Blind Spot - Katana Collins Page 0,53

eyes, studying them. Was there something more going on? It didn’t always seem like it. They were close, sure, but I’d had friends who were girls before. Didn’t mean I’d slept with them. But he and Shelby were tight. Closer than I was with Chrissy or any of my other female friends. Maybe he felt threatened by her spending time with someone else?

Whatever the answer was, this was a friend of Shelby’s. If I was serious about her, I was pretty sure I had to find a way to make nice with Harrison. She didn’t seem the type to dump one of her best friends for a guy she liked…and if she were that type, I probably wouldn’t like her much. “Here, man.” I passed him the box with the two extra éclairs Shelby and I didn’t get to on the drive over. “We grabbed a couple extra for you this morning. Maybe it’ll help cheer you up.” In spite of Harrison’s death glare, I forced a smile.

“Thanks,” he said, taking an éclair from the box. His eyes steeled on mine as an arrogant smirk formed on his lips and made sure I understood clearly that “Thanks” actually meant “Fuck you and stay away from Shelby.”

“Anytime,” I answered coolly. No fucking way, asshole. “We go there a lot, so any time you want something, shoot us a text.”

Harrison’s nostrils flared at that, and I leaned back in my chair, breaking the last éclair in two pieces and handing the larger half to Shelby. Her cheeks flushed red, her eyes widened, and as she opened her mouth to speak, Professor Ceele walked in, calling the class to order.

…

It didn’t take long for Shelby to pull me aside after class. “What the fuck was that?” she snapped, shoving my shoulders in a way that wasn’t overly forceful, but certainly meant business.

“What was what?”

“You know what I’m talking about. Your little pissing match with Harrison,” she whispered, eyes flaring to life.

My lips curved, but with my smile, her frown sank deeper. “Come on, I really tried with him. It’s not my fault he was in a shitty mood. I offered him the last éclairs for God’s sake.”

“Don’t lift your leg and mark me as your territory.” She pushed passed me, stalking toward the parking lot, and when we reached my car, she spun, nearly bumping into my chest. “Harrison and Reagan are more than just my best friends. They’re family. If you can’t get along with them, then there is no ‘us.’ Got it?”

I nodded, and a warmth spread through my chest. I loved that she cared so deeply for her friends. Even if it blinded her to Harrison maybe feeling something more than familial toward her.

Chapter Eighteen

TATE

Two days later, I showed up to Shelby’s apartment, proud of the fact that I’d managed to keep my weekend plans for us a secret. We were only a few days away from Saturday night and there was no way she was getting me to blow the surprise.

When she opened the door, it looked like a bakery had exploded. Smoke filled the small room, she was wearing this adorable little apron thing, and she was covered in flour. A laugh bubbled up out of me. Covering my mouth with the back of my hand, I tried to stifle it—really unsuccessfully.

She threw a hand to her hip, tilting her head. “Well, that’s the last time I ever try to do something nice for you.”

I lifted a section of her bangs that were caked in white flour and something gooey. Was that…ew, was it egg?

She jerked away, smoothing her palm down her bangs, capturing a bit of the gunky mixture that gathered there. Crap, I forgot about not touching her hair. What had happened to her to cause such an extreme reaction? A biting pain twisted in my stomach at the thought that someone may have hurt her. I tried not to react, but tension pinched my expression through my forced smile. “You have egg or something in your hair.” This time, I slowly brought my hand to her, scooping the goo out of her bangs. “There, got it.”

Pushing her bottom lip out in an exaggerated pout, she looked up at me. Her brown eyes seemed even bigger somehow. “I was trying to make you croissants.”

“You baked for me? Oh, you so like me.”

She slapped my shoulder, and I caught her hand, pulling her flush against my body. God, I wanted to kiss her. That made it difficult