“I think you’re the funniest...most interesting...prettiest...”

Oh. Cat stopped walking. This was not the direction she’d been expecting this conversation to go. He turned to face her. An older couple walking a weenie dog scooted past them but Quentin and Cat just stared at one another.

“I have a crush on you,” Quentin continued after a moment. “In case that wasn’t clear.”

Those friendly blue eyes of his were a perfect combination of nerves and determination. Cat’s stomach went upside down again, but this time it felt good.

“Look,” he said, flattening his hair down with one hand. “I know you have a thing for my cousin. And that’s historically been sort of a sore spot for me. Because of the way we grew up, I always compared his life to mine. Like I said before, it’s a long story. But I think that’s made me be kind of closed off to you. Which I don’t want to be. Because—you know—the crush.”

His cheeks were pink and his coppery hair was getting messier and messier each time he attempted to flatten it. Cat would’ve given anything for a series of portraits of him, exactly as he looked right at that moment. She’d never have to google puppy videos ever again when she got sad. All she’d have to do was look at those photos of Quentin and feel her heart float away on a hot-air balloon.

“I guess,” he continued, “I just wanted to tell you how I feel. You said that what you’re looking for is a good time.” He spread his hands out to the side. “I’m a good time. Also, I care about you. I don’t know if that disqualifies me from the running. But I guess I just wanted to...see?” He groaned and flattened his hair again. “Man, I am really not good at this.”

She covered her face with her hands just to give herself a second to think. But she found she didn’t even need it. She was laughing as she pulled her hands away. “I don’t,” she told him.

Quentin’s brows came down. “You don’t what?”

“Have a thing for your cousin.”

His eyebrows popped up. “Oh. Really?”

“Yeah. I tried to have a thing for your cousin. But, you know, when I wanted to become a teacher, I went to school, got my degree and certificate and applied to, like, twenty jobs. When I wanted to help my mom take care of my dad, I took the train home every weekend. When I wanted to learn to pole dance, I found a studio and went the next day. When I want pie, I eat pie. But when I tried to hook up with your cousin...” She stepped forward and nudged one of his feet with the toe of her sandal. “I just kept hanging out with you.”

He cracked into a grin and Cat almost laughed with delight at how much it changed his face. He was absolutely shining. His eyes were crinkled at the corners, his teeth white and just a little crooked. He was perfect.