees even be sexy? Is this what it feels like to have a kink?

“Uh, I don’t smoke.” My cheeks are warm, and when his eyes meet mine, it’s like he knows what I’m thinking. “And you can get in trouble for smoking on school grounds.”

Instantly, I want to throw myself off a cliff. Who says that? Why don’t I just tell him that I’m a hopeless nerd-virgin rather than supplying him with all these careful hints? He gives me an impish smile, though. “School’s out, right? Anyway, I’m not a student here, so what can they do?”

“You’re not?” I look around at the mostly empty parking lot. My bike is one of only two left chained to the rack by the sidewalk. “Are you … waiting for someone?”

With an enigmatic shrug, he moves his gaze over my body in a way that makes my cheeks even warmer. “Who says I’m not waiting for you?”

An awkward church giggle comes out of my mouth, and I can’t look him in the eye anymore. My mind has gone blank. To buy some time while my last two brain cells collaborate on a witty reply, I adjust my glasses and examine his jacket. It’s denim, artfully distressed, and under it he appears to be wearing nothing but a thin T-shirt. Inspired, I blurt, “Aren’t you cold?”

“Why?” He cocks one of his brows. “You want to warm me up?”

Now my face is an inferno. “I … I, um…”

“Sorry, that was rather forward of me.” He does not look sorry in the least. “My name is Jude.”

“Augh—” I begin, and then choke on some saliva, “—ust. August. Or ‘ee.’ Auggie is, too, also fine. Auggie or August. Is … my names.” Shutting my eyes, I let out a deep breath. The past sixteen years have been okay, but I am very ready to die now.

“I know who you are, August.” His tone is still mild, friendly even, but when my eyes snap open again I see him very differently than before. “I told you I was waiting for you.”