~ Chapter 13 ~
Reed didn't know why he felt nervous.
He had walked into packed arenas.
He had guarded guys twice his size.
He had taken finals on three hours of sleep.
None of that compared to standing outside Eva's apartment door with Vinod beside him and Ryan bouncing on his heels like they were about to enter Disneyland.
"This is stupid," Reed muttered.
Vinod glanced at him. "You're the one who checked the time four times in the elevator."
"I was making sure we weren't late."
Ryan grinned. "You're making sure you look cool."
Reed shot him a look. "I always look cool."
Felix snorted. "You look stressed."
Before Reed could respond, the door opened.
And Eva was standing there.
Soft oversized sweater that slipped off one shoulder just enough to be distracting.
Leggings.
Bare feet.
Hair half-up, half-down like she'd tried to fix it and then gave up.
She looked warm.
Not dressed up.
Not trying.
Which somehow made it worse.
Seeing her in the library had been one thing.
Seeing her at the game had been another.
Seeing her in her own space?
Different.
Real.
Womanly.
Curvy in a way that didn't feel staged or performative.
Full hips.
Soft stomach under fabric.
A body that looked like it was meant to be held.
Reed absolutely did not let his eyes linger.
He absolutely noticed anyway.
"Hi," Eva said softly.
Her eyes flicked up to his.
Then immediately away.
Cute.
Dangerously cute.
"Hey," Reed said, sounding like a man with exactly two functioning brain cells.
Sandra appeared behind Eva. "Library guy!"
Eva turned bright red. "Sand..."
Reed cleared his throat. "Uh... hi."
Parker stepped forward, calm and observant. "You must be Reed."
"Yes ma'am."
She smiled. "I like him already."
Ryan stage-whispered, "Mom approval."
Eva laughed quietly, shaking her head. "Please come in. I'm so sorry if it smells strong, I've been cooking all afternoon."
The apartment smelled incredible.
Garlic.
Herbs.
Lemon.
Something warm and savory.
Reed's stomach growled immediately.
Vinod leaned toward him. "Told you."
Eva moved toward the kitchen. "I just need a few minutes to finish plating and then we can start studying. Or eating. Or both. Probably both."
Reed didn't miss the way she said we.
Not you guys.
Not them.
We.
It settled in his chest in a way he didn't understand.
----
She had made Mediterranean food.
A big platter of lemon-herb chicken.
Roasted potatoes tossed with garlic and rosemary.
Warm pita bread wrapped in a cloth so it stayed soft.
Hummus, tzatziki, and a cucumber-tomato salad sprinkled with feta.
The table looked ridiculous.
In the best way.
Felix stared at it like he was witnessing a religious experience.
"I'm actually emotional right now."
Ryan grabbed a fork immediately. "If this is bad, I'm suing."
Vinod deadpanned, "You sue everyone. Sit down."
Cassie took a bite.
Paused.
Took another bite.
Slowly put her fork down.
"Oh my god."
Ryan froze. "Is it bad?"
Cassie turned to Eva with wide eyes. "If I ever cheat on Ryan, it will be with your cooking."
Ryan clutched his chest. "Betrayal. In my own home."
Caleb shook his head. "You're dramatic."
Felix pointed at Eva. "You just casually destroyed our standards for food."
Vinod nodded seriously. "We will never recover."
Eva's cheeks flushed immediately. "You guys are exaggerating."
Sandra pointed at her. "See? I told you. Eva doesn't cook. Eva performs."
Eva groaned and covered her face. "Please stop hyping me. I am fragile."
Parker smiled warmly. "You're talented, sweetie. Own it."
Eva peeked through her fingers. "I will not."
Ryan grinned. "Too bad. You're famous now."
Eva laughed.
Not a polite little giggle.
A real laugh.
Soft, breathy, slightly surprised.
Reed felt it hit him straight in the chest.
The sound.
The way her shoulders lifted.
The way her eyes crinkled just a little.
