15. Dahlia
DAHLIA
“Thank you so much for doing that,” I say to Felix as we step out of the design lab.
“It’ll be worth it when I see you cutting it up on the dance floor at Sigma.” He glances over and smiles at me. “Why’d you stop dancing?”
“It got too hectic. I was doing golf as well, plus taking AP classes.” I shrug. “Are you going to show me your secret talent now?”
He flashes me a wide grin. “In time.”
“Fine.” I huff dramatically. He holds the outside door open for me and I step out into the night. “Do you mind if we stop by my house first? I want to drop off all my stuff.”
“For sure. What are your roommates up to tonight?”
“Daisy and Violet are hanging with their boyfriends and Jane had a bunch of homework.”
We’re both quiet as we walk across campus and toward the street that runs in front of my house.
When we get to a dark spot, where the streetlights are too far apart to light the sidewalk, Felix finally breaks the silence. “You walk this alone at night?”
“No, not usually,” I admit.
“But you planned to tonight?” He raises both brows.
I never plan for it, but sometimes it happens. Driving to campus is a pain. Parking near the design lab is a nightmare, and usually one of the girls is with me, so we have the whole safety in pairs thing going on.
“I would have walked fast and avoided any scary-looking people.”
“Oh yeah? That’s your safety plan?” His voice still has a concerned edge, but one side of his mouth lifts.
“And don’t forget about my sick dance moves. I’d hit ’em with a pirouette or maybe a couple brush kicks.”
“I don’t know what those are, but I’m doubting their effectiveness.”
Me too. Plus, I seriously question whether either of those skills have stuck with me, but I like the response it gets from Felix.
It was fun hanging out with him in the design lab.
Aside from home and maybe the golf course, it’s the place I feel most comfortable.
It made me more relaxed around him and now I’m looking forward to going to the party.
“I’ll be quick,” I say as I hurry up to the front door. “I just need to toss everything in my room and change.”
“You don’t need to rush,” he says as I open the door.
Daisy is sitting in the living room on the couch, Jordan too. Seltzer and beer cans litter the coffee table and they’re both holding cards.
“Hey,” they say in unison.
When Felix steps in behind me, Jordan stands to greet him.
I walk through the living room to the kitchen. Jane and Violet are doing homework at the table. They both look up as I enter.
Jane smiles, and Vi says, “You worked late. Did you finish your design for Eddie?”
“No, but I got a good start.”
Felix steps closer to the kitchen, sort of lingering between the two rooms. “Who’s up for after hours at Sigma?”
“Can’t tonight,” Jordan says. “Daisy has a test in the morning and needs help studying.” He gives his girlfriend a wink.
“I’m going to crash early,” Violet says. “Classes kicked my butt this week. I’m heading to Gavin’s now.”
She starts to collect her things and I look to Jane. “Want to come with us?”
“No.” A crease forms at the bridge of her nose as she scrunches it. “I’m not up for being the third wheel.”
“You know it isn’t like that,” I fire back.
“Pass.” She shakes her head.
“Okay, then.” I look to Felix. “I’m gonna change.”
“Want a beer?” Jordan asks him from his reclaimed spot on the couch.
While Felix goes to take the offered drink, I head upstairs.
In my closet, I quickly strip out of my shorts and T-shirt, and then flip through my dresses and skirts.
After hours’ parties are usually pretty casual, but I don’t like the idea of walking in with Felix and not looking amazing.
I might have an invisibility superpower, but his god-status shatters it.
People will be staring at him, and by extension, at me.
Plus, I also want to look good for him. I know this whole thing is fake, but I like him. I can’t help it. He’s Felix Walters.
I narrow it down to two options. I’m holding each one in front of me, while standing in front of the floor-length mirror in my room, as Jane knocks and then cracks open the door.
“Need help?” she asks with a small smile.
“Yes, please.” I pull her inside.
I try on each while she stares into my closet.
“The black one,” she says. “You look effortlessly gorgeous in it.”
“Okay.” With that settled, I quickly run my fingers through my hair and then dab on some lip gloss and add a layer of mascara.
When I’m finished, Jane sits on my bed, picking at the comforter.
“Is everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah,” she says in a tone that disagrees with her statement.
Felix is waiting for me, but he has a beer, so I cross the room and sit down on the bed in front of her. “What’s wrong? You seem down. You know you can come with us, right? Felix is more the third wheel than you.”
“I know I’m your soulmate, but that boy is totally into you and that makes me the third wheel. And I really can’t. I still have to write a paper for my Nineteenth Century Music Theory class.”
“How much more do you have to do?”
“All of it.” She smiles sweetly and then grimaces. “This week has sucked. I swear all of my professors got together and decided to pile on homework and tests this week.”
She starts to get up, then squeezes my hand. “You look amazing. He likes you. I’d bet my life on it. Now go have fun. If you stay the night with him, promise to text.”
My face warms at the thought. “I’m not staying at his house.”
“Please do. I want to hear all the details tomorrow. It’ll be my reward for finishing this paper.” She groans a little. “I don’t even have a topic yet. Ugh.”
I hate seeing her like this. Jane has always had my back. I don’t think there’s anything she wouldn’t do for me.
“Do you remember that night last year when the four of us stayed in and helped you study for your philosophy test?”
She laughs. “How could I forget? The three of you got so drunk.”
“That was unintentional.” I laugh too at the memory. “But you aced that test.”
“Yeah.” She shrugs. “You were so entertaining, I studied way longer than I would have on my own.”
I grin really big. “It was a fun night.”
“Oh no,” she says, finally realizing where I’m headed with this jog down memory lane.
“Oh, yes.”
Much to my surprise, Felix doesn’t bat an eye when I tell him I need to stay in tonight with Jane. She can write the paper on her own, I know this, but I also know it’s what she’d do for me. Besides, Vi is gone for the night, and Daisy and Jordan are preoccupied, which means it’s up to me.
We’re standing just outside the house, where I can talk to him without Jane overhearing.
“I’m sorry. She seems sort of down and she needs to finish a paper, so I’m going to stick around. Sorry about making you try on the pants. I guess I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. I promise you can keep me out late this weekend.”
He chuckles and the movement makes his chest lift. “It’s all right. Lucas texted and said Sigma was a bust anyway.”
“You’re welcome to stay and hang out.”
It’s worth noting, there’s no world in which I would have believed he would take me up on that, but Felix nods slowly and rolls his bottom lip behind his teeth. “Yeah, okay.”
I stare up at him for too long, the words not quite sinking in.
“Was that not the answer you wanted?” He smirks.
“Sorry. I didn’t think you’d want to. Chill nights in don’t seem like your style.”
“That’s not true at all,” he says, brows tugging together. Hmm. I guess I just assumed that because when I see him, it’s always at parties. There’s a lot about Felix I don’t really know.
I push open the front door and step in with a smile. “We decided to stay in.”
“Word on the street is that Sigma is dead,” Felix adds as everyone looks at us.
Jordan is the first to speak. “Cool, man, grab another beer and help me quiz Daisy.”