Page 249 of Power Play

“That’s the fucking problem, Charm. You don’t ask. You smile and tell me everything is fine. You send screenshots from Klein, tease me about being her favorite student, and tell me you miss me in Spanish while pretending this giant thing sitting between us doesn’t exist.”

“I’m trying to keep things good between us.”

“They aren’t good if you have to lie to keep them that way.”

Her eyes filled, and every instinct inside me tried to soften. I nearly let it happen until I remembered the nights I had stared at her through a phone screen, knowing she was hurting and allowing her to convince me not to push.

I shook my head. “I’m not backing off because you’re crying.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“You don’t have to. That’s how this always works.”

Her mouth fell open.

I scrubbed one hand over my face and stepped away before my temper got ahead of me. “I fucking love—” The word nearly escaped before I caught it. “I love what we’ve been doing.”

The room went still. Charm knew how close I had come to saying something else, and so did I.

I forced myself to continue.

“I love coming home to you. I love that your shit is all over my apartment. I love that you use my books, send me voice notes, and somehow turned my Great Lakes mug into your fucking wineglass.”

Charm wiped beneath one eye.

“I love that when I have one day, I know exactly where I want to spend it.”

Her breath caught.

“But I’m not doing this halfway forever.”

She stared at me. “What does that mean?”

“It means you need to decide.”

“Decide what?”

“Me.” The word struck the room hard as I stepped closer. “I don’t mean deciding whether you like me, want to fuck me, or miss me when I’m gone. We settled that.”

“Ryan—”

“You need to decide whether you’re willing to choose me when choosing me costs you something.”

Her eyes widened. “I have chosen you.”

“Then why do I still feel hidden?”

“We aren’t hiding.”

“The Frost knows because you kissed me beside their bus. Your parents know because you told them at dinner. Do Bliss and Aura know you called me your boyfriend?”

Charm stared at me, and the pause before her answer cut deeper than it should have.

“They know we’re together.”

“That wasn’t what I asked.”

“They know what you are to me.”