He hadn't realized how badly he wanted to make her laugh until that moment.
Felix leaned toward Reed and murmured, "You're staring."
Reed didn't look away. "I'm not."
Vinod smirked. "You absolutely are."
Caleb added, "You look like you just found religion."
Reed muttered, "All of you can shut up."
Eva dropped her hands from her face. "Does anyone need more chicken? Cassie, do you want some more? Ryan, you barely touched your potatoes. Felix, you look like you're considering licking the plate."
Felix didn't hesitate. "Don't tempt me."
Eva laughed again.
Reed definitely felt it that time.
She stepped closer to the table to set down the serving spoon.
Without thinking, Reed shifted back slightly to make room.
Their hands brushed.
Not fully.
Not intentionally.
Just knuckles grazing.
Warm.
Bare.
Eva froze.
Reed froze.
Her fingers were small.
Soft.
He felt the contact linger for half a second longer than necessary.
"Sorry," Eva murmured automatically.
Reed's voice came out rougher than he intended. "It's okay."
Their eyes met.
Just for a moment.
Something quiet but heavy passed between them.
Reed watched the way she deflected praise like it physically hurt her.
He also watched the way she still made sure Cassie had extra chicken.
Still made sure everyone was fed before she sat down.
Something about that lodged itself deep in his chest.
---
Anand arrived a few minutes later, slightly out of breath and already shrugging out of his jacket.
"Squirrel."
Eva's face lit up immediately.
"Hi."
She stood without thinking and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his middle.
Not rushed.
Not clingy.
Comfortable.
Familiar.
Anand hugged her back easily. "Missed you."
"I saw you yesterday," Eva said.
"Still missed you."
She smiled, shaking her head. "You're ridiculous."
Reed watched the whole thing.
He told himself it was nothing.
It felt like something.
Anand's eyes flicked toward the food spread and widened. "You didn't tell me you were cooking cooking."
Eva laughed. "You never ask what I'm making. You just show up and eat."
"Because I trust you with my life," Anand said seriously.
Ryan nodded. "Same."
Felix pointed at Anand. "You don't deserve this level of privilege."
Anand smirked. "Cry about it."
Then, more casually, "Alia is mad she couldn't come. She has bio lab tonight."
Eva's brows pulled together. "Aww. Tell her I saved her baklava."
Anand's eyes softened. "You're an angel."
Reed definitely did not like that.
Not one bit.
They eventually migrated toward the table, notebooks and laptops coming out.
Eva sat between Lila and Anand without thinking.
Reed took the seat across from her.
He told himself it didn't matter.
It mattered.
Eva slid her notebook toward the middle of the table.
"Okay, so this problem is basically testing whether we use population or sample standard deviation," she said gently. "If the question says we're analyzing the entire dataset, we use population. If we're estimating from a subset, then we use sample because it corrects for bias."
Lila leaned closer. "Wait, can you say that again?"
Eva nodded immediately. "Yeah. So basically, sample standard deviation adjusts for the fact that you don't have all the data, which makes it more accurate for predictions. Population assumes you already have everything."
Jonah wasn't there, but Vinod squinted at the board. "So the key is whether we're estimating or analyzing."
Eva smiled. "Exactly."
Ryan stared at her. "Why does your brain work like this."
Eva shrugged, a little shy. "I just... read the question slowly."
Felix sighed dramatically. "Imagine being functional."
Anand leaned closer to Eva to look at her notes.
Their shoulders brushed.
Not dramatic.
Not obvious.
Still very noticeable to Reed.
Something tight curled low in his gut.
He didn't like how comfortable Anand looked.
Didn't like how easily Eva leaned a fraction closer.
Didn't like how natural it seemed.
Reed kept his face neutral.
Kept his mouth shut.
But the feeling stayed.
Caleb glanced between Reed and Anand, then smirked.
Reed shot him a warning look.
Caleb's smirk widened.
Vinod leaned toward Reed. "Breathe."
"I am breathing."
"You look homicidal."
Reed didn't respond.
Eva, oblivious to all of it, kept explaining.
"Okay, so let's try the next one together."
She picked up her pen.
Reed watched her hands.
Small.
Steady.
Confident.
He didn't know when liking her had turned into wanting her.
But somewhere between the food and the way she took care of people and the way she explained stats like it mattered...
It had happened.
And he was absolutely screwed.
----
Stats eventually faded into background noise.
Someone put on low music.
Plates got pushed aside.
People spread out.
Felix and Parker ended up shoulder to shoulder on the couch arguing about whether Irish bread or German bread was superior. They seemed cozy and in their own world. Feliz had this charm and calmness to him that made Parker not be so guarded.
Caleb sat on the armrest near Sandra pretending very hard not to notice her knee brushing his.
Ryan had Cassie half in his lap, absentmindedly playing with her hair.
Vinod scrolled through memes and periodically shoved his phone in Reed's face.
Eva sat cross-legged on the rug folding napkins that absolutely did not need folding.
Reed sat near her.
Not touching.
Close enough to notice her warmth.
"You did really good tonight," Reed said quietly.
Eva looked up. "Oh. Thanks. I was worried it was chaotic."
"It was," Reed said. "But in a good way."
She smiled.
Their knees brushed.
This time she didn't pull away immediately.
Reed felt it everywhere.
Not explosive.
Slow.
Heavy.
Real.
"You make people feel taken care of," Reed added.
Eva swallowed. "I just... like helping."
Reed watched her.
He didn't just like Eva.
He didn't just want her body.
He wanted to be the person she naturally gravitated toward.
That realization settled deep.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
Reed was in trouble.
Eva
Eva was very aware of two things.
One— Reed was sitting close.
Two— she did not want him to move.
Which felt dangerous.
She kept folding napkins like her life depended on it.
Her heart was doing that stupid fluttery thing again.
The one she absolutely did not ask for.
She could feel his presence.
His warmth.
The quiet steadiness of him.
And every time she glanced up, she caught him already looking at her.
Not staring.
Not in a creepy way.
Just... watching.
Like she mattered.
It made her chest feel tight.
Sandra plopped down beside her.
"So," she said casually. "You and library guy seem cozy."
Eva nearly dropped the napkin.
"We're not."
Parker sat on Eva's other side. "You are."
Cassie smiled softly. "He looks at you like he's trying not to fall."
Eva's face burned. "Please stop talking."
Sandra grinned. "No."
Eva hugged a napkin to her chest like it was a shield.
"I don't even know him," she whispered.
"You don't have to," Parker said gently. "You're allowed to feel things."
Eva did not appreciate how right that was.
Across the room, Anand stood up and started stacking plates.
"Alright, cleanup crew," he announced. "I refuse to let Eva do everything."
Ryan pointed at himself. "I volunteer as moral support."
Felix shook his head. "You're useless you piece of shit. Grab plates."
Reed stood up immediately.
"I'll help."
Eva looked up at him.
"You don't have to."
"I want to."
That was it.
That was the sentence that ended her.
The guys drifted toward the kitchen.
Reed ended up beside Eva as she stood.
Their fingers brushed again.
Small.
Accidental.
Electric.
Eva's breath caught.
Reed's jaw tightened.
Neither of them said anything.
They didn't need to.
Sandra watched it happen.
Cassie watched it happen.
Parker watched it happen.
Sandra mouthed: Oh my god.
Eva pretended not to see.
But her entire body felt like it was buzzing.
As Reed followed the others into the kitchen, Eva realized something terrifying.
She wasn't just attracted to Reed.
She wasn't just curious.
She wanted to know him.
Wanted to talk to him.
Wanted to be near him.
Wanted to see what happened next.
And that scared her.
Because Eva had always been careful.
Always slow.
Always guarded.
But Reed made her want to step forward.
Just a little.
And she had no idea how to stop it.