Page 60 of Time To Learn

“I’m…complicated,” I whisper.

“So I’ve noticed.” He quirks an eyebrow at me, waiting for me to finish, but I don’t have the energy to explain further. I feel weary, sort of drunk, and so tired I think I could sleep fordays.

“I don’t know what I’m saying,” I mumble, suppressing ayawn.

“Friendships aren’t meant to be complicated, Laura,” Kristian says as he takes my hand, pulling me after him and out to the pub. “They just have to bereal.”

I nod at hisback.

“True.”

“Let’s take it one day at a time, okay?”

The smile he throws my way as he looks over his shoulder almost makes me trip over myfeet.

“Okay,” I whisper.

Maybe I’m overanalysing things, so I’ll stop obsessing about it until tomorrow.

Maybe.

I crane my neck as I look everywhere for Trish, but I can’t find her. I don’t see Alex, either. Howodd.

“Let’s go outside, get you some fresh air, before we get youhome?”

I stop nodding when he says, “we”.

“Hang on,” I start as he drags me outside. “What do you mean by we? Trish is taking mehome.”

He doesn’t answer, and a sinking feeling settles in my stomach.

Surely, he can’t mean that he’ll come home to the farm withme?

“Kristian, wait,” I mumble, tugging hard on his hand, but he won’t budge and keeps ignoring me. We leave the pub, and upon feeling the crisp night air hit my skin, I begin to shiver atonce.

“Where the hell are they?” I look up at Kristian and then take in our surroundings. The street is busy, filled with people in various degrees of drunkenness. The spinning in my head intensifies, and my teeth chatter.

Kristian glances at me and curses under his breath.

“Come here,” he says, dragging me closer to hisbody.

Oh, gosh, he smells even betternow.

“I-I’m o-okay,” I stutter, but I can’t resist snuggling deeper into his warmth.

“No, you’re not,” he grits out, wrapping his other arm around me. His body shifts, blocking the wind from hitting me with his body, and soon, the shivering ebbsaway.

“Thanks,” I mumble against his chest, burying my nose in his T-shirt. I try to be subtle as I breathe him in. There’s a hint of sweat mingled with his clean, woodsy scent, and I take another sniff. It feels nice to be held like this. The warmth from his body seeps into my cold bones, and I relax a little as I close myeyes.

I wish I could stay like this forever.

“Alex!”

I jerk in Kristian’s arms, surprised at the shout, and turn to stare up athim.

He jerks his chin at something behind me, but I can’t look away from the tattoo I now see peeking up his neck. It’s small, and I squint as I lean up on my toes, trying to see it better. It’s too dark to make it out, though.

“What’s that tattoo?” I whisper, trailing my fingers over the neckline of his shirt. Kristian’s arms jerk against my waist, holding me tighter for abeat.