Page 98 of Sex Positive

But Charlie shakes her head, trying to overcome her shock. “You can’t do that.”

He shoots her a bemused look. “I just did.”

“Quinn,” she moans. “Why?”

He doesn’t answer. Rising from his chair, he tosses his phone in his bag before slinging it over his shoulder. Something in his expression shifts, something she can’t interpret, but he suddenly looks softer. Instead of answering, he holds out a hand.

“Can I walk you home?”

Twenty-Seven

She doesn’t speakduring the walk back to her apartment from the Archwood library, Wes’s mindless chatter filling the silence, something about what his Law and Philosophy professor discussed in their last class. Charlie’s not paying attention, her thoughts spinning as she tries to understand what just happened.

When she unlocks her door, he asks, “Are you hungry? Do you want to order pizza?”

This snaps her out of her fugue state. Dropping her bag to the floor, she whirls on him. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

Pulling off his coat and hanging it over the back of the chair he always uses, he smiles, unfazed. “Probably a lot of things you’d love to list for me.”

She scowls. “Quinn. This is serious. What if he follows through on his threat to donate to Heartbeat Care?”

“He won’t.” Wes arches a brow. “I promise. I have information he doesn’t want leaked to the press.”

“So you’re totally fine with blackmail now?”

He leans against the counter, crossing his arms over his chest. “Are you telling me you were going to agree to his deal?”

She scoffs. “No, I just—”

“He’s done this my entire life. He manipulates people into doing what he wants, all while claiming it’s for the benefit of the other person. Like we’re all just chess pieces on his board. He used you to get to me because he knows he’s losing me. You don’tneedhim, Rogers. You’re going to save the clinic all on your own. Look at everything you’ve already accomplished!” A glorious smile breaks over his face. “You’re doing everything you said you’d do, and you don’t need my asshole father interfering with it.”

He beams, admiration plain on his face, and she swells with warmth. But she still has so many questions.

“What about the LSAT?”

“Fuckthe LSAT.” He laughs, relief relaxing his body, transforming his features, illuminating him in a way she can’t remember seeing in a very long time, if ever. “I never cared about the LSAT. This was all just about being with you.”

A buzzing noise starts in her ear. “What?”

“Everything I’ve done—asking you to tutor me, agreeing to yourexperiments—has been so I can spend time with you like before. I would have agreed to fly to the moon if you’d asked.”

Charlie’s stomach swoops at the adoration in his voice. His words slowly sink in as she fights the rising emotions threatening to swallow her.

“Why?”

“Because I love you.”

She opens and closes her mouth, shock rendering her mute. At the look on her face, he laughs, exuberant.

“That’s what I’ve been wanting to tell you for the past few days. Longer than that, but suddenly I couldn’t stand you not knowing anymore.” He approaches her slowly and cups her face. He strokes her cheek with his thumb, his eyes piercing her. “I needed to tell you even if you didn’t feel the same.”

She’s falling, crashing, breaking. Drowning under his waves.

“I almost told you the other night,” he says, laughing. “But instead I made an ass out of myself again, which seems to be a common theme whenever I’m around you after I have alcohol. Why do you think my father thought making that deal with you would be the best way to keep me in line? He knows how I’ve felt about you for years.”

This pulls Charlie from her trance. She steps back, and his hands fall to his sides.

“You…” She shakes her head. “Years—What do you mean, for years?”