“Right.” His hand released her foot but his eyes stayed on hers. “You should eat while it’s still warm.”

He turned to get the movie started and Cat took the opportunity to gather herself a little bit. She took a deep breath and started in on the meal, the familiar opening credits rolling.

When she was finished with her food, Quentin wordlessly relieved her of the tray and came back a minute later with two bowls of ice cream.

She glanced over as he sat and was startled by the pang of disappointment she felt when he was just as far away as he’d been at the beginning of the movie. The kind of cute that watches rom-coms at the other end of the couch. What did that even mean?

“Do you want some blanket?” she heard herself ask, scooting toward him, her ice cream in one hand and the blanket in the other. “The ice cream must be making you cold.”

“Sure.” He pulled his half of the blanket over his lap, his eyes on the side of her face as she stared rigidly at the screen. She’d seen this movie a hundred and two times and for the life of her she couldn’t have explained what was happening on screen.

Why was she sweating? Jeez. There was still a foot of space between them, but every little movement he made caught her attention. When he set his empty bowl on the coffee table and leaned back, she held her breath. When one long arm lifted up and rested on the back of the couch, she swore her heart got stuck on the downbeat. This was crazy. This was Quentin. Her friend Quentin! She should not be acting like such a basket case!

What had she meant when she’d called him cute? She’d been having so much fun with him it had just popped out. Girlie movies on the other end of the couch. Maybe he was right and she had really been unintentionally calling him...nonsexual? Yeesh. Nobody wanted to be thought of that way. Even by their friends.

Cat paused the movie, the trash compactor ten feet from squeezing Luke and Leia and Han into Spam. She kicked her knee onto the couch between them as she turned to face him.

“Quentin—”

BAMBAMBAM.

She jumped six inches into the air as someone attempted to take the front door off the hinges with their fist.

“Holy hell!” Cat stared at the door as the incredibly loud pounding happened again.

“I’ll go see who it is,” Quentin said into her ear. It was only then that Cat realized she’d jumped straight into his lap. Her heart pounded like a sprinter running stairs. Quentin’s hands gently touched her hips and she slid off of him.

She watched him walk to the door, her eyes wide, one hand on her chest, unsure if she was feeling this way because of the unexpected visitor or because she’d just been sitting in Quentin’s lap